Pomatodelphis

Pomatodelphis; Temporal range: Middle Miocene; ~15.97–7.25 Ma PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
	Reconstructed P. inaequalis skeleton, Florida Museum of Natural History
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Artiodactyla
Suborder:	Whippomorpha
Infraorder:	Cetacea
Family:	Platanistidae
Subfamily:	†Pomatodelphininae
Genus:	†Pomatodelphis; Allen, 1921
Type species
	†Pomatodelphis inaequalis; Allen, 1921
Species
	P. bobengi; P. inaequalis; P. stenorhynchus;

Pomatodelphis is an extinct genus of river dolphin from Middle Miocene marine deposits in Alabama, Maryland, Florida, Brazil, Germany, and France.^[1]^[2]^[3]^[4]^[5]

Etymology

Pomatodelphis may be a typo for potamodelphis ("river dolphin")^[6] from potamo-, "river", and δελφίς, delphis "dolphin".

Classification

Pomatodelphis belongs to the platanistid subfamily Pomatodelphininae, which is distinguished from the South Asian river dolphin in having a flattened rostrum, a transversely expanded posterior end of the premaxilla, an eye and bony orbit of normal size (not atrophied), and nasal bones not reduced in size but wide transversely. A close relative of Pomatodelphis is Prepomatodelphis from marine deposits in Austria. Three species are known, P. inaequalis, P. bobengi, and P. stenorhynchus.^[7]

Fossil distribution

Fossils of Pomatodelphis have been found in:^[1]^[6]

Citronelle Formation (Hemphillian), Alabama
Solimões Formation (Huayquerian), Brazil
Marks Head, Peace River and Statenhead Formations, Florida
France
Germany

References

^ ^a ^b "Fossilworks: Pomatodelphis". fossilworks.org. Archived from the original on 2021-12-12. Retrieved 2021-12-17.
^ "Pomatodelphis inaequalis". Florida Vertebrate Fossils. Retrieved 2025-05-06.
^ Hulbert, Richard C.; Whitmore, Frank C. (2006-06-01). "Late Miocene mammals from the Mauvilla local fauna, Alabama". Bulletin of the Florida Museum of Natural History. 46 (1): 1–28. doi:10.58782/flmnh.xcpo4034. ISSN 0071-6154.
^ "(PDF) River Dolphins, Evolution". ResearchGate. Archived from the original on 2022-12-12. Retrieved 2025-05-06.
^ Allen, Glover M. (1921). "Fossil Cetaceans from the Florida Phosphate Beds". Journal of Mammalogy. 2 (3): 144–159. doi:10.2307/1373603. ISSN 0022-2372.
^ ^a ^b Manz, Carly (31 March 2017). "Pomatodelphis inaequalis". Florida Museum of Natural History. Gainesville, Florida: University of Florida. Retrieved 8 February 2021.
^ Barnes, L.G., 2006. A Phylogenetic Analysis of the Superfamily Platanistoidea (Mammalia, Cetacea, Odontoceti). Beitr. Palaont., 30:25-42.

[FWPomatodelphis-1] "Fossilworks: Pomatodelphis". fossilworks.org. Archived from the original on 2021-12-12. Retrieved 2021-12-17.

[2] "Pomatodelphis inaequalis". Florida Vertebrate Fossils. Retrieved 2025-05-06.

[3] Hulbert, Richard C.; Whitmore, Frank C. (2006-06-01). "Late Miocene mammals from the Mauvilla local fauna, Alabama". Bulletin of the Florida Museum of Natural History. 46 (1): 1–28. doi:10.58782/flmnh.xcpo4034. ISSN 0071-6154.

[4] "(PDF) River Dolphins, Evolution". ResearchGate. Archived from the original on 2022-12-12. Retrieved 2025-05-06.

[5] Allen, Glover M. (1921). "Fossil Cetaceans from the Florida Phosphate Beds". Journal of Mammalogy. 2 (3): 144–159. doi:10.2307/1373603. ISSN 0022-2372.

[Manz-6] Manz, Carly (31 March 2017). "Pomatodelphis inaequalis". Florida Museum of Natural History. Gainesville, Florida: University of Florida. Retrieved 8 February 2021.

[7] Barnes, L.G., 2006. A Phylogenetic Analysis of the Superfamily Platanistoidea (Mammalia, Cetacea, Odontoceti). Beitr. Palaont., 30:25-42.

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