| Masracetus Temporal range:
| |
|---|---|
| |
| Restoration | |
Scientific classification
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Artiodactyla |
| Infraorder: | Cetacea |
| Family: | † Basilosauridae |
| Subfamily: | † Dorudontinae |
| Genus: | †
Masracetus Gingerich 2007 |
| Species | |
| |
Masracetus (from Arabic Masr, "Egypt", and Greek ketos, "whale") [1] is an extinct genus of basilosaurid ancient whale known from the Late Eocene ( Priabonian, 37.2 to 33.9 million years ago) of Egypt. [2]
Masracetus was briefly described in an addendum by Gingerich 2007 and is known from just an assemblage of vertebrae and a poorly reconstructed skull from 1908. The lumbar vertebrae are large but relatively short (anteroposteriorly) compared to those of other archaeocetes; the diameter is almost the same as for Basilosaurus isis but the length is less than half of the latter. Masracetus is larger than Cynthiacetus, [3] but it is suggested that the former might be synonymized as a junior synonym with the latter. [4]
The species name honours Richard Markgraf, palaeontologist Ernst Stromer's fossil collector, who collected the type specimen in 1905. [1]
Masracetus' type locality is the Birket Qarun Formation in Dimê ( 29°30′N 30°42′E / 29.5°N 30.7°E, paleocoordinates 24°54′N 26°36′E / 24.9°N 26.6°E) north of lake Birket Qarun, [5] but specimens have also been found in the Qattara Depression and Fayum. [6] [7] [8] [9]
Notes
- ^ a b Gingerich 2007, Etymology, p. 375
- ^ Masracetus in the Paleobiology Database. Retrieved July 2013.
- ^ Gingerich 2007, p. 375
- ^ Martínez-Cáceres, M.; Lambert, O.; De Muizon, C. (2017). "The anatomy and phylogenetic affinities of Cynthiacetus peruvianus, a large Dorudon-like basilosaurid (Cetacea, Mammalia) from the late Eocene of Peru" (PDF). Geodiversitas, Museum National d'Histoire Naturelle Paris. 39 (1): 7–163. doi: 10.5252/g2017n1a1. S2CID 90142285.
- ^ Dimeh (Eocene of Egypt) in the Paleobiology Database. Retrieved July 2013.
- ^ Masracetus markgrafi in the Paleobiology Database. Retrieved July 2013.
- ^ Qattara Depression (Eocene of Egypt) in the Paleobiology Database. Retrieved July 2013.
- ^ Minqar Tibaghbagh (Eocene of Egypt) in the Paleobiology Database. Retrieved July 2013.
- ^ Minqar el-Hut (Eocene of Egypt) in the Paleobiology Database. Retrieved July 2013.
References
- Gingerich, Philip D (2007). "Stromerius nidensis, new archaeocete (Mammalia, Cetacea) from the Upper Eocene Qasr El-Sagha Formation, Fayum, Egypt" (PDF). Contributions from the Museum of Paleontology. 31 (13): 363–78. OCLC 214233870.
Archaeocete genera by family | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |||||||
| Pakicetidae | |||||||
| Ambulocetidae | |||||||
| Remingtonocetidae | |||||||
| Protocetidae |
| ||||||
| Basilosauridae |
| ||||||
 | This prehistoric cetacean-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
| Masracetus Temporal range:
| |
|---|---|
|
| |
| Restoration | |
|
Scientific classification
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Artiodactyla |
| Infraorder: | Cetacea |
| Family: | † Basilosauridae |
| Subfamily: | † Dorudontinae |
| Genus: | †
Masracetus Gingerich 2007 |
| Species | |
| |
Masracetus (from Arabic Masr, "Egypt", and Greek ketos, "whale") [1] is an extinct genus of basilosaurid ancient whale known from the Late Eocene ( Priabonian, 37.2 to 33.9 million years ago) of Egypt. [2]
Masracetus was briefly described in an addendum by Gingerich 2007 and is known from just an assemblage of vertebrae and a poorly reconstructed skull from 1908. The lumbar vertebrae are large but relatively short (anteroposteriorly) compared to those of other archaeocetes; the diameter is almost the same as for Basilosaurus isis but the length is less than half of the latter. Masracetus is larger than Cynthiacetus, [3] but it is suggested that the former might be synonymized as a junior synonym with the latter. [4]
The species name honours Richard Markgraf, palaeontologist Ernst Stromer's fossil collector, who collected the type specimen in 1905. [1]
Masracetus' type locality is the Birket Qarun Formation in Dimê ( 29°30′N 30°42′E / 29.5°N 30.7°E, paleocoordinates 24°54′N 26°36′E / 24.9°N 26.6°E) north of lake Birket Qarun, [5] but specimens have also been found in the Qattara Depression and Fayum. [6] [7] [8] [9]
Notes
- ^ a b Gingerich 2007, Etymology, p. 375
- ^ Masracetus in the Paleobiology Database. Retrieved July 2013.
- ^ Gingerich 2007, p. 375
- ^ Martínez-Cáceres, M.; Lambert, O.; De Muizon, C. (2017). "The anatomy and phylogenetic affinities of Cynthiacetus peruvianus, a large Dorudon-like basilosaurid (Cetacea, Mammalia) from the late Eocene of Peru" (PDF). Geodiversitas, Museum National d'Histoire Naturelle Paris. 39 (1): 7–163. doi: 10.5252/g2017n1a1. S2CID 90142285.
- ^ Dimeh (Eocene of Egypt) in the Paleobiology Database. Retrieved July 2013.
- ^ Masracetus markgrafi in the Paleobiology Database. Retrieved July 2013.
- ^ Qattara Depression (Eocene of Egypt) in the Paleobiology Database. Retrieved July 2013.
- ^ Minqar Tibaghbagh (Eocene of Egypt) in the Paleobiology Database. Retrieved July 2013.
- ^ Minqar el-Hut (Eocene of Egypt) in the Paleobiology Database. Retrieved July 2013.
References
- Gingerich, Philip D (2007). "Stromerius nidensis, new archaeocete (Mammalia, Cetacea) from the Upper Eocene Qasr El-Sagha Formation, Fayum, Egypt" (PDF). Contributions from the Museum of Paleontology. 31 (13): 363–78. OCLC 214233870.
Archaeocete genera by family | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |||||||
| Pakicetidae | |||||||
| Ambulocetidae | |||||||
| Remingtonocetidae | |||||||
| Protocetidae |
| ||||||
| Basilosauridae |
| ||||||
|
| This prehistoric cetacean-related article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |