Aulophyseter
In-game article clicks load inline without leaving the challenge.
Aulophyseter is an extinct genus of sperm whales from the subfamily Physeterinae that existed during the Miocene.
History of discovery
Fossils of Aulophyseter have been found in:
- Oidawara Formation, Japan
- United States Temblor Formation, California St. Marys Formation, Maryland
Description
Aulophyseter is estimated to have been 6.4 metres (21ft) long, and weighed approximately 1,100 kilograms (2,400lb).
Paleobiology
Aulophyseter's small teeth lack enamel, which suggests that its feeding habits were more similar to those of modern sperm whales than to other early sperm whales. The diet of Aulophyseter was largely limited to cephalopods and fish.
See also
- Colbert's Evolution of the Vertebrates: A History of the Backboned Animals Through Time by Edwin H. Colbert, Michael Morales, and Eli C. Minkoff Pg.396.
- Sperm Whales: Social Evolution in the Ocean by Hal Whitehead
- Encyclopedia of Marine Mammals by William F. Perrin, Bernd Wursig, and J. G.M. Thewissen