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CETOTHERES (CETACEA) FROM THE OLIGOCENE OF NEW ZEALAND
Author(s) -
MARPLES B. J.
Publication year - 1956
Publication title -
proceedings of the zoological society of london
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.915
H-Index - 96
eISSN - 1469-7998
pISSN - 0370-2774
DOI - 10.1111/j.1096-3642.1956.tb00453.x
Subject(s) - skull , cetacea , crest , biology , sagittal plane , anatomy , paleontology , nostril , baleen , zoology , whale , ecology , physics , quantum mechanics , nose
SUMMARY Three new species of Cetotheres, Mauicetus lophocephalus, Mauicetus waitakiensis and Mauicetus brevicollis are described from the Lower Oligocene of New Zealand. The greater part of the skull of one of these is present and it seems to be considerably the oldest Cetothere skull known. It appears to be primitive in that, although the supraoccipital shield extends as far forward as it does in many Miocene Cetotheres, the nostril is very anteriorly placed, the temporal fossae are longer than broad and there is a long sagittal crest in the cranial region. There is therefore a considerable gap between the supraoccipital and the nasals, unlike the condition usually seen in the Mysticetes. A gap is present here in other early whales, but only in the Archaeocetes is it occupied by a sagittal crest.