Isocetus is an extinct genus of baleen whale belonging to the clade Thalassotherii. Remains have been found in middle Miocene marine deposits in Belgium.

Isocetus
Temporal range: Langhian–Serravallian
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Artiodactyla
Infraorder: Cetacea
Parvorder: Mysticeti
Clade: Thalassotherii
Genus: Isocetus
van Beneden, 1880
Species
  • I. depauwi van Beneden, 1880 (type)

Description

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Isocetus was considered a nomen dubium by Steeman (2010) but was treated as a distinct species by Bisconti et al. (2013) based on characters of the mandibular condyle and dentary. A complete thalassothere specimen from Belgium previously assigned to Isocetus depauwi by Abel (1938) is now the holotype of the species Parietobalaena campiniana.[1][2][3]

References

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  1. ^ O. Abel. 1938. Vorlaeufige mitteilungen ueber die revision der fossilen mystacoceten aus dem Tertiaer Belgiens. Bulletin du Musee royal d'Histoire naturelle de Belgique 14(1):1-34
  2. ^ M. Steeman. 2010. The extinct baleen whale fauna from the Miocene-Pliocene of Belgium and the diagnostic cetacean ear bones. Journal of Systematic Palaeontology 8(1):63-80
  3. ^ 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