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Olympicetus
Taxonomy
Olympicetus was named by Vélez-Juarbe (2017). Its type is Olympicetus avitus.
It was assigned to Odontoceti by Vélez-Juarbe (2017); and to Simocetidae by Velez-Juarbe (2023).
It was assigned to Odontoceti by Vélez-Juarbe (2017); and to Simocetidae by Velez-Juarbe (2023).
Species
O. avitus (type species), O. thalassodon
Synonymy list
| Year | Name and author |
|---|---|
| 2017 | Olympicetus Vélez-Juarbe p. 2 |
| 2023 | Olympicetus Velez-Juarbe |
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If no rank is listed, the taxon is considered an unranked clade in modern classifications. Ranks may be repeated or presented in the wrong order because authors working on different parts of the classification may disagree about how to rank taxa.
G. †Olympicetus Vélez-Juarbe 2017
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†Olympicetus avitus Vélez-Juarbe 2017
†Olympicetus thalassodon Velez-Juarbe 2023
Diagnosis
| Reference | Diagnosis | |
|---|---|---|
| J. Vélez-Juarbe 2017 | Small-bodied odontocete with bizy- gomatic width between 145 and 180 mm, symmetric skull, and heterodont dentition. Among other stem odontocetes, it is characterized by the following combination of plesio- morphic and derived characters: rostrum fairly wide at base (c. 7[1]; shared with Ashleycetus planicapitis, Simocetus rayi, and Agorophius pygmaeus [Mu€ller, 1849]); posterior wall of the antorbital notch formed by the maxilla (c.15[0]); a con- cave posterior end of the palatal surface (c. 18[0]; shared with Xenorophidae and Waipatia maerewhenua (Fordyce, 1994); posterior buccal teeth closely spaced (c. 25[0]; shared
with A. planicapitis and Ag. pygmaeus); ecto- and entocingu- lum present in buccal teeth (c. 31[1], 32[0]; shared with Xenorophus sloani Kellogg, 1923, Cotylocara macei Geisler et al., 2014, and Echovenator sandersi Churchill et al., 2016); orbit positioned relatively low (c. 47[2]; shared with A. planicapitis, Mirocetus riabinini, Xenorophus spp., and Albertocetus meffordorum Uhen, 2008); anterior edge of supraorbital process oriented anteromedially (c. 49[0]; shared with S. rayi); lacrimal restricted below supraorbital process of frontal (c. 51[0]; shared with A. planicapitis, S. rayi, and Patriocetus kazakhstanicus Dubrovo and Sanders, 2000); dor- solateral edge of internal opening of infraorbital foramen formed by maxilla and lacrimal (c. 57[1]); presence of a small maxillary infraorbital plate (c. 59[1]; shared with Archae- odelphis patrius Allen, 1921); presence of a postorbital ridge (c. 62[0]; shared with Xenorophidae and Ag. pygmaeus); long posterolateral sulcus (c. 72[2]; shared with A. planicapitis and S. rayi); posterior-most extension of premaxilla reaching only to the level of the anterior half of the supraorbital process (c. 74[1]; shared with Ar. patrius); absence of maxillary fora- men ( D posterior dorsal infraorbital foramen) (c. 75[0]; shared with Ar. patrius and Xenorophus sloani); maxilla only partially covering the supraorbital processes (c. 76[1]; shared with A. planicapitis, Ar. patrius, and S. rayi); maxilla reaching only to the level of the posterior half of the supraorbital pro- cesses (c. 77[1]; shared with A. planicapitis, Ar. patrius, and Ag. pymaeus); nasals reaching posteriorly to the level of the anterior half of the supraorbital processes (c. 122[0]; shared with A. planicapitis); frontals lower than nasals (c. 124[0]; shared with C. macei and S. rayi); frontals posterior to nasals wider than nasals (c. 125[0]; shared with A. planicapitis, Al. meffordorum, and E. sandersi); supraoccipitals at the same level as the frontals/nasals (c. 128[1]; shared with S. rayi); supraoccipital reaching anteriorly only to a level posterior to the anterior edge of the floor of the squamosal fossa (