Physeterula
| Physeterula Temporal range: | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Fragmentary Physeterula tooth from the Bone Valley Formation | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Artiodactyla |
| Infraorder: | Cetacea |
| Family: | Physeteridae |
| Subfamily: | Physeterinae |
| Genus: | †Physeterula Van Beneden, 1877 |
| Type species | |
| †Physeterula dubusi Van Beneden, 1877 | |
| Other species[1] | |
|
†P. neolassicus Veatch and Stephenson, 1911[2] | |
Physeterula was a prehistoric close relative of the sperm whale that lived in Europe and the United States during the Late Miocene-Late Pliocene. This species is classified as a large-bodied species.[3]
Description
[edit]Physeterula retained functional maxillary teeth, although its tooth enamel had degenerated. Condylobasal length is estimated to have exceeded 137.5 cm. Physeterula was similar in size to Idiorophus, Zygophyseter, and Brygmophyseter. [3]
References
[edit]- ↑ Physeterula in the Paleobiology Database
- ↑ Physeterula neolassicus in the Paleobiology Database
- 1 2 Lambert, Olivier (January 2008). "Sperm whales from the Miocene of the North Sea: A re-appraisal". Bulletin de l'Institut Royal des Sciences Naturelles de Belgique, Sciences de la Terre. 78: 277–316.
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