Dawn of the Delphinidans: New Remains of Kentriodon from the Lower Miocene of Italy Shed Light on the Early Radiation of the Most Diverse Extant Cetacean Clade.

ABSTRACT: Nowadays, the infraorder Delphinida (oceanic dolphins and kin) represents the most diverse extant clade of Cetacea, with delphinids alone accounting for more than 40% of the total number of living cetacean species. As for other cetacean groups, the Early Miocene represents a key interval for the evolutionary history of Delphinida, as it was during this time span that the delphinidans became broadly distributed worldwide, first and foremost with the widespread genus Kentriodon and closely related forms. Here, we report on a new odontocete find from Burdigalian (20.4-19.0 Ma) deposits of the Friulian-Venetian Basin of northeastern Italy, consisting of the partial cranium of a small delphinidan with associated ear bones (right periotic, stapes, malleus and tympanic bulla). Osteoanatomi

SUBMITTER: Nobile F 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10887126 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature