Himalayacetus Temporal range: Early Eocene |
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Scientific classification | |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Mammalia |
Order: | Cetacea |
Suborder: | †Archaeoceti |
Family: | †Ambulocetidae |
Genus: | †Himalayacetus Monastersky, 1998 |
Binomial name | |
Himalayacetus subathuensis Monastersky, 1998 |
Himalayacetus is an extinct genus of carnivorous aquatic mammal of the family Ambulocetidae from the coastline of the ancient Tethys Ocean during the Eocene, living from 55.8—48.6 mya, existing for approximately 7.2 million years.[1]
Himalayacetus lived in the ancient coastline of the ancient Tethys Ocean before the Indian Plate had collided with the Cimmerian coast. A single fossil was found in the Himalayas.
Himalayacetus was named by Bajpai and Gingerich (1998).[2] Its type is Himalayacetus subathuensis. It was considered monophyletic by Uhen (2010). It was assigned to Pakicetidae by Bajpai and Gingerich (1998) and McLeod and Barnes (2008); and to Ambulocetidae by Thewissen et al. (2001) and Uhen (2010).[3]