''Indocetus'' is a protocetid early whale known from the late early

Eocene The Eocene ( ) is a geological epoch (geology), epoch that lasted from about 56 to 33.9 million years ago (Ma). It is the second epoch of the Paleogene Period (geology), Period in the modern Cenozoic Era (geology), Era. The name ''Eocene'' comes ...

(

Lutetian The Lutetian is, in the geologic timescale, a stage (stratigraphy), stage or age (geology), age in the Eocene. It spans the time between . The Lutetian is preceded by the Ypresian and is followed by the Bartonian. Together with the Bartonian it ...

, ) Harudi Formation (, paleocoordinates ) in Kutch, India. The

holotype A holotype (Latin: ''holotypus'') is a single physical example (or illustration) of an organism used when the species (or lower-ranked taxon) was formally described. It is either the single such physical example (or illustration) or one of s ...

of is a partial skull in two pieces with the frontal shield and the right occiput and auditory bulla preserved. described postcranial remains from the Sulaiman Range,

Punjab, Pakistan Punjab (, ) is a Administrative units of Pakistan, province of Pakistan. With a population of over 127 million, it is the Demographics of Pakistan, most populous province in Pakistan and the List of first-level administrative divisions by popu ...

, and attributed them to ''Indocetus''. , however, withdrew this assignment and instead attributed this postcranial material to '' Remingtonocetus'' because of similarities to the then newly discovered remingtonocetid '' Dalanistes'', including a longer neck and fused sacral vertebral elements. This leaves ''Indocetus'' without postcranial remains, but undescribed material (as of 1998) from Kutch most likely include some that can be attributed to ''Indocetus''. Furthermore, '' Rodhocetus'', also from Sulaiman, is very similar to ''Indocetus'' and it is possible that these genera are synonyms. ''Indocetus'' is known from a partial skull, two endocasts, a right tympanic, and a right maxilla; all from the Harudi Formation. ''Indocetus'' has prominent protocones on the molars, distinguishing it from ''

Protocetus ''Protocetus atavus'' ("first whale") is an extinct species of primitive cetacean from Egypt. It lived during the middle Eocene period 45 million years ago. The first discovered protocetid, ''Protocetus atavus'' was described by based on a cran ...

'', '' Eocetus'', ''

Babiacetus ''Babiacetus'' is an Extinction, extinct genus of early cetacean that lived during the late Lutetian middle Eocene of India ().. Retrieved April 2013. It was named after its type locality, the Harudi Formation in the Babia Hills (: paleocoordin ...

'', and '' Georgiacetus''. P¹ is single-rooted like '' Rodhocetus''. The tympanic bulla is more narrow than in ''Protocetus'' and ''Georgiacetus''. The endocasts included dental material, including alveoli and the bases of cheek teeth but not the crowns. P^3–4 are three-rooted and probably had protocones. The molars are smaller than the premolars and decrease from M¹ to M³. M¹ and M² have large protocone lobs.

Notes

References

* * * * * {{Taxonbar, from=Q11712114 Protocetidae Fossil taxa described in 1975 Monotypic prehistoric cetacean genera Extinct mammals of Asia