Aulophyseter
Encyclopedia
Aulophyseter is an extinct genus of sperm whale
from the Miocene
formations of the West and East coasts of North America
as well as the Patagonian region of South America
. It is a possible synonym
of some fossils assigned to Orycterocetus
.
Sperm Whale
The sperm whale, Physeter macrocephalus, is a marine mammal species, order Cetacea, a toothed whale having the largest brain of any animal. The name comes from the milky-white waxy substance, spermaceti, found in the animal's head. The sperm whale is the only living member of genus Physeter...
from the Miocene
Miocene
The Miocene is a geological epoch of the Neogene Period and extends from about . The Miocene was named by Sir Charles Lyell. Its name comes from the Greek words and and means "less recent" because it has 18% fewer modern sea invertebrates than the Pliocene. The Miocene follows the Oligocene...
formations of the West and East coasts of North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
as well as the Patagonian region of South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
. It is a possible synonym
Synonym
Synonyms are different words with almost identical or similar meanings. Words that are synonyms are said to be synonymous, and the state of being a synonym is called synonymy. The word comes from Ancient Greek syn and onoma . The words car and automobile are synonyms...
of some fossils assigned to Orycterocetus
Orycterocetus
Orycterocetus is an extinct genus of sperm whale from the Miocene.-Sources:* Cenozoic Seas: The View From Eastern North America by Edward J. Petuch* Marine Mammals: Evolutionary Biology by Annalisa Berta and James L. Sumich...
.
Related species
- OrycterocetusOrycterocetusOrycterocetus is an extinct genus of sperm whale from the Miocene.-Sources:* Cenozoic Seas: The View From Eastern North America by Edward J. Petuch* Marine Mammals: Evolutionary Biology by Annalisa Berta and James L. Sumich...
- AcrophyseterAcrophyseterAcrophyseter is a genus of stem-sperm whales that lived around 6 million years ago.-Description:Acrophyseter is derived from the Greek akros, meaning acute, which describes the short, pointed upturned snout, and Physeter, the scientific name for sperm whales. But unlike today's sperm whales, A...
- ZygophyseterZygophyseterZygophyseter varolai is an extinct cetacean, similar to the sperm whale. The common name of "killer sperm whale" refers both to its relation to modern day sperm whales, and to its similarity in size to and its "probable similar feeding adaptation to the extant delphinid killer whale ".The...
- BrygmophyseterBrygmophyseterBrygmophyseter is an extinct genus of toothed whale in the sperm whale family with one species Brygmophyseter shigensis. When first described, this species was placed in an extinct form genus Scaldicetus of toothed whale, as Scaldicetus shigensis)...
- Livyatan melvilleiLivyatan melvilleiLivyatan melvillei is an extinct species of physeteroid whale, which lived during the Miocene epoch, approximately 12-13 million years ago.- Discovery :...