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Masracetus

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Masracetus
Temporal range: Late Eocene
↓
Restoration
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Artiodactyla
Infraorder: Cetacea
Family: †Basilosauridae
Subfamily: †Dorudontinae
Genus: †Masracetus
Gingerich 2007
Species

Masracetus (from Arabic Masr, "Egypt", and Greek ketos, "whale")[1] is an extinct genus of basilosaurid ancient whale known from the Late Eocene (Priabonian, 37.2 to 33.9 million years ago) of Egypt.[2]

Masracetus was briefly described in an addendum by Gingerich 2007 and is known from just an assemblage of vertebrae and a poorly reconstructed skull from 1908. The lumbar vertebrae are large but relatively short (anteroposteriorly) compared to those of other archaeocetes; the diameter is almost the same as for Basilosaurus isis but the length is less than half of the latter. Masracetus is larger than Cynthiacetus.[3]

The species name honours Richard Markgraf, palaeontologist Ernst Stromer's fossil collector, who collected the type specimen in 1905.[1]

Masracetus' type locality is the Birket Qarun Formation in Dimê (29°30′N 30°42′E / 29.5°N 30.7°E / 29.5; 30.7, paleocoordinates 24°54′N 26°36′E / 24.9°N 26.6°E / 24.9; 26.6) north of lake Birket Qarun,[4] but specimens have also been found in the Qattara Depression and Fayum.[5][6][7][8]

Notes

  1. ^ a b Gingerich 2007, Etymology, p. 375
  2. ^ Masracetus in the Paleobiology Database. Retrieved July 2013.
  3. ^ Gingerich 2007, p. 375
  4. ^ Dimeh (Eocene of Egypt) in the Paleobiology Database. Retrieved July 2013.
  5. ^ Masracetus markgrafi in the Paleobiology Database. Retrieved July 2013.
  6. ^ Qattara Depression (Eocene of Egypt) in the Paleobiology Database. Retrieved July 2013.
  7. ^ Minqar Tibaghbagh (Eocene of Egypt) in the Paleobiology Database. Retrieved July 2013.
  8. ^ Minqar el-Hut (Eocene of Egypt) in the Paleobiology Database. Retrieved July 2013.

References

Wikispecies has information related to Masracetus.
  • Gingerich, Philip D (2007). "Stromerius nidensis, new archaeocete (Mammalia, Cetacea) from the Upper Eocene Qasr El-Sagha Formation, Fayum, Egypt" (PDF). Contributions from the Museum of Paleontology. 31 (13): 363–78. OCLC 214233870. {{cite journal}}: Invalid |ref=harv (help)


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