Squalodontidae
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| Squalodontidae Temporal range: Early Oligocene–Early Pleistocene | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Squalodon | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Cetacea |
| Superfamily: | Platanistoidea |
| Family: | †Squalodontidae Brandt, 1873 |
Squalodontidae is an extinct family of toothed whales named by Jean-Pierre Sylvestre de Grateloup in 1840. It was originally believed to be an iguanodontid dinosaur but has since been reclassified.[1]
Squalodontidae is derived from the word "Squalodon", literally meaning "shark tooth". Unlike other whales which have peg-like teeth, those of squalodontids were serrated like a sharks.
Genera
- Eosqualodon
- Phoberodon
- Squalodon
- Tangaroasaurus
References
- ↑ Grateloup, Description d'un fragment de mâchoire fossile, d'un genre nouveau de reptile (Saurien), de taille gigantesque, voisin de l'Iguanodon..., Bordeaux 1840.
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