Masracetus

Masracetus; Temporal range: 37.2–33.9 Ma PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N ↓
	Restoration
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Artiodactyla
Infraorder:	Cetacea
Family:	†Basilosauridae
Subfamily:	†Dorudontinae
Genus:	†Masracetus; Gingerich 2007
Species
	M. markgrafi (type); Gingerich 2007;

Masracetus (from Arabic Masr, "Egypt", and Greek ketos, "whale")^[1] is an extinct genus of basilosaurid ancient whale known from the Late Eocene (Priabonian, 37.2 to 33.9 million years ago) of Egypt.^[2]

Masracetus was briefly described in an addendum by Gingerich 2007 and is known from just an assemblage of vertebrae and a poorly reconstructed skull from 1908. The lumbar vertebrae are large but relatively short (anteroposteriorly) compared to those of other archaeocetes; the diameter is almost the same as for Basilosaurus isis but the length is less than half of the latter. Masracetus is larger than Cynthiacetus,^[3] but it is suggested that the former might be synonymized as a junior synonym with the latter.^[4]

The species name honours Richard Markgraf, palaeontologist Ernst Stromer's fossil collector, who collected the type specimen in 1905.^[1]

Masracetus' type locality is the Birket Qarun Formation in Dimê (29°30′N 30°42′E / 29.5°N 30.7°E / 29.5; 30.7, paleocoordinates 24°54′N 26°36′E / 24.9°N 26.6°E / 24.9; 26.6) north of lake Birket Qarun,^[5] but specimens have also been found in the Qattara Depression and Fayum.^[6]^[7]^[8]^[9]

Notes

^ ^a ^b Gingerich 2007, Etymology, p. 375
^ Masracetus in the Paleobiology Database. Retrieved July 2013.
^ Gingerich 2007, p. 375
^ Martínez-Cáceres, M.; Lambert, O.; De Muizon, C. (2017). "The anatomy and phylogenetic affinities of Cynthiacetus peruvianus, a large Dorudon-like basilosaurid (Cetacea, Mammalia) from the late Eocene of Peru" (PDF). Geodiversitas, Museum National d'Histoire Naturelle Paris. 39 (1): 7–163. doi:10.5252/g2017n1a1. S2CID 90142285.
^ Dimeh (Eocene of Egypt) in the Paleobiology Database. Retrieved July 2013.
^ Masracetus markgrafi in the Paleobiology Database. Retrieved July 2013.
^ Qattara Depression (Eocene of Egypt) in the Paleobiology Database. Retrieved July 2013.
^ Minqar Tibaghbagh (Eocene of Egypt) in the Paleobiology Database. Retrieved July 2013.
^ Minqar el-Hut (Eocene of Egypt) in the Paleobiology Database. Retrieved July 2013.

References

Gingerich, Philip D (2007). "Stromerius nidensis, new archaeocete (Mammalia, Cetacea) from the Upper Eocene Qasr El-Sagha Formation, Fayum, Egypt" (PDF). Contributions from the Museum of Paleontology. 31 (13): 363–78. OCLC 214233870.

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[Ging-etym-1] Gingerich 2007, Etymology, p. 375

[2] Masracetus in the Paleobiology Database. Retrieved July 2013.

[Ging-375-3] Gingerich 2007, p. 375

[4] Martínez-Cáceres, M.; Lambert, O.; De Muizon, C. (2017). "The anatomy and phylogenetic affinities of Cynthiacetus peruvianus, a large Dorudon-like basilosaurid (Cetacea, Mammalia) from the late Eocene of Peru" (PDF). Geodiversitas, Museum National d'Histoire Naturelle Paris. 39 (1): 7–163. doi:10.5252/g2017n1a1. S2CID 90142285.

[5] Dimeh (Eocene of Egypt) in the Paleobiology Database. Retrieved July 2013.

[6] Masracetus markgrafi in the Paleobiology Database. Retrieved July 2013.

[7] Qattara Depression (Eocene of Egypt) in the Paleobiology Database. Retrieved July 2013.

[8] Minqar Tibaghbagh (Eocene of Egypt) in the Paleobiology Database. Retrieved July 2013.

[9] Minqar el-Hut (Eocene of Egypt) in the Paleobiology Database. Retrieved July 2013.

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