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Squalodelphis

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Squalodelphis
Temporal range: 23.0–20.4 Ma[1]
Skull of Squalodelphis fabianii
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Artiodactyla
Suborder: Whippomorpha
Infraorder: Cetacea
Family: Squalodelphinidae
Genus: Squalodelphis
Dal Piaz, 1917
Species:
S. fabianii
Binomial name
Squalodelphis fabianii
Dal Piaz, 1917

Squalodelphis is an extinct genus of river dolphin from the early Miocene belonging to Squalodelphinidae, containing only its type species Squalodelphis fabianii.[1] Known remains have been found in Italy and Germany.[2][1]

Taxonomy

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Squalodelphis is the type genus of the family Squalodelphinidae, which also includes the genera Huaridelphis, Notocetus, Phocageneus, Macrosqualodelphis, Medocinia, and Furcadelphis.[3] Throughout its history, it has been moved several times between Squalodelphinidae (previously Squalodelphidae) and Ziphiidae.

Description

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Squalodelphis differs from Huaridelphis and Macrosqualodelphis in having a dorsal opening of the mesorostral groove broader than that of the premaxilla in the rostral base and lower tooth count, and from Macrosqualodelphis in having a transversely narrower nuchal crest as well as the left and right frontals being of unequal length at the vertex.[4]

Distribution

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The type species of Squaloziphius, S. fabianii, is known from the Libano sandstone formation, in the Veneto region of northeastern Italy.[2][5] Fossils have also been found in the Baltringen region of Germany.[1]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d "Squalodelphis ". Mindat. Hudson Institute of Mineralogy. Retrieved 2 July 2025.
  2. ^ a b Dal Piaz, G. (1917). "Gli Odontoceti del Miocene bellunese, Parte Terza. Squalodelphis fabianii". Memorie dell' Instituto Geologico della R. Universita di Padova. 5 (1): 1–34.
  3. ^ Lambert, Olivier; Bianucci, Giovanni; Urbina, Mario (29 July 2014). "Huaridelphis raimondii, a new early Miocene Squalodelphinidae (Cetacea, Odontoceti) from the Chilcatay Formation, Peru". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 34 (5). Taylor & Francis: 987–1004. doi:10.1080/02724634.2014.858050.
  4. ^ Bianucci, Giovanni; Bosio, Giulia; Malinverno, Elisa; de Muizon, Christian; Villa, Igor M.; Urbina, Mario; Lambert, Olivier (April 2018). "A new large squalodelphinid (Cetacea, Odontoceti) from Peru sheds light on the Early Miocene platanistoid disparity and ecology". Royal Society Open Science. 5 (4): 172302. doi:10.1098/rsos.172302url=https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsos.172302.
  5. ^ "The Ecological Register". fossilworks.org.