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Cotylocara macei

Mammalia - Cetacea - Xenorophidae

Taxonomy
Cotylocara macei was named by Geisler et al. (2014). Its type specimen is CCNHM-101, a partial skeleton (skull and partial skeleton), and it is a 3D body fossil. Its type locality is College Park drainage ditch, which is in a Chattian shoreface sandstone in the Chandler Bridge Formation of South Carolina. It is the type species of Cotylocara.

Synonymy list
YearName and author
2014Cotylocara macei Geisler et al. figs. Figs. 1-2

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RankNameAuthor
kingdomAnimalia()
Bilateria
EubilateriaAx 1987
Deuterostomia
phylumChordataHaeckel 1874
subphylumVertebrata
superclassGnathostomata
Osteichthyes()
subclassSarcopterygii()
subclassDipnotetrapodomorpha(Nelson 2006)
subclassTetrapodomorpha()
Tetrapoda
Reptiliomorpha
Anthracosauria
subclassAmphibiosauriaKuhn 1967
Cotylosauria()
Amniota
subclassSynapsida
Therapsida()
infraorderCynodontia()
Mammaliamorpha
Mammaliaformes
RankNameAuthor
classMammalia
Cladotheria
Zatheria
subclassTribosphenida()
subclassTheria
Eutheria()
Placentalia
Boreoeutheria
Laurasiatheria
Scrotifera
Euungulata
Artiodactylamorpha
Artiodactyla()
Whippomorpha
orderCetacea
Pelagiceti
Neoceti
suborderOdontoceti
familyXenorophidae
genusCotylocara
speciesmacei

If no rank is listed, the taxon is considered an unranked clade in modern classifications. Ranks may be repeated or presented in the wrong order because authors working on different parts of the classification may disagree about how to rank taxa.

Cotylocara macei Geisler et al. 2014
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Diagnosis
ReferenceDiagnosis
J. H. Geisler et al. 2014The species differs from all known cetaceans (whales, dolphins, porpoises) in that it has deep, postnarial fossae on frontals that are separated by a median septum of the interparietal (Fig. 1b, e) and a vertical supraoccipital whose anterior face is overlapped by parietals (Figs 1b and 2). Like the xenorophids Albertocetus meffordorum and Xenorophus sloani, the lateral portion of the frontal is covered by the ascending process of the lacrimal, the frontal has a window on its ventral side that exposes strips of lacrimal and maxilla (Extended Data Fig. 4), the premaxilla underlies the ascending process of the maxilla (Fig. 1e), bilateral rostral basins are present, and the petrosal (Extended Data Fig. 2) has an elongate lateral tuberosity that articulates with the squamosal6 (not preserved in Xenorophus). However, Cotylocara differs from these taxa, as well as Archaeodelphis patrius, in having premaxillae that overhang maxillae (Fig. 1f); maxillae overhanging the squamosal fossae; thick asymmetrical nasals with transversely compressed crests at their anterolateral corners; and anterolaterally projecting, dorsoventrally deep zygomatic processes of the squamosals6 (the last two characters are not preserved in Xenorophus).
Measurements
No measurements are available
Composition: hydroxyapatitesubo
Form: roller-shapedo
Ontogeny: modification of partso
Environment: marine, freshwatersubo
Locomotion: actively mobileo
Life habit: aquatico
Depth habitat: surfaceo
Diet: carnivoresubo
Reproduction: viviparoussubo
Created: 2005-03-06 14:21:39
Modified: 2005-09-22 15:42:08
Source: subo = suborder, o = order
Reference: Uhen 2004

Age range: Chattian or 27.30000 to 23.04000 Ma

Collections: one only


Time interval Ma Country or state Original ID and collection number
Chattian27.3 - 23.04USA (South Carolina) Cotylocara macei (type locality: 154905)