Protocetus
| Protocetus | |
|---|---|
| |
| Underside of a skull cast at the Museum für Naturkunde, Berlin | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Artiodactyla |
| Infraorder: | Cetacea |
| Family: | †Protocetidae |
| Genus: | †Protocetus Fraas 1904 |
| Species: | †P. atavus
|
| Binomial name | |
| †Protocetus atavus | |
Protocetus atavus ("first whale") is an extinct species of primitive cetacean from
Tethyan marine limestone from Gebel Mokattam near Cairo, Egypt.[1]
Description
Protocetus are believed to have had a streamlined, whale-like body around 2.5 metres (8.2 ft) long, but was probably primitive in some respects.[2]
Many protocetids (like Maiacetus, Rodhocetus) possessed well developed innominates and hind limbs, often attached to the backbone with a sacrum. Protocetus are known to have had at least one sacral vertebrate,[3] and likely possessed hind limbs and webbed toes.[2] The shape of the bones in the tails suggests that it may have had a tail fluke like modern whales.
The head of Protocetus measured about 0.6 meters long.sense of smell, although it probably relied more on its eyesight to find prey.[2]
See also
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Protocetus.
Wikispecies has information related to Protocetus.
References
Notes
- ^ Bianucci & Gingerich 2011, p. 1174
- ^ ISBN 978-1-84028-152-1.
- ^ Gingerich P.D. (2010). "Cetacea". In Werdelin L & Sanders W.J. (eds.). Cenozoic mammals of africa. Berkeley: University of California Press, p. 873–899
- ^ Gingerich, Philip D.; Arif, Muhammad; Clyde, William C. (1995). "New Archaeocetes (Mammalia, Cetacea) from the middle Eocene Domanda Formation of the Sulaiman Range, Punjab (Pakistan)". Contributions from Museum of Paleontology, the University of Michigan. 29 (11): p. 291–330
Sources
- Fraas, Eberhard (1904). "Neue Zeuglodonten aus dem unteren Mitteleocän vom Mokattam bei Cairo". Geologische und Paläontologische Abhandlungen. 6 (3): 199–220. Retrieved September 29, 2013.
- Bianucci, Giovanni; S2CID 85995809.