Brachydelphis

Brachydelphis is a genus of pontoporiid known from the Late Miocene Pisco Formation of Peru and the Bahía Inglesa Formation of Chile.

Brachydelphis
Temporal range: Late Miocene
~11–5.3 Ma
Brachydelphis skull
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Artiodactyla
Infraorder: Cetacea
Family: Pontoporiidae
Genus: †Brachydelphis
De Muizon 1988
Species
  • B. jahuayensis Lambert & De Muizon 2013
  • B. mazeasi De Muizon 1988 (type)

Taxonomy

Two species are recognized, B. jahuayensis and B. mazeasi. B. mazeasi has a shortened rostrum that gives Brachydelphis its name,[1] B. jahuayensis differs from the type species in having a longer snout and higher tooth count.[2]

Biology

Brachydelphis mazeasi was capable of suction-feeding judging from its short rostrum, but the longer rostrum of B. jahauyensis allowed it to capture small prey items.[2]

See also

References
  1. C. de Muizon. 1988. Les vertebres fossiles de la Formation Pisco (Perou). Troisieme partie: Les Odontocetes (Cetacea, Mammalia) du Miocene. Editions Recherche sur les Civilisations (78)1-244.
  2. O. Lambert and C. de Muizon. 2013. A new long-snouted species of the Miocene pontoporiid dolphin Brachydelphis and a review of the Mio-Pliocene marine mammal levels in the Sacaco Basin, Peru. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 33(3):709-721
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