PBDB Taxon

Basic info	Taxonomic history	Classification	Included Taxa
Morphology	Ecology and taphonomy	External Literature Search	Age range and collections

Squalodon grateloupii

Mammalia - Cetacea - Squalodontidae

Taxonomy

Squalodon grateloupii was named by von Meyer (1843) [Kellogg (1923) states that the type specimen is in the Museum Francisco-Carolinum at Linz, Austria. AKA Cet. 18. See Marx et al. 2011 for more details. Kellogg (1923) states that the type specimen is in the Museum Francisco-Carolinum at Linz, Austria. AKA Cet. 18. See Marx et al. 2011 for more details. Kellogg (1923) states that the type specimen is in the Museum Francisco-Carolinum at Linz, Austria. AKA Cet. 18. See Marx et al. 2011 for more details.]. Its type specimen is OL 1999/2, a skull, and it is a 3D body fossil. Its type locality is Leognan, which is in a Burdigalian marine sandstone in France.

It was corrected as Squalodon grateloupi by Bronn (1853), Zittel (1894), Flot (1895), Trouessart (1904); it was synonymized subjectively with Squalodon bariensis by Dal Piaz (1901); it was recombined as Patriocetus grateloupii by Kellogg (1923); it was considered a nomen nudum by Cahuzac et al. (2005); it was misspelled as Squalodon grateloupi by Uhen et al. (2008), Marx et al. (2011), Nelson et al. (2025), Nelson et al. (2025).

Synonyms

Squalodon grateloupii was named by Gervais (1846) [non Squalodon grateloupii Von Meyer 1843, even though they apply to the same type specimen from Leognan]. It is a 3D body fossil. Its type locality is Linz, which is in a Chattian open shallow subtidal sandstone in the Linzer Sanden Formation of Austria.

It was synonymized objectively with Squalodon grateloupii by Marx et al. (2011).
Squalodon kelloggi was named by Rothausen (1968) [Museum d'Histoire Naturelle Bordeaux]. It is a 3D body fossil. Its type locality is Leognan, which is in a Burdigalian marine sandstone in France.

It was considered a nomen dubium by Cahuzac et al. (2005); it was synonymized subjectively with Squalodon grateloupii by Nelson et al. (2025).
Rhizoprion bariensis was named by Jourdan (1861). It is a 3D body fossil. Its type locality is Village troglodytique de Barry, which is in a Burdigalian carbonate limestone in France.

It was synonymized subjectively with Squalodon grateloupii by Van Beneden (1865), Brandt (1873), Depéret (1887); it was recombined as Squalodon bariensis by Brandt (1874), Zittel (1877), Trouessart (1898), Dal Piaz (1901), Trouessart (1904), Dal Piaz (1929), Rothausen (1968), Bianucci and Landini (2002), Symeonidis et al. (2004), Fornasiero and Del Vavero (2014), Di Patti (2014); it was recombined as Squalodon barriense by Paquier (1894), Joleaud (1906); it was recombined as Squalodon bariense by Dal Piaz (1916); it was recombined as Squalodon bariensis bariensis by Kellogg (1923); it was synonymized subjectively with Squalodon grateloupii by Nelson et al. (2025).
Smilocomptus burgueti was named by Gervais (1849). Its type specimen is no specimen number listed, a tooth, and it is a 3D body fossil. Its type locality is Salles, which is in a Serravallian marine marl in the Sables des Landes Formation of France.

It was recombined as Smilocamptus bourgueti by Bronn (1853); it was synonymized subjectively with Squalodon bariensis by Trouessart (1898); it was recombined as Squalodon burgueti by Kellogg (1923); it was misspelled as Smilocamptus bourgueti by Pictet (1853); it was synonymized subjectively with Squalodon grateloupi by Rothausen (1968).
Delphinoides gratelupi was named by Pedroni (1845) [Kellogg (1923) states that the type was formerly in the private collection of Grateloup in Bordeaux, France.]. It is a 3D body fossil. Its type locality is Leognan, which is in a Burdigalian marine sandstone in France.

