Zhelezny Rog Cape (Miocene of Russian Federation)

Where: Russian Federation (45.1° N, 36.7° E: paleocoordinates 45.7° N, 41.1° E)

• coordinate estimated from map

When: Tortonian (11.6 - 7.2 Ma)

• late Sarmatian: Late Sarmatian (corresponding to the early Tortonian, Late Miocene) of the Eastern Paratethys (Radionova et al. 2012).

•In the region of the Central Paratethys, the Sarmatian Stage (sensu stricto) as a whole has been assigned the Middle Miocene [86, 87]. By contrast, the upper part of the Sarmatian as found in the area of the eastern Paratethys correlates with the early Tortonian (11.2–9.6 Ma) [88, 89]. The age of the late Sarmatian deposits on the Taman Peninsula are still a matter of debate. Fission-track dating places their lower boundary at ca. 11.2 ± 0.7 Ma, while chronostratigraphy suggest an upper limit of roughly 9.6 Ma (or possibly somewhat younger, based on an estimate of 9.5 ± 0.9 Ma for the upper Sarmatian deposits of the nearby Kerch Peninsula) [88]. By contrast, biostratigraphic data suggest an age range of 8.9 Ma to 7.9–7.7 Ma [89]. Until further data are available to resolve this conflict, we assume the age of C. rathkii to be 11.2–9.6 Ma, in line with the radiometric evidence. (Marx & Fordyce, 2015).

Environment/lithology: marine; lithology not reported

Size class: macrofossils

Primary reference: P. Goldin and D. Startsev. 2014. Brandtocetus, a new genus of baleen whales (Cetacea, Cetotheriidae) from the late Miocene of Crimea, Ukraine. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 34(2):419-433 [M. Uhen/M. Uhen]more details

Purpose of describing collection: general faunal/floral analysis

PaleoDB collection 152907: authorized by Mark Uhen, entered by Shahed Alam on 03.12.2013, edited by Mark Uhen

Creative Commons license: CC BY (attribution)

Taxonomic list

Mammalia
 Cetacea - Cetotheriidae
Cetotherium rathkii Brandt 1843 whale