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Platanistidae
Taxonomy
Platanistina was named by Gray (1846). It is extant. It was considered monophyletic by Barnes and Reynolds (2009).
It was reranked as the family Platanistidae by Gray (1863), Gray (1866), Flower (1867), Gray (1868), Scammon and Cope (1869), Gill (1871), Gill (1872), Gill (1873), Flower (1883), Lydekker (1887), Ameghino (1889), Cope (1889), Cope (1890), Flower and Lydekker (1891), Zittel (1894), Ameghino (1894), Flores (1895), Longhi (1898), Trouessart (1898), Abel (1900), Hay (1902), Weber (1904), Trouessart (1904), Case (1904), True (1908), Jaekel (1911), Turner (1912), Abel (1914), Stefani (1916), Winge (1921), Miller (1923), Kellogg (1928), Weber (1928), Hay (1930), Slijper (1936), Simpson (1945), Ellerman and Morrisson-Scott (1951), Paula Couto (1956), Fraser and Purves (1960), Scheffer and Rice (1963), Kasuya (1973), Whitmore (1984), Muizon (1984), Pilleri (1985), Barnes et al. (1985), Muizon (1987), Pilleri (1988), Carroll (1988), Pilleri (1989), Muizon (1990), Nowak (1991), Benton (1993), Muizon (1994), Fordyce et al. (1995), McKenna and Bell (1997), Rice (1998), Fordyce and de Muizon (2001), Rice (2002), Barnes (2002), Geisler and Sanders (2003), Gingerich (2005), Mead and Brownell (2005), Lambert (2006), Hulbert and Whitmore (2006), Barnes (2006), Bianucci and Landini (2007), Lambert et al. (2008), Agnarsson and May-Collado (2008), Whitmore and Kaltenbach (2008), Uhen et al. (2008), Rice (2009), Barnes and Reynolds (2009), Geisler et al. (2011), Bianucci et al. (2013), Boersma and Pyenson (2016), Marx et al. (2016), Berta (2017), Boersma et al. (2017), Godfrey et al. (2017), Aguirre-Fernández et al. (2017), Braulik et al. (2021), Viglino et al. (2022), Boessenecker and Geisler (2023) and Godfrey and Lambert (2023).
It was assigned to Delphinidae by Gray (1846); to Cete by Gray (1863); to Susoidea by Gray (1868); to Denticete by Gray (1866), Scammon and Cope (1869), Gill (1871) and Gill (1872); to Denticete by Gill (1873); to Odontoceta by Ameghino (1889) and Ameghino (1894); to Squaloceti by Abel (1914); to Odontocete by Hay (1902) and Hay (1930); to Cetacea by Longhi (1898) and Nowak (1991); to Odontoceti by Flower (1867), Flower (1883), Lydekker (1887), Cope (1889), Cope (1890), Flower and Lydekker (1891), Zittel (1894), Flores (1895), Trouessart (1898), Abel (1900), Weber (1904), Trouessart (1904), Case (1904), True (1908), Jaekel (1911), Turner (1912), Stefani (1916), Miller (1923), Kellogg (1928), Weber (1928), Ellerman and Morrisson-Scott (1951), Scheffer and Rice (1963), Whitmore (1984), Pilleri (1985), Pilleri (1988), Carroll (1988), Pilleri (1989), Benton (1993) and Mead and Brownell (2005); to Odontoceti by Winge (1921), Slijper (1936) and Hulbert and Whitmore (2006); to Platanistoidea by Simpson (1945), Paula Couto (1956), Fraser and Purves (1960), Kasuya (1973), Muizon (1984), Barnes et al. (1985), Muizon (1987), Muizon (1990), Muizon (1994), Fordyce et al. (1995), McKenna and Bell (1997), Rice (1998), Fordyce and de Muizon (2001), Rice (2002), Barnes (2002), Geisler and Sanders (2003), Gingerich (2005), Lambert (2006), Barnes (2006), Bianucci and Landini (2007), Lambert et al. (2008), Agnarsson and May-Collado (2008), Whitmore and Kaltenbach (2008), Uhen et al. (2008), Rice (2009), Barnes and Reynolds (2009), Geisler et al. (2011), Bianucci et al. (2013), Boersma and Pyenson (2016), Marx et al. (2016), Berta (2017), Boersma et al. (2017), Godfrey et al. (2017), Aguirre-Fernández et al. (2017), Braulik et al. (2021) and Viglino et al. (2022); to Platanidelphidi by Godfrey and Lambert (2023); and to Stegoceti by Boessenecker and Geisler (2023).
