Whakakai Tsai and Fordyce 2016 (whale)

Mammalia - Cetacea

Full reference: C. H. Tsai and R. E. Fordyce. 2016. Archaic baleen whale from the Kokoamu Greensand: earbones distinguish a new late Oligocene mysticete (Cetacea: Mysticeti) from New Zealand. Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand 46(2):117-138

Parent taxon: Mysticeti according to J. H. Robinson et al. 2024

See also Berta 2017 and Tsai and Fordyce 2016

Sister taxa: Aetiocetidae, Aetiocetoidea, Amphitera, Aulocetus calaritanus, Aulocetus lovisati, Balaena cortesii, Balaena simpsoni, Borealodon, Burtinopsis, Cetotheriomorphus, Chaeomysticeti, Coronodonidae, Crenaticeti, Eschrichtioidea, Eschrichtius expansus, Eschrichtius leptocentrus, Eschrichtius pusillus, Horopeta, Kinetomenta, Llanocetidae, Maiabalaena, Mammalodontidae, Mauicetus brevicollis, Mesoteras, Mesoteras kerrianus, Metasqualodon, Mioceta, Mystacodontidae, Plesiocetus, Probalaena, Pterobalaenidae, Rhegnopsis, Siphonocetus, Squalodon serratus, Toipahautea, Tretulias, Tretulias buccatus, Ulias

Subtaxa: Whakakai waipata

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Ecology: aquatic carnivore-suspension feeder

Distribution: found only at The Earthquakes (Kokoamu Greensand) (Oligocene of New Zealand)

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