It was recombined as Basilosaurus squalodon by Gibbes (1847), Gray and Adams (1859); it was synonymized subjectively with Squalodon grateloupi by Bronn (1853); it was replaced with Squalodon typicus by Kellogg (1923); it was recombined as Squalodon gratelupi by Cahuzac et al. (2005), Uhen et al. (2008); it was synonymized subjectively with Squalodon grateloupii by Gervais (1880), Marx et al. (2011).
Squalodon typicus was named by Kellogg (1923) [Kellogg (1923) goes through a long explanation to point out that the original specimen named Squalodon by Grateloup did not have an appropriate specifice epithet attached to it. He names this species to be the type of the genus Squalodon.]. It is a 3D body fossil.

It was synonymized subjectively with Squalodon gratelupi by Cahuzac et al. (2005).
Squalodon zitteli was named by Paquier (1894) [Kellogg (1923) states that the type specimen is in the Palaeontologische Sammlung at Munich, Germany.]. It is a 3D body fossil. Its type locality is Bleichenbach, which is in a Burdigalian marine sandstone in Germany.

It was synonymized subjectively with Squalodon bariensis by Muizon (1990); it was synonymized subjectively with Squalodon grateloupii by Nelson et al. (2025).

Synonymy list

Year	Name and author
1843	Squalodon grateloupii von Meyer p. 704
1845	Delphinoides gratelupi Pedroni pp. 105-107 figs. Plate 1 figs 2-3
1846	Squalodon grateloupii Gervais p. 263
1847	Basilosaurus squalodon Gibbes p. 15
1849	Smilocomptus burgueti Gervais p. 645 figs. not figured
1852	Squalodon grateloupii Gervais p. 151
1852	Smilocomptus burgueti Gervais p. 645
1853	Smilocamptus bourgueti Bronn p. 763
1853	Squalodon grateloupi Bronn p. 774
1853	Squalodon grateloupii Pictet p. 379
1853	Smilocamptus bourgueti Pictet p. 380
1859	Basilosaurus squalodon Gray and Adams p. 203
1861	Rhizoprion bariensis Jourdan p. 372
1865	Squalodon grateloupii Van Beneden p. 68
1873	Squalodon grateloupii Scott p. 59
1874	Squalodon bariensis Brandt p. III
1874	Squalodon grateloupii Brandt p. III
1877	Squalodon bariensis Zittel
1880	Squalodon grateloupi Van Beneden and Gervais p. 422
1887	Squalodon grateloupi Depéret p. 278
1887	Rhizoprion bariensis Lortet p. 315
1887	Squalodon grateloupi Lydekker p. 75
1890	Squalodon grateloupii Cope p. 603
1894	Squalodon zitteli Paquier p. 15
1894	Squalodon barriense Paquier p. 46
1894	Squalodon grateloupi Zittel p. 170
1895	Squalodon grateloupi Flot p. 114
1898	Squalodon grateloupii Trouessart p. 1011
1898	Squalodon bariensis Trouessart p. 1012
1898	Squalodon zitteli Trouessart p. 1012
1901	Squalodon bariensis Dal Piaz p. 305
1902	Squalodon grateloupii Hay p. 588
1904	Squalodon bariensis Trouessart p. 755
1904	Squalodon grateloupi Trouessart p. 755
1904	Squalodon zitteli Trouessart p. 755
1906	Squalodon barriense Joleaud p. 379
1906	Squalodon grateloupi Joleaud p. 379
1916	Squalodon grateloupi Dal Piaz p. 7
1916	Squalodon bariense Dal Piaz p. 8
1916	Squalodon zitteli Dal Piaz p. 10
1923	Squalodon bariensis bariensis Kellogg p. 8
1923	Squalodon burgueti Kellogg p. 11
1923	Patriocetus grateloupii Kellogg p. 14
1923	Squalodon typicus Kellogg p. 19
1923	Squalodon zitteli Kellogg p. 38
1929	Squalodon bariensis Dal Piaz p. 74
1968	Squalodon bariensis Rothausen p. 91 figs. Table 1
1968	Squalodon grateloupi Rothausen p. 91 figs. Table 1
1968	Squalodon zitteli Rothausen p. 91 figs. Table 1
1968	Squalodon kelloggi Rothausen pp. 93-94 figs. Plate 11, Fig. 3
2002	Squalodon bariensis Bianucci and Landini p. 21
2004	Squalodon bariensis Symeonidis et al. p. 319 figs. Table 2
2004	Squalodon grateloupii Symeonidis et al. p. 319 figs. Table 2
2004	Squalodon zitteli Symeonidis et al. p. 319 figs. Table 2
2005	Squalodon gratelupi Cahuzac et al. p. 418
2008	Squalodon grateloupi Uhen et al. p. 583
2008	Squalodon gratelupi Uhen et al. p. 583
2011	Squalodon grateloupii Marx et al. p. 304
2014	Squalodon bariensis Di Patti p. 129
2014	Squalodon bariensis Fornasiero and Del Vavero p. 65
2025	Squalodon grateloupii Nelson et al. p. 7

