Echovenator
Echovenator ("echolocation hunter") is a genus of primitive odontocete from late Oligocene (Chattian) marine deposits in South Carolina belonging to Xenorophidae.[1]
| Echovenator | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Artiodactyla |
| Infraorder: | Cetacea |
| Family: | †Xenorophidae |
| Genus: | †Echovenator Churchill et al., 2016 |
| Type species | |
| Echovenator sandersi Churchill et al., 2016 | |
Description and paleobiology
Echovenator is distinguishable from other xenorophids in having a paranaris fossa and fused fronto-nasal and maxillo-premaxillary sutures.[2] The earbone structure shows that this odontocete was clearly capable of echolocation.[2]
References
- http://www.sci-news.com/paleontology/echovenator-sandersi-oligocene-whale-ultrasonic-hearing-04084.html
- Morgan Churchill; Manuel Martinez-Caceres; Christian de Muizon; Jessica Mnieckowski; Jonathan H. Geisler (2016). "The Origin of High-Frequency Hearing in Whales". Current Biology. in press. doi:10.1016/j.cub.2016.06.004.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.