Supayacetus

Supayacetus is an extinct genus of basilosaurid cetacean from Middle Eocene (Bartonian stage) deposits of southern Peru.

Supayacetus
Temporal range: Middle Eocene (Divisaderan)
~40.4–37.2 Ma
↓
Ocucajea (top), S. muizoni (below)
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Artiodactyla
Infraorder: Cetacea
Family: †Basilosauridae
Genus: †Supayacetus
Uhen et al. 2011
Species:
†S. muizoni
Binomial name
†Supayacetus muizoni

Etymology

The genus is named after Supay, the Incan god of death, and ketos Greek for whale.[1]

Description

Supayacetus is known from the holotype MUSM 1465, a partial skeleton. As Ocucajea, it was collected in the Archaeocete Valley site, from the Paracas Formation of the Pisco Basin about 40.4 to 37.2 million years ago.[2] It was named by Uhen et al. 2011 and the type species S. muizoni honours palaeontologist Christian de Muizon who has contributed considerably to Peruvian palaeontology.[3]

Distinguishing characters of Supayacetus include: a T-shaped manubrium with a rod-shaped process; cheek teeth with accessory denticles; a broad scapula with a large infraspinous fossa; humerus with large and hemispherical head, well-defined proximal tuberosities, a long deltopectoral crest, and a broad shaft. Compared to other basilosaurids, Supayacetus is larger than Protocetus but its skull and vertebrae are smaller than in other basilosaurids. [4]

References
  1. Uhen et al. 2011, Etymology, p. 960
  2. Supayacetus at Fossilworks.org
  3. Uhen et al. 2011, Etymology, p. 963
  4. Uhen et al. 2011, Diagnosis, p. 960

Bibliography
  • Uhen, Mark D.; Pyenson, Nicholas D.; Devries, Thomas J.; Urbina, Mario; Renne, Paul R. (2011). "New Middle Eocene Whales from the Pisco Basin of Peru". Journal of Paleontology. 85 (5): 955–69. doi:10.1666/10-162.1. hdl:10088/17509. OCLC 802202947.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)


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