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Notocetus vanbenedeni
Taxonomy
Diochotichus vanbenedeni was named by Moreno (1892). Its type specimen is MLP 5-5, a skull, and it is a 3D body fossil. Its type locality is Puerto Madryn, which is in a Burdigalian marginal marine siltstone/sandstone in the Gaiman Formation of Argentina. It is the type species of Notocetus.
It was replaced with Argyrodelphis benedeni by Lydekker (1894); it was recombined as Notocetus vanbenedeni by Moreno (1892), Muizon (1987), Uhen et al. (2008), Geisler et al. (2011), Bianucci et al. (2015), Bianucci et al. (2020) and Viglino et al. (2022).
It was replaced with Argyrodelphis benedeni by Lydekker (1894); it was recombined as Notocetus vanbenedeni by Moreno (1892), Muizon (1987), Uhen et al. (2008), Geisler et al. (2011), Bianucci et al. (2015), Bianucci et al. (2020) and Viglino et al. (2022).
Synonyms
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Synonymy list
| Year | Name and author |
|---|---|
| 1892 | Diochotichus vanbenedeni Moreno pp. 397-400 figs. Plate 11 |
| 1892 | Notocetus vanbenedeni Moreno p. 397 figs. Plate XI |
| 1894 | Diochotichus vanbenedeni Ameghino |
| 1894 | Argyrodelphis benedeni Lydekker p. 12 |
| 1901 | Diochotichus benedeni Ameghino p. 80 |
| 1904 | Diochotichus vanbenedeni Trouessart p. 757 |
| 1923 | Diochotichus vanbenedeni Kellogg p. 35 |
| 1987 | Notocetus vanbenedeni Muizon p. 2 |
| 2008 | Notocetus vanbenedeni Uhen et al. p. 583 |
| 2011 | Notocetus vanbenedeni Geisler et al. p. 5 figs. Table 1 |
| 2015 | Notocetus vanbenedeni Bianucci et al. |
| 2020 | Notocetus vanbenedeni Bianucci et al. p. 33 |
| 2022 | Notocetus vanbenedeni Viglino et al. p. 5 |
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If no rank is listed, the taxon is considered an unranked clade in modern classifications. Ranks may be repeated or presented in the wrong order because authors working on different parts of the classification may disagree about how to rank taxa.
†Notocetus vanbenedeni Moreno 1892
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Invalid names: Argyrodelphis benedeni Lydekker 1894 [objective synonym]
Diagnosis
| Reference | Diagnosis | |
|---|---|---|
| G. Bianucci et al. 2015 | N. vanbenedeni differs from Huar- idelphis, Phocageneus, and Squalodelphis in the retention of accessory denticles in the distal keels of the posterior teeth (teeth unknown in Medocinia). It further differs from Huar- idelphis in: its larger size; the less abrupt anterior tapering of the rostrum in dorsal view; the lower tooth count (21–24 teeth per row contra 28–30 in Huaridelphis); the thicker antorbital process of the frontal, distinctly thicker than the antorbital process of the maxilla in lateral view; the more elongated and robust postorbital process of the frontal; the flat dorsal surface of the vertex parallel to the hori- zontal plane, not anteroventrally sloping; the absence of a dorsoventral compression of the periotic at the level of the pars cochlearis and superior process (sensu Kasuya, 1973); and the less ventrally bent posterior process of the periotic. It further differs from Medocinia and Squalodel- phis in: the dorsal opening of the mesorostral groove being narrower than the premaxilla in the base of the rostrum; and the wider dorsal exposure of the maxilla in the base of the rostrum (the premaxilla nearly reaches the lateral margin of the rostrum in Medocinia and Squalodelphis). It further differs from Phocageneus and Squalodelphis in the shorter anterior spine of the tympanic bulla. It further dif- fers from Squalodelphis in: the higher tooth count (15 per row in Squalodelphis); the transversally wider nuchal crest (approximately as wide as the greatest width of the pre- maxillae in Squalodelphis and considerably wider than the greatest width of the premaxillae in Notocetus); and the stronger manubrium of the malleus with a rounded rather than pointed apex. | |
| M. Viglino et al. 2022 | For the definition and members of the families and clades mentioned in this diagnosis, we follow the phylogenetic hypothesis obtained under implied weights with K 1⁄4 26. The use of Platanistoidea follows de Muizon (1987) in the sense of comprising the only living genus of the clade, Platanista, within the family Platanistidae (see the Phylogenetic analyses section of the results for further details).
