''Morawanocetus'' is a genus of extinct primitive

baleen whale Baleen whales ( systematic name Mysticeti), also known as whalebone whales, are a parvorder of carnivorous marine mammals of the infraorder Cetacea ( whales, dolphins and porpoises) which use keratinaceous baleen plates (or "whalebone") in th ...

from the

family Family (from la, familia) is a group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its members and of society. Idea ...

Aetiocetidae Aetiocetidae is an extinct family of toothed baleen whales known from the Oligocene. The whales are from the North Pacific Ocean and ranged in size from long. Many of the described specimens were discovered from the Upper Oligocene of the Ja ...

that existed during the

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 ...

stage of the

Oligocene The Oligocene ( ) is a geologic epoch of the Paleogene Period and extends from about 33.9 million to 23 million years before the present ( to ). As with other older geologic periods, the rock beds that define the epoch are well identified but ...

epoch. Its fossils have been found in the

North Pacific The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean (or, depending on definition, to Antarctica) in the south, and is bounded by the continen ...

. ''Morawanocetus'' was named by Barnes ''et al.'' in 1995, who described the species, ''M. yabukii''. Three new species, dating from 17 to 19 million years ago, were unearthed between 2000 and 2005 in a road-widening project in California. These three new specimens of ''Morawanocetus'', a genus thought to have gone extinct some five million years earlier, were discovered next to a fourth specimen, still under preparation, which clearly has archaeocete dentition.. CSUF. Retrieved 11 January 2014. ''Morawanocetus'' was divergent, with wide crania, elaborate cheek, tooth crowns, and short necks. The first fossils of ''Morawanocetus'' were found in the

-aged Morawan Formation of Upper Oligocene

Hokkaido is Japan, Japan's Japanese archipelago, second largest island and comprises the largest and northernmost Prefectures of Japan, prefecture, making up its own List of regions of Japan, region. The Tsugaru Strait separates Hokkaidō from Honshu; th ...

. The more recent findings are the first ''Morawanocetus'' fossils found in California, a genus more commonly known to Japan. ''Morawanocetus'' is a sister taxa to: ''

Aetiocetus ''Aetiocetus'' is a genus of extinct basal mysticete, or baleen whale that lived , in the Oligocene in the North Pacific ocean, around Japan, Mexico, and Oregon, U.S. It was first described by Douglas Emlong in 1966 and currently contains know ...

'', ''

Ashorocetus ''Ashorocetus'' is a monotypic genus of an extinct primitive baleen whale of the family Aetiocetidae. It was named by , and contains one species, ''A. eguchii''. Fossils of this whale are found from the Chattian Morawan formation, near Ashor ...

'', ''

Chonecetus ''Chonecetus'' is an extinct genus of primitive baleen whale of the family Aetiocetidae that lived in the Oligocene period. Its fossils have been found in Canada, in the northeast Pacific. It was first named by L.S. Russell in 1968, and co ...

'', and ''

Willungacetus ''Willungacetus'' is an extinct genus of primitive baleen whale of the family Aetiocetidae known from the Oligocene of Australia (at Port Willunga, , paleocoordinates ). It is the oldest-known whale from Australia, and the only aetiocetid whal ...

''.

References

Notes

Sources

* ** Oligocene mammals of Asia Oligocene mammals of North America Oligocene cetaceans Extinct animals of Japan Aetiocetidae Prehistoric cetacean genera Fossil taxa described in 1995 {{Paleo-whale-stub