Miophocaena
Appearance
Miophocaena Temporal range: Late Miocene 6.4–5.5 Ma
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Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Mammalia |
Order: | Artiodactyla |
Infraorder: | Cetacea |
Family: | Phocoenidae |
Genus: | †Miophocaena Murakami, Shimada, Hikida, and Hirano, 2012 |
Species: | †M. nishinoi
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Binomial name | |
†Miophocaena nishinoi Murakami, Shimada, Hikida, and Hirano, 2012
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Miophocaena nishinoi is an extinct species of porpoise from the Late Miocene Koetoi Formation of Japan, dating to around 6.4–5.5 million years ago (mya), represented by a partial skull. the genus name derives from Ancient Greek mio for the Miocene, and phocaena for "porpoise"; the species name honors the discoverer, Takanobu Nishino. Miophocaena resides in a clade with Archaeophocaena discovered in the same area, and, along with Pterophocaena, represents an intermediate phase between porpoises and dolphins.[1]
References
[edit]- ^ Murakami, M.; Shimada, C.; Hikida, Y.; Hirano, H. (2012). "Two new extinct basal phocoenids (Cetacea, Odontoceti, Delphinoidea), from the upper Miocene Koetoi Formation of Japan and their phylogenetic significance". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 32 (5): 1172–1185. Bibcode:2012JVPal..32.1172M. doi:10.1080/02724634.2012.694337. S2CID 84268028.