Notocetus vanbenedeni has a medium-size skull (aver- age CBL: 62 cm) with a long and anteriorly narrow rostrum; teeth with short conical crown anteriorly and lateromedially compressed crown posteriorly, blunt apex, long and curved root, and accessory denticles pre- sent on the posterior teeth only. The skull has asymmet- rical notches; a distinctly elevated dorsal tubercular supraorbital crest formed mainly by the frontal; temporal fossa has a roof with a frontal window; squamosal with a deep sub-circular fossa and deep and spathulate tympanosquamosal recess; vertex with a squared frontal and nasal and a distinct medial facial crest; presence of external foramen ovale; coracoid process absent and acromion located on anterior edge of scapula. Pars cochlearis with a right angle anteriorly; aperture of vestibular aqueduct with raised edges and associated vestigial dorsal crest; larger reniform cochlear aqueduct; anterior incisure with associated concave surface; ovoid anterior bullar facet; rectangular and short posterior bullar facet with shallow grooves; short anterior process that nar- rows distally; and long and posteroventrally oriented posterior process of the periotic. Belongs to Platanistoidea based on: long and medio-laterally compressed rostrum; premaxillary foramen located medially and anterior to antorbital notch; lateral lamina of pterygoid articulates with squamosal; pterygoid sinus fossa extending anteriorly beyond the antorbital notch; anteroposterior ridge on anterior process and body of periotic in dorsal view; long anterior spine and shallow lateral furrow of tympanic bulla; coracoid process of scapula reduced or absent. It differs from all Platanistoidea in: maxilla not reaching tip of rostrum; medium width of premaxillae at mid- rostrum; wide rostrum at base; absence of longitudinal groove on mandibles; 17–23 teeth on mandibles; long lacrimal; short anterior process of periotic in relation to pars cochlearis; poorly defined ventromedial keel of tympanic bulla. Differs from Aondelphis talen in having a sub-circular fossa; wide external auditory meatus; long and smoothly deflected anterior process of periotic; oval fenestra rotunda; periotic with reniform cochlear aque- duct opening and articular rim; long and deep median furrow of tympanic bulla; inner and outer posterior prominence of equal length; unexcavated dorsal margin of involucrum. Differs from Macrosqualodelphis ukupa- chai, Dilophodelphis fordycei, Medocinia tetragorhina, Huaridelphis raimondii, Araeodelphis natator and the Peruvian platanistoids (MUSM 1395, 3896, 3897 and 1484) in: widely separated premaxillae at rostrum by mesorostral groove; nasals with point on midline and gap with premaxilla at vertex; narrowly exposed squamosal in posterior view; dorsoventrally thick pars cochlearis of the periotic; larger reniform opening of the cochlear aqueduct of periotic; and shallow grooves on posterior bullar facet of periotic. Differs from the Peruvian platanistoids (MUSM 1395, 3896, 3897 and 1484) and Araeodelphis natator in: maxilla and lacrimo- jugal forming dorsolateral edge of ventral infraorbital foramina. Further differs from Dilophodelphis fordycei, Huaridelphis raimondii and Araeodelphis natator in: transversely inflated premaxillae at rostrum. Differs from Macrosqualodelphis ukupachai, Medocinia tetra- gorhina and Huaridelphis raimondii in: deep neck muscle fossa in zygomatic process of squamosal. Further differs from Macrosqualodelphis ukupachai, Dilophodelphis fordycei and Huaridelphis raimondii in: having nasals at same height as frontals at vertex. Differs from Medocinia tetragorhina and Huaridelphis raimondii in: nasals and frontals of the same width at vertex. Further differs from the Peruvian platanistoids (MUSM 1395, 3896, 3897 and 1484) in: rostrum narrow at mid-length; premaxillary foramen anterior to antorbital notch; medial facial crest; palatine completely covered by pterygoid in ventral view; smoothly ventrally deflected anterior process of periotic in lateral view; pyramidal process in dorsal surface of periotic; and tubular internal acoustic meatus with a circular outline. |
Measurements
No measurements are available
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| Source: subo = suborder, o = order | |||||
| Reference: Uhen 2004 | |||||
Age range: base of the Aquitanian to the top of the Burdigalian or 23.03000 to 15.97000 Ma
Collections (6 total)
| Time interval | Ma | Country or state | Original ID and collection number |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aquitanian | Argentina | Notocetus vanbenedeni (45887) | |
| Early/Lower Miocene | Argentina (Santa Cruz) | Diochotichus vanbenedeni (116539) | |
| Burdigalian | Argentina (Chubut) | Notocetus vanbenedeni (type locality: 45885) | |
| Burdigalian | Peru (Ica) | Notocetus vanbenedeni (100330) | |
| Burdigalian | Peru | Notocetus vanbenedeni (124919) Notocetus vanbenedeni, Squalodelphinidae indet. (167732) |