Atlanticetus is a genus of extinct baleen whales known from the Early Miocene of Italy and the US Eastern Seaboard.[1][2]

Atlanticetus
Temporal range: Early Miocene
~20.4–16 Ma
A. patulus skull
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Artiodactyla
Infraorder: Cetacea
Parvorder: Mysticeti
Clade: Chaeomysticeti
Genus: Atlanticetus
Bisconti et al., 2020
Type species
Aglaocetus patulus
Kellogg, 1968
Species
  • A. patulus (Kellogg, 1968) (type)
  • A. lavei Bisconti et al., 2020

Species edit

The type species, Atlanticetus patulus was originally described as Aglaocetus patulus from the Calvert Formation by Remington Kellogg in 1968.[3] However, it was recovered by Bisconti et al. (2013) in a different phylogenetic position than the Aglaocetus type species Aglaocetus moreni.[1] In 2020, A. patulus was made the type species of a new genus Atlanticetus. A second species, A. lavei, is known from the early Miocene Gruppo Pietra da Cantoni of Piedmont, Italy.[2]

References edit

  1. ^ a b M. Bisconti, O. Lambert, and M. Bosselaers. 2013. "Taxonomic revision of Isocetus depauwi (Mammalia, Cetacea, Mysticeti) and the phylogenetic relationships of archaic 'cetothere' mysticetes". Palaeontology 56(1):95-127.
  2. ^ a b Bisconti, M., Damarco, P., Mao, S., Pavia, M. and Carnevale, G. (2020). "The earliest baleen whale from the Mediterranean: large‐scale implications of an early Miocene thalassotherian mysticete from Piedmont, Italy". Papers in Palaeontology. doi:10.1002/spp2.1336.
  3. ^ R. Kellogg. 1968. "A sharp-nosed cetothere from the Miocene Calvert". Proceedings of the United States National Museum 247(7):163-173.