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Simocetidae
Taxonomy
Simocetidae was named by Fordyce (2002). It is extant. It was considered monophyletic by Uhen et al. (2008).
It was assigned to Agorophioidea by Gingerich (2005); to Odontoceti by Fordyce (2002), Uhen et al. (2008), Uhen (2008) and Fitzgerald (2010); to Amblyoccipita by Boessenecker and Geisler (2023); and to Odontoceti by Bianucci and Landini (2007), Rice (2009), Boessenecker and Fordyce (2015), Marx et al. (2016), Berta (2017) and Velez-Juarbe (2023).
It was assigned to Agorophioidea by Gingerich (2005); to Odontoceti by Fordyce (2002), Uhen et al. (2008), Uhen (2008) and Fitzgerald (2010); to Amblyoccipita by Boessenecker and Geisler (2023); and to Odontoceti by Bianucci and Landini (2007), Rice (2009), Boessenecker and Fordyce (2015), Marx et al. (2016), Berta (2017) and Velez-Juarbe (2023).
Subtaxa
Synonymy list
| Year | Name and author |
|---|---|
| 2002 | Simocetidae Fordyce |
| 2005 | Simocetidae Gingerich p. 237 figs. Table 15.1 |
| 2007 | Simocetidae Bianucci and Landini p. 45 figs. Table 2.1 |
| 2008 | Simocetidae Uhen p. 445 figs. Table 1 |
| 2008 | Simocetidae Uhen et al. p. 570 |
| 2009 | Simocetidae Rice p. 235 figs. Table 1 |
| 2010 | Simocetidae Fitzgerald p. 370 figs. Table 1 |
| 2015 | Simocetidae Boessenecker and Fordyce figs. Table 1 |
| 2016 | Simocetidae Marx et al. p. 117 |
| 2017 | Simocetidae Berta p. 160 |
| 2023 | Simocetidae Boessenecker and Geisler p. 152 |
| 2023 | Simocetidae Velez-Juarbe p. 4 |
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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. Simocetidae Fordyce 2002
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G. †Olympicetus Vélez-Juarbe 2017
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†Olympicetus avitus Vélez-Juarbe 2017
†Olympicetus thalassodon Velez-Juarbe 2023
Diagnosis
| Reference | Diagnosis | |
|---|---|---|
| M. D. Uhen et al. 2008 | The extinct family Simocetidae is based on Simocetus emlongi Fordyce 2002, known from a skull, mandible and a few postcranial fragments of early Oligocene age from Oregon. Although the skull is of archaic (“agorophiid”) grade, it shows some highly specialized features: toothless premaxillae, apex of rostrum dorsoventrally thin with shallow mesorostral groove, and anterior of rostrum and mandible downturned. When the species was described, its broader relationships were uncertain. Fordyce now considers that the toothless premaxillae and elongate conical pterygoid hamulus place Simocetus and Simocetidae closer to Eurhinodelphinidae than to other odontocetes. | |
| J. Velez-Juarbe 2023 | Stem odontocetes displaying a mosaic of plesiomorphic and derived characters that sets them apart from other basal odontocetes, particularly
the Xenorophidae, Patriocetidae and Agorophiidae. Characterized by the following unambiguous synapomorphies: seven to eight teeth completely enclosed by the maxilla (c.25[1]); lack of a rostral basin (c.66[0]), differing from most xenorophids which have a well-defined basin; posteriormost edge of nasals in line with the anterior half of the supraorbital processes (c.123[1]); supraoccipital at about the same level as the nasals (c.129[1]), differing from xenorophids where the supraoccipital is higher; floor of squamosal fossa thickens posteriorly (c.149[1]); distal end of postglenoid process is anteroposteriorly wide (c.152[2]); long and subconical hamular process of the pterygoid (c.173[1]); hamular processes unkeeled (c.174[0]); hamular processes extending to a point in line with the middle of the zygomatic processes (c.175[3]); cranial hiatus constricted by medial projection of the parietal (c.184[2]); absent to poorly defined rectus capitus anticus muscle fossa (c.193[0]), differing from the well-defined fossa of xenorophids; posteroventral end of basioccipital crest forming a posteriorly oriented flange (c.194[2]); anterior process of periotic with well-defined fossa for contact with tympanic (c.210[3]); lateral tuberosity of periotic forming a bulbous prominence lateral to mallear fossa (c.212[1]); tegmen tympani at the base of the anterior process unexcavated (c.232[0]), differing from the excavated surface in xenorophids; articular surface of the posterior process of periotic is smooth (c.242[0]) and concave (c.243[0]); and, posterolateral sulcus of premaxilla deeply entrenched (c.310[1]). Additional characters present in simocetids include: rostrum fairly wide (c.7[1]; shared with Ashleycetus planicapitis Sanders & Geisler, 2015, Agorophius pygmaeus (Müller, 1849), and Ankylorhiza tiedemani (Allen, 1887)); palatine/maxilla suture anteriorly bowed (21[0]; shared with Patriocetus kazakhstanicus Dubrovo & Sanders, 2000); lacrimal restricted to below the supraorbital process of frontal (c.52[0]; shared with A. planicapitis, P. kazakhstanicus and An. tiedemani); relatively small ventral (orbital) exposure of the lacrimal (c.56[0]; shared with A. planicapitis, Archaeodelphis patrius Allen, 1921, and P. kazakhstanicus); postorbital process of frontal relatively long and oriented posterolaterally and ventrally (c.62[0]; shared with A. planicapitis, Mirocetus riabinini Mchedlidze, 1970 and P. kazakhstanicus); presence of a long posterolateral sulcus extending from the premaxillary foramen (c.73[2]; shared with A. planicapitis); maxillae only partially covering supraorbital processes (c.77[1]; shared with A. planicapitis and Ar. patrius); frontals slightly lower than nasals (c.125[0]; shared with Cotylocara macei Geisler, Colbert & Carew, 2014); intertemporal region with an ovoid cross section (c.137[1]; shared with A. planicapitis, Echovenator sandersi Churchill et al., 2016, and C. macei); anterior end of supraoccipital is semicircular (c.153[1]; shared with P. kazakhstanicus); occipital shield with distinct sagittal crest (= external occipital crest, sensu Mead & Fordyce, 2009) (c.156[1]; shared with Albertocetus meffordorum Uhen, 2008, P. kazakhstanicus, Ag. pygmaeus, and An. tiedemani); a nearly transverse pterygoid-palatine suture (c.163[1]; shared with Ar. patrius); anterior process of periotic short (c.204[2]; shared with C. macei). |
Measurements
No measurements are available
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| Source: subo = suborder, o = order | |||||
| Reference: Uhen 2004 | |||||
Collections (4 total)
| Time interval | Ma | Country or state | Original ID and collection number |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rupelian | USA (Oregon) | Simocetus rayi (45669) | |
| Rupelian | USA (Washington) | Simocetidae indet., Olympicetus sp., Odontoceti indet. (58964) | |
| Rupelian - Chattian | USA (Washington) | Olympicetus thalassodon (230475) | |
| Chattian | USA (Washington) | Olympicetus avitus (45809) |