Odobenocetops

Odobenocetops, front a male, a female top rear, bottom a male.

Odobenocetops ( Odobenus = Gattungsbez the walrus; . Cetops = whale) is an extinct genus of whales. Fossils of the genus were found in the Pisco Formation on the Pacific coast of Peru and in the Bahia Inglesa Formation on the Pacific coast of Chile. She lived from the upper Miocene in the period, about 9.03 to 6.45 million years ago to the lower Pliocene before 5.33 to 3.6 million years ago. So far, two species have been described, the type species Odobenocetops peruvianus and Odobenocetops leptodon.

Features

Odobenocetops was 2.1 to three meters long. The whale had no elongated snout, but long asymmetrical tusks that were sitting in a rear-facing Zwischenkieferbein ( premaxilla ). In a skull of Odobenocetops leptodon the right tusk was 1.35 meters long, while the left, the tip of which, however, was canceled, only reached a length of 25 centimeters. According to the descriptive scientists of the skull belonged to a male animal. The females had the same length, shorter tusks. When swimming the long tusk had to be held parallel to the body axis. Strong muscle attachment points at the front of Zwischenkieferbein speak for strong lips on the upper jaw. The upper jaw was otherwise toothless, highly arched palate. The eyes were on top of the head and possibly allowed a binocular vision. Of the two species O. peruvianus had no melon organ. In O. leptodon there are notes on a small melon and therefore the type had the opportunity of echolocation.

Scientists believe a diet similar to a walrus on, that is Odobenocetops fed on mussels, took on the soft tissues and spit the shell out again.

System

Odobenocetops is placed in a separate family, the Odobenocetopsidae. It is attributed to the dolphin -like ( Delphinoidea ). As a next of kin of the narwhal and the beluga, the only two species of the family Gründel whales ( Monodontidae ) apply.

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