Cetotherium
| Cetotherium Temporal range: Miocene - Pliocene |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Cetacea |
| Suborder: | Mysticeti |
| Family: | Cetotheriidae Brandt, 1873 |
| Genus: | Cetotherium |
Cetotherium (meaning whale beast) is a genus of the extinct cetaceans from the family Cetotheriidae (the cetotheriids or cetotheres).[1]
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[edit] Known species
To date, several whales of the genus Cetotherium have been identified; C. furlongi, C. mayeri, C. megalophysum, C. parvum, C. priscum, and C. rathkii.
[edit] Evolution
Cetotheres came in to existence during the Oligocene epoch. The cetotheres have been divided in to two sub-groups. One group includes Cetotherium. From evolutionary perspective, these whales share some characteristics of the Balaenopteridae and Eschrichtiidae.[2]
[edit] Potential threats
Fossil records of Cetotheriids indicate that these whales were attacked and preyed upon by large predatory sharks (e.g. megalodon and great white sharks). The raptorial toothed whale Livyatan melvillei may too, have posed a threat.
[edit] General references
- Barry Cox, Colin Harrison, R.J.G. Savage, and Brian Gardiner. (1999): The Simon & Schuster Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs and Prehistoric Creatures: A Visual Who's Who of Prehistoric Life. Simon & Schuster.
[edit] References
- ^ Berta, Annalisa; Demere, Thomas, Mysticetes, Evolution, pp. 751–752, http://www.bio.sdsu.edu/faculty/BERTA_files/Berta_Demere2009_Evolution.pdf
- ^ Kimura, Toshiyuki; Ozawa, Tomowo (September 2002), "New Cetothere (Cetacea: Mysticeti) from the Miocene Chichibumachi Group, Japan.", Bulletin of the Saitama Museum of Natural History (The Society of Vertebrate Paleontology) 22 (3): 684–702, JSTOR 4524259
