Himalayacetus
| Himalayacetus Temporal range: Early Eocene | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Cetacea |
| Suborder: | †Archaeoceti |
| Family: | †Ambulocetidae Thewissen, Williams & Hussain 2001 |
| Genus: | †Himalayacetus Bajpai & Gingerich 1998 |
| Binomial name | |
| Himalayacetus subathuensis Bajpai & Gingerich 1998 | |
Himalayacetus is an extinct genus of carnivorous aquatic mammal of the family Ambulocetidae. The holotype was found in Himachal Pradesh, India, (31°00′N 77°00′E / 31.0°N 77.0°E: paleocoordinates 3°30′N 69°42′E / 3.5°N 69.7°E)[1] in what was the remnants of the ancient Tethys Ocean during the Early Eocene (Ypresian), 55.8 to 48.6 million years ago. This makes Himalayacetus the oldest archaeocete known, extending the fossil record of whales some 3.5 million years.[2]
Himalayacetus lived in the ancient coastline of the ancient Tethys Ocean before the Indian Plate had collided with the Cimmerian coast. Just like Gandakasia, Himalayacetus is only known from a single jaw fragment, making comparisons to other Ambulocetids difficult.[3]
Description
Upon its discovery, Himalayacetus was described as a pakicetid because the dentary has a small mandibular canal and a dentition similar to Pakicetus.[2] Thewissen, Williams & Hussain 2001 assigned Himalaycetus to the ambulocetids.
Etymology
Himalayacetus was named by Bajpai & Gingerich 1998. Its type is Himalayacetus subathuensis after the Himalayas, cetus, "whale", and the Subathu Formation, the type locality.[4]
Taxonomy
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).[5]
Notes
- ↑ Kuthar Nala (Eocene of India) in the Paleobiology Database. Retrieved June 2013.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Bajpai & Gingerich 1998, Abstract
- ↑ Thewissen, JGM. "Ambulocetidae: The First Costal Whales". Retrieved February 2013.
- ↑ Bajpai & Gingerich 1998, p. 15464
- ↑ Himalayacetus in the Paleobiology Database. Retrieved June 2013.
References
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Wikispecies has information related to: Himalayacetus |
- Bajpai, Sunil; Gingerich, Philip D (December 1998). "A new Eocene archaeocete (Mammalia, Cetacea) from India and the time of origin of whales". PNAS 95 (26): 15464–68. doi:10.1073/pnas.95.26.15464. OCLC 678707438.
- Thewissen, J. G. M.; Williams, E. M.; Hussain, S.T. (2001). "Eocene mammal faunas from northern Indo-Pakistan". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 21 (2): 347–66. doi:10.1671/0272-4634(2001)021[0347:EMFFNI]2.0.CO;2. OCLC 631973716.
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