Is something missing? Join the Paleobiology Database and enter the data

Rank	Name	Author
kingdom	Animalia	()
—	Bilateria
—	Eubilateria	Ax 1987
—	Deuterostomia
phylum	Chordata	Haeckel 1874
subphylum	Vertebrata
superclass	Gnathostomata
—	Osteichthyes	()
subclass	Sarcopterygii	()
subclass	Dipnotetrapodomorpha	(Nelson 2006)
subclass	Tetrapodomorpha	()
—	Tetrapoda
—	Reptiliomorpha
—	Anthracosauria
subclass	Amphibiosauria	Kuhn 1967
—	Cotylosauria	()
—	Amniota
subclass	Synapsida
—	Therapsida	()
infraorder	Cynodontia	()
—	Mammaliamorpha
—	Mammaliaformes

Rank	Name	Author
class	Mammalia
—	Cladotheria
—	Zatheria
subclass	Tribosphenida	()
subclass	Theria
—	Eutheria	()
—	Placentalia
—	Boreoeutheria
—	Laurasiatheria
—	Scrotifera
—	Euungulata
—	Artiodactylamorpha
—	Artiodactyla	()
—	Whippomorpha
order	Cetacea
—	Pelagiceti
—	Neoceti
suborder	Odontoceti
family	Squalodontidae
genus	Squalodon
species	grateloupii

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.

†Squalodon grateloupii von Meyer 1843

show all | hide all

Invalid names: Delphinoides gratelupi Pedroni 1845 [objective synonym], Squalodon bariensis Jourdan 1861 [synonym], Squalodon burgueti Gervais 1849 [synonym], Squalodon grateloupii Gervais 1846 [objective synonym], Squalodon kelloggi Rothausen 1968 [synonym], Squalodon zitteli Paquier 1894 [synonym]

Diagnosis

No diagnoses are available

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: base of the Burdigalian to the top of the Serravallian or 20.45000 to 11.63000 Ma

Collections (9 total)

Time interval	Ma	Country or state	Original ID and collection number
Miocene	23.04 - 5.333	France	Squalodon grateloupii (93327)
Burdigalian	20.45 - 15.98	France	Squalodon grateloupi (57732)
Burdigalian	20.45 - 15.98	Italy	Squalodon bariensis (47187)
Burdigalian	20.45 - 15.98	France (Bordeaux)	Squalodon grateloupii, Delphinoides gratelupi (type locality: 48660)
Burdigalian	20.45 - 15.98	Germany	Squalodon zitteli (48663)
Burdigalian	20.45 - 15.98	France (Drôme)	Rhizoprion bariensis (48662)
Burdigalian	20.45 - 15.98	Italy (Sicily)	Squalodon bariensis (49396)
Langhian	15.98 - 13.82	Italy (Sicillia)	Squalodon bariensis (28617)
Serravallian	13.82 - 11.63	France (Gironde)	Smilocomptus burgueti (85340)