''Matapanui'' is a genus of eomysticetid

baleen whale Baleen whales (), also known as whalebone whales, are marine mammals of the order (biology), parvorder Mysticeti in the infraorder Cetacea (whales, dolphins and porpoises), which use baleen plates (or "whalebone") in their mouths to sieve plankt ...

from the Late Oligocene (early

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 stage ...

)

Kokoamu Greensand The Kokoamu Greensand is a geological formation found in New Zealand. It is a fossil-bearing, late Oligocene, greensand rock unit of the eastern South Island, especially the Waitaki District of North Otago and the southern Canterbury region. Th ...

New Zealand New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...

Taxonomy

''Matapanui'' was originally named ''Matapa'', but that name was already in use for a genus of butterfly, necessitating the name change.Robert W. Boessenecker; R. Ewan Fordyce (2016). "Matapanui, a replacement name for Matapa Boessenecker & Fordyce, 2016". Journal of Systematic Palaeontology. Online edition. doi:10.1080/14772019.2016.1210070.

Paleobiology

Based on the enlarged temporal fossae and enlarged mandibular canal, ''Matapanui'' was probably incapable of lunge-feeding, although it remains unclear whether it could skim-feed or filter prey in the benthic zone. ''Waharoa'' shared its habitat with the odontocetes '' Awamokoa'', '' Austrosqualodon'', ''

Otekaikea ''Otekaikea'' is an extinct genus of toothed whale closely related to ''Waipatia''. It is known from the late Oligocene (Chattian) of New Zealand. Description ''Otekaikea'' is a medium-sized odontocete similar to ''Waipatia'' in the following ...

'', and ''

Waipatia ''Waipatia'' is an extinct genus of odontocetes from the late Oligocene (Chattian) of New Zealand. Taxonomy The type species, ''Waipatia maerewhenua'' is known from a single skull found near 45° South in Otago Otago (, ; ) is a regions ...

'', and the mysticetes '' Horopeta'', '' Mauicetus'', '' Tohoraata'', '' Tokarahia'', ''

Waharoa A waharoa is an entrance gateway to a marae complex in New Zealand. Waharoa may refer to: * ''Waharoa'' (Aotea Square sculpture) (1990), a sculpture by Selwyn Muru in Aotea Square, Auckland * ''Waharoa'' (1990), a sculptural entranceway to the Auc ...

'', and '' Whakakai''.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q28129258 Monotypic prehistoric cetacean genera Oligocene cetaceans Paleogene Oceania Fossils of New Zealand Fossil taxa described in 2016