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| Morphology | Ecology and taphonomy | External Literature Search | Age range and collections |
Taxonomy
Rhaphicetus valenciae was named by Lambert (2020). Its type specimen is MUSM 2543, a skull (skull including periotics), and it is a 3D body fossil. Its type locality is Zamaca, ZM 27, which is in a Burdigalian marine horizon in the Chilcatay Formation of Peru. It is the type species of Rhaphicetus.
Synonymy list
| Year | Name and author |
|---|---|
| 2020 | Rhaphicetus valenciae Lambert p. 1700 figs. Figs. 2-15 |
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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.
†Rhaphicetus valenciae Lambert 2020
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Diagnosis
| Reference | Diagnosis | |
|---|---|---|
| O. Lambert 2020 | Rhaphicetus valenciae is unambiguously identified as a physeteroid due to (1) the presence of a large supracranial basin in the facial region of the cra- nium; (2) the marked asymmetry of the bony nares (left naris much larger than the right); (3) an enlarged acces- sory ossicle occupying a vast area of the ventral surface of the anterior process of the periotic (shared with Inticetus), and (4) a strong concavity at midlength of the dorsomedial surface of the involucrum of the tym- panic bulla.
This medium-sized member of the superfamily is characterized by several possibly autapomorphic fea- tures: narrow, cylindrical rostrum comprising nearly 75% of the condylobasal length; the two main dorsal infraorbital foramina located significantly more posterior than the antorbital notch on both the right and left max- illae; upper tooth count of at least 36 teeth per row; and anterior-most upper alveoli filled by thick bony pads. Rhaphicetus valenciae can be further distinguished from all other physeteroids by the following unique combination of characters: small supracranial basin, pro- portionally narrow (55% of bizygomatic width) and not extending significantly along the dorsal surface of the rostrum; antorbital notch ‘U’-shaped and located outside the supracranial basin; right premaxillary foramen pos- terior to the level of the antorbital notch; retention of a medium-sized left premaxillary foramen; right premax- illa not covering the whole lateral wall of the supracra- nial basin; posterior end of each maxilla beyond the supracranial basin being remote from the sagittal plane; frontal-maxilla suture making an angle of 10–15 to the horizontal above the orbit in lateral view; temporal fossa anteroposteriorly longer than dorsoventrally high; styli- form process of the jugal displaying a long contact with the zygomatic process of the squamosal; zygomatic pro- cess of the squamosal elongated (ratio between distance from anterior tip of zygomatic process to ventral tip of postglenoid process and bizygomatic width greater than 0.33); dorsal edge of zygomatic process remaining roughly rectilinear posteriorly until a level beyond the postglenoid process; postglenoid process of the squamo- sal ventrally longer than the posttympanic process, the latter being also anteroposteriorly short; joined hamular processes of the pterygoids posteromedially pointed; articular surfaces of the occipital condyles facing poster- odorsally; dorsal process of the periotic moderately developed; presence of a marked facet for the sigmoid process of the tympanic on the lateral tuberosity of the periotic; posterior process of the periotic not plate-like; retention of a short tubercule on the malleus; ventral margin of the mandible nearly rectilinear; proportionally small teeth (ratio between maximum root diameter and bizygomatic width of the skull lower than 0.03); short crown of teeth covered by a thin (< 0.25 mm) layer of enamel; enamel on teeth smooth, lacking any ornamen- tation; and centra of the lumbar vertebrae longer than wide or high. |
Measurements
No measurements are available
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| Source: subo = suborder, o = order | |||||
| Reference: Uhen 2004 | |||||
Age range: Burdigalian or 20.45000 to 15.98000 Ma
Collections: one only
| Time interval | Ma | Country or state | Original ID and collection number |
|---|---|---|---|
| Burdigalian | Peru | Rhaphicetus valenciae (type locality: 214276) |