It was reranked as the family Platanistidae by Gray (1863), Gray (1866), Flower (1867), Gray (1868), Scammon and Cope (1869), Gill (1871), Gill (1872), Gill (1873), Flower (1883), Lydekker (1887), Ameghino (1889), Cope (1889), Cope (1890), Flower and Lydekker (1891), Zittel (1894), Ameghino (1894), Flores (1895), Longhi (1898), Trouessart (1898), Abel (1900), Hay (1902), Weber (1904), Trouessart (1904), Case (1904), True (1908), Jaekel (1911), Turner (1912), Abel (1914), Stefani (1916), Winge (1921), Miller (1923), Kellogg (1928), Weber (1928), Hay (1930), Slijper (1936), Simpson (1945), Ellerman and Morrisson-Scott (1951), Paula Couto (1956), Fraser and Purves (1960), Scheffer and Rice (1963), Kasuya (1973), Whitmore (1984), Muizon (1984), Pilleri (1985), Barnes et al. (1985), Muizon (1987), Pilleri (1988), Carroll (1988), Pilleri (1989), Muizon (1990), Nowak (1991), Benton (1993), Muizon (1994), Fordyce et al. (1995), McKenna and Bell (1997), Rice (1998), Fordyce and de Muizon (2001), Rice (2002), Barnes (2002), Geisler and Sanders (2003), Gingerich (2005), Mead and Brownell (2005), Lambert (2006), Hulbert and Whitmore (2006), Barnes (2006), Bianucci and Landini (2007), Lambert et al. (2008), Agnarsson and May-Collado (2008), Whitmore and Kaltenbach (2008), Uhen et al. (2008), Rice (2009), Barnes and Reynolds (2009), Geisler et al. (2011), Bianucci et al. (2013), Boersma and Pyenson (2016), Marx et al. (2016), Berta (2017), Boersma et al. (2017), Godfrey et al. (2017), Aguirre-Fernández et al. (2017), Braulik et al. (2021), Viglino et al. (2022), Boessenecker and Geisler (2023) and Godfrey and Lambert (2023).
It was assigned to Delphinidae by Gray (1846); to Cete by Gray (1863); to Susoidea by Gray (1868); to Denticete by Gray (1866), Scammon and Cope (1869), Gill (1871) and Gill (1872); to Denticete by Gill (1873); to Odontoceta by Ameghino (1889) and Ameghino (1894); to Squaloceti by Abel (1914); to Odontocete by Hay (1902) and Hay (1930); to Cetacea by Longhi (1898) and Nowak (1991); to Odontoceti by Flower (1867), Flower (1883), Lydekker (1887), Cope (1889), Cope (1890), Flower and Lydekker (1891), Zittel (1894), Flores (1895), Trouessart (1898), Abel (1900), Weber (1904), Trouessart (1904), Case (1904), True (1908), Jaekel (1911), Turner (1912), Stefani (1916), Miller (1923), Kellogg (1928), Weber (1928), Ellerman and Morrisson-Scott (1951), Scheffer and Rice (1963), Whitmore (1984), Pilleri (1985), Pilleri (1988), Carroll (1988), Pilleri (1989), Benton (1993) and Mead and Brownell (2005); to Odontoceti by Winge (1921), Slijper (1936) and Hulbert and Whitmore (2006); to Platanistoidea by Simpson (1945), Paula Couto (1956), Fraser and Purves (1960), Kasuya (1973), Muizon (1984), Barnes et al. (1985), Muizon (1987), Muizon (1990), Muizon (1994), Fordyce et al. (1995), McKenna and Bell (1997), Rice (1998), Fordyce and de Muizon (2001), Rice (2002), Barnes (2002), Geisler and Sanders (2003), Gingerich (2005), Lambert (2006), Barnes (2006), Bianucci and Landini (2007), Lambert et al. (2008), Agnarsson and May-Collado (2008), Whitmore and Kaltenbach (2008), Uhen et al. (2008), Rice (2009), Barnes and Reynolds (2009), Geisler et al. (2011), Bianucci et al. (2013), Boersma and Pyenson (2016), Marx et al. (2016), Berta (2017), Boersma et al. (2017), Godfrey et al. (2017), Aguirre-Fernández et al. (2017), Braulik et al. (2021) and Viglino et al. (2022); to Platanidelphidi by Godfrey and Lambert (2023); and to Stegoceti by Boessenecker and Geisler (2023).
Synonyms
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Synonymy list
| Year | Name and author |
|---|---|
| 1846 | Platanistina Gray p. 45 |
| 1863 | Platanistidae Gray p. 199 |
| 1866 | Platanistidae Gray p. 62 |
| 1867 | Platanistidae Flower p. 113 |
| 1868 | Platanistidae Gray p. 4 |
| 1869 | Platanistidae Scammon and Cope p. 20 |
| 1871 | Platanistidae Gill p. 123 |
| 1872 | Platanistidae Gill p. 95 |
| 1873 | Platanistidae Gill p. 27 |
| 1883 | Platanistidae Flower p. 184 |
| 1887 | Platanistidae Lydekker p. 73 |
| 1889 | Platanistidae Ameghino p. 884 |
| 1889 | Platanistidae Cope p. 876 |
| 1890 | Platanistidae Cope p. 603 |
| 1891 | Platanistidae Flower and Lydekker p. 89 |
| 1894 | Platanistidae Ameghino p. 438 |
| 1894 | Platanistidae Zittel p. 171 |
| 1895 | Platanistidae Flores p. 11 |
| 1898 | Platanistidae Longhi p. 329 |
| 1898 | Platanistidae Trouessart p. 1015 |
| 1900 | Platanistidae Abel p. 843 |
| 1902 | Platanistidae Hay p. 590 |
| 1904 | Platanistidae Case p. 8 |
| 1904 | Platanistidae Trouessart p. 756 |
| 1904 | Platanistidae Weber p. 579 |
| 1908 | Platanistidae True p. 391 |
| 1911 | Platanistidae Jaekel p. 231 |
| 1912 | Platanistidae Turner p. 94 |
| 1914 | Platanistidae Abel p. 221 |
| 1916 | Platanistidae Stefani p. 9 |
| 1921 | Platanistidae Winge p. 8 |
| 1923 | Platanistidae Miller p. 40 |
| 1928 | Platanistidae Kellogg p. 34 figs. Table 1 |
| 1928 | Platanistidae Weber p. 389 |
| 1930 | Platanistidae Hay p. 596 |
| 1936 | Platanistidae Slijper p. 546 |
| 1945 | Platanistidae Simpson p. 100 |
| 1951 | Platanistidae Ellerman and Morrisson-Scott p. 719 |
| 1956 | Platanistidae Paula Couto p. 98 |
| 1960 | Platanistidae Fraser and Purves p. 112 figs. Figure 26 |
| 1963 | Platanistidae Scheffer and Rice p. 5 |
| 1966 | Susuidae Hershkovitz p. 6 |
| 1973 | Platanistidae Kasuya p. 61 |
| 1984 | Platanistidae Muizon p. 68 |
| 1984 | Platanistidae Whitmore p. 230 |
| 1985 | Platanistidae Barnes et al. p. 25 |
| 1985 | Platanistidae Pilleri p. 61 |
| 1987 | Platanistidae Muizon p. 13 |
| 1988 | Platanistidae Carroll |
| 1988 | Platanistidae Pilleri p. 7 |
| 1989 | Platanistidae Pilleri p. 121 |
| 1990 | Platanistidae Muizon p. 312 |
| 1991 | Platanistidae Nowak |
| 1993 | Platanistidae Benton p. 762 |
| 1994 | Platanistidae Muizon p. 136 |
| 1995 | Platanistidae Fordyce et al. p. 379 |
| 1997 | Platanistidae McKenna and Bell p. 383 |
| 1997 | Tachyrgrhynchus Odreman-Rivas p. 241 |
| 1998 | Platanistidae Rice |
| 2001 | Platanistidae Fordyce and de Muizon p. 178 |
| 2002 | Platanistidae Barnes p. 409 |
| 2002 | Platanistidae Rice p. 231 figs. Table 1 |
| 2003 | Platanistidae Geisler and Sanders p. 28 |
| 2005 | Platanistidae Gingerich p. 237 figs. Table 15.1 |
| 2005 | Platanistidae Mead and Brownell p. 738 |
| 2006 | Platanistidae Barnes p. 32 |
| 2006 | Platanistidae Hulbert and Whitmore p. 19 |
| 2006 | Platanistidae Lambert p. 70 |
| 2007 | Platanistidae Bianucci and Landini p. 45 figs. Table 2.1 |
| 2008 | Platanistidae Agnarsson and May-Collado p. 981 |
| 2008 | Platanistidae Lambert et al. p. 161 |
| 2008 | Platanistidae Uhen et al. p. 580 |
| 2008 | Platanistidae Whitmore and Kaltenbach p. 192 |
| 2009 | Platanistidae Barnes and Reynolds p. 487 |
| 2009 | Platanistidae Rice p. 235 figs. Table 1 |
| 2011 | Platanistidae Geisler et al. p. 29 figs. Figure 5 |
| 2013 | Platanistidae Bianucci et al. p. 741 |
| 2016 | Platanistidae Boersma and Pyenson p. 12 figs. Figure 10 |
| 2016 | Platanistidae Marx et al. p. 120 figs. Figure 4.25 |
| 2017 | Platanistidae Aguirre-Fernández et al. |
| 2017 | Platanistidae Berta p. 163 |
| 2017 | Platanistidae Boersma et al. |
| 2017 | Platanistidae Godfrey et al. |
| 2021 | Platanistidae Braulik et al. p. 29 |
| 2022 | Platanistidae Viglino et al. p. 29 |
| 2023 | Platanistidae Boessenecker and Geisler p. 152 |
| 2023 | Platanistidae Godfrey and Lambert p. 77 |
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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.
Fm. Platanistidae Gray 1846
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G. †Pachyacanthus Brandt 1871
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†Pachyacanthus suessii Brandt 1871
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Invalid names: Cetotherium ambiguum Brandt 1872 [synonym], Pachyacanthus andrussovi Dombrovsky 1925 [synonym], Pachyacanthus bajarunasi Dombrovsky 1925 [synonym], Pachyacanthus letochae Brandt 1873 [synonym], Pachyacanthus trachyspondylus Brandt 1871 [synonym]
G. Platanista Wagler 1830
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Platanista gangetica Leebeck 1801
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Invalid names: Delphinorhynchus gangeticus Lesson 1827 [synonym], Delphinus shawensis Blainville 1817 [synonym], Platanista indi Blyth 1859 [synonym], Susu platanista Lesson 1828 [synonym]
Platanista minor Owen 1853
Invalid names: Susu Lesson 1828 [synonym]
Subfm. †Pomatodelphininae Barnes 2002
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G. †Pomatodelphis Allen 1921
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†Pomatodelphis bobengi Case 1934
†Pomatodelphis santamaria Godfrey and Lambert 2023
†Pomatodelphis stenorhynchus Holl 1829
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Invalid names: Champsodelphis renovi Laurillard 1844 [synonym], Schizodelphis depereti Paquier 1894 [synonym]
G. †Zarhachis Cope 1868
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†Zarhachis crassangulum Case 1904
†Zarhachis flagellator Cope 1868
†Zarhachis tysonii Cope 1869
†Zarhachis velox Cope 1869
Invalid names: Argyrocetinae Trouessart 1898 [empty], Platanistinae Flower 1867 [empty], Susuidae Hershkovitz 1966 [synonym], Tachyrgrhynchus Odreman-Rivas 1997 [nomen nudum]
Diagnosis
| Reference | Diagnosis | |
|---|---|---|
| S. J. Godfrey et al. 2017 | Odontocetes differing from the closely related Squalodelphinidae (named genera include Huaridelphis, Medocinia, Notocetus, Phocageneus, and Squalodelphis) in the following apomorphies: more than 33 teeth per upper or lower row; deep lateral groove on mandible; and frontal and maxilla contribute thin sharp edge to form posterior margin of antorbital notch. Platanistids are further characterized by the following combination of characters: mesorostral groove closed over dorsally by a meeting of the premaxillae at the sagittal plane; premaxillae and maxillae both reaching the anterior rostral extremity; distal ends of premaxilla and maxilla fused at the rostral extremity; asymmetrical left-skewed cranial vertex; frontals exposed between presphenoid/cribriform plate and nasals on posterior wall of dorsal naris; diminutive nasals; posterior ends of premaxillae much expanded posterolaterally; posterior dorsal infraorbital (maxillary) foramina located far posteriorly, with right foramen being located very close to posterior termination of right premaxilla (positioned at the posterior margin of the pre- maxilla, and in some taxa overhung by the margin of that bone), and left posterior dorsal infraorbital foramen being near the pos- terior termination of the left premaxilla; maxilla within the supraorbital process thickened dorsoventrally; bony sheath present in the medial part of the orbit formed by combination of the lateral lamina of the pterygoid (formed as an outer lamina or bony plate of the pterygoid within the orbit that extends posteriorly from the palate and contacts the falciform process of the squamosal) and a posterior extension of the palatine; zygomatic process of squamosal flattened transversely (concave medially convex laterally) and expanded dorsoventrally, the anterodorsal end of which is in close proximity to (or may abut) the postorbital process of the frontal; periotic with a relatively small and rounded cochlear portion, a long anterior process that is separated from the body of the periotic by a constriction, a lateral process, and peg present on ridge on articular process of periotic; tympanic bulla with a thin outer lip that is smoothly overarching and high relative to the transverse width of the bulla; symphyseal portion of mandible narrow, anteroposteriorly elongated, and firmly ankylosed; anterior teeth not procumbent; and all teeth single-rooted. |
Measurements
No measurements are available
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| Source: f = family, subo = suborder, o = order | |||||
| References: Uhen 2004, Nowak 1991 | |||||
Age range
Maximum range based only on fossils: base of the MN 3 to the top of the Holocene or 20.00000 to 0.00000 Ma
Minimum age of oldest fossil (stem group age): 15.97 Ma
Minimum age of oldest fossil (stem group age): 15.97 Ma
Collections (79 total)
| Time interval | Ma | Country or state | Original ID and collection number |
|---|---|---|---|
| Early/Lower Miocene | USA (Oregon) | Platanistinae indet. (70502) | |
| Aquitanian - Langhian | USA (North Carolina) | Araeodelphis natator (48887) | |
| Miocene | Austria | Pachyacanthus sp. (63085) | |
| Miocene | Austria (Burgenland) | Pachyacanthus suessi (85507) | |
| Burdigalian | Peru | Platanistidae indet., Pebanista yacuruna (232468) | |
| Burdigalian | USA (Oregon) | Dilophodelphis fordycei (185973) | |
| Burdigalian | USA (Maryland) | Araeodelphis natator (70593) Araeodelphis natator, Grimadelphis spectorum (71810) Zarhachis flagellator (45493) | |
| Burdigalian | Venezuela | Zarhachis flagellator (181413) | |
| Burdigalian | USA (Delaware) | Zarhachis flagellator (18579) | |
| Burdigalian | France | Pomatodelphis stenorhynchus (56562) Schizodelphis depereti (57780) | |
| Burdigalian | USA (New Jersey) | Zarhachis velox (18587) | |
| Burdigalian | Germany | Pomatodelphis sp., Zarhachis sp. (47425) | |
| Burdigalian - Messinian | Italy | Pachyacanthus sp. (53927) | |
| Late/Upper Hemingfordian | USA (Florida) | Pomatodelphis sp. (18512) | |
| MN 3 - MN 5 | France | Pomatodelphis stenorhynchus (94801) | |
| Langhian | Austria | Pachyacanthus sp., Pachyacanthus suessii (48029) | |
| Langhian | USA (Maryland) | Pomatodelphis inaequalis (98328) Pomatodelphis sp., Schizodelphis crassangulum (70823) Priscodelphinus crassangulum, Mesoplodon sp. (45502) Zarhachis sp. (48884) | |
| Langhian | France | Pomatodelphis stenorhynchus (90354) | |
| Langhian | USA (Virginia) | Schizodelphis crassangulum (79793) Zarhachis sp. (66065) | |
| MN 5 | Austria (Niederösterreich) | Platanistidae indet., Platanistinae indet., Prepomatodelphis korneuburgensis, Pomatodelphininae indet. (45836) | |
| Langhian - Serravallian | Belgium (Antwerpen) | Platydelphis canaliculatus (51680) | |
| Langhian - Serravallian | USA (Maryland) | Zarhachis sp. (231780) | |
| Langhian - Serravallian | Peru | Pebanista sp. (234348) | |
| Middle Miocene | South Korea | Pomatodelphininae indet. (123873) | |
| Middle Miocene | France | Delphinus renovi (85155) | |
| Langhian - Tortonian | France | Pomatodelphis stenorhynchus (142147) | |
| Langhian - Tortonian | France (Maine-et-Loire) | Pomatodelphis stenorhynchus (142149) | |
| Serravallian | USA (Virginia) | Schizodelphis crassangulum (126605) Zarhachis sp., Schizodelphis crassangulum (187324) | |
| Serravallian | Kazakhstan | Pachyacanthus andrussovi, Pachyacanthus bajarunasi (66064) | |
| Serravallian | Slovakia | Pomatodelphininae indet. (89152) | |
| Serravallian | USA (Maryland) | Pomatodelphis inaequalis (71816) Zarhachis flagellator (55396 57782) Zarhachis sp., Pomatodelphis inaequalis (70843) | |
| Serravallian | Austria | Pachyacanthus suessi (73276) | |
| Serravallian | Colombia | Platanistidae indet. (214581) Platanistinae indet. (214580) | |
| Laventan | Colombia (Huila) | Platanistidae indet. (186628) | |
| Laventan | Peru | Platanista sp. (107992) | |
| Sarmatian | Hungary (Pecs Megyei Varos) | Pachyacanthus suessi (59664) | |
| Sarmatian | Hungary | Pachyacanthus suessi (73367) | |
| Sarmatian | Austria | Pachyacanthus sp., Cetotherium ambiguum, Pachyacanthus letochae, Pachyacanthus suessi (47080) Pachyacanthus suessi (73366 96922 96923) | |
| Sarmatian | Ukraine | Pachyacanthus sp. (213732) | |
| Early/Lower Clarendonian | USA (Florida) | Pomatodelphis bobengi (45461) Pomatodelphis sp. (161377) | |
| Tortonian | USA (Florida) | Platanistidae indet. (45454 45479) Pomatodelphis bobengi (45459) Pomatodelphis bobengi, Schizodelphis bobengi (45457) Pomatodelphis inaequalis (45452 45453 45456) Pomatodelphis inaequalis, Schizodelphis depressus (45455) | |
| Tortonian | Brazil (Acre) | Pomatodelphis bobengi (55602) | |
| Tortonian | USA (Maryland) | Pomatodelphis santamaria (70851 219172) Zarhachis tysonii (55395) | |
| Tortonian | Portugal | Platanistidae indet. (52111) | |
| Late/Upper Miocene - Early/Lower Pliocene | France (Maine-et-Loire) | Delphinus stenorhynchus (221136) | |
| Hemphillian | USA (Alabama) | Pomatodelphis inaequalis (18559 81498) | |
| Pliocene | Austria | Pachyacanthus sp. (85511) | |
| Piacenzian | USA (California) | Platanistidae indet. (46067) | |
| Holocene | Pakistan | Platanista gangetica (168586) | |
| Holocene | Bangladesh | Platanista gangetica (68029) | |
| Holocene | India | Platanista gangetica (168587) | |
| Holocene | Pakistan (Sindh) | Platanista minor (230212) | |
| Holocene | India (West Bengal) | Delphinus gangetica (86876) |