''Cotylocara'' is a genus of primitive

odontocete The toothed whales (also called odontocetes, systematic name Odontoceti) are a parvorder of cetaceans that includes dolphins, porpoises, and all other whales possessing teeth, such as the beaked whales and sperm whales. Seventy-three species of ...

from late Oligocene (

Chattian The Chattian is, in the geologic timescale, the younger of two ages or upper of two stages of the Oligocene Epoch/ Series. It spans the time between . The Chattian is preceded by the Rupelian and is followed by the Aquitanian (the lowest sta ...

) marine deposits of the

Chandler Bridge Formation The Chandler Bridge Formation is a Formation (geology), geologic formation in South Carolina. It preserves fossils dating back to the Chattian (Late Oligocene) of the Paleogene Period (geology), period, corresponding to the Arikareean in the Nort ...

of South Carolina belonging to

Xenorophidae Xenorophidae is an extinct family of odontocetes currently known from the Oligocene of the southeastern US. Known genera of xenorophids include ''Albertocetus'', '' Archaeodelphis'', '' Xenorophus'', '' Cotylocara'', ''Echovenator'', and ''Inerm ...

Paleobiology

''Cotylocara'' was capable of echolocation like modern dolphins, as evidenced by its dense, thick and downturned rostrum, air sac fossae, cranial asymmetry, and exceptionally broad maxillae.Jonathan H. Geisler, Matthew W. Colbert, James L. Carew., 2014: ''A new fossil species supports an early origin for toothed whale echolocation.'' ''Nature''. doi:10.1038/nature13086 Cotylocara anterolateral

References

Oligocene cetaceans Fossil taxa described in 2014 {{paleo-whale-stub