Echovenator
Appearance
Echovenator Temporal range: Late Oligocene,
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Scientific classification ![]() | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
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
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Echovenator ("echolocation hunter") is a genus of primitive odontocete from late Oligocene (Chattian) marine deposits in South Carolina belonging to Xenorophidae.
Description and paleobiology
Echovenator is distinguishable from other xenorophids in having a paranaris fossa and fused fronto-nasal and maxillo-premaxillary sutures.[1] The earbone structure shows that this odontocete was clearly capable of echolocation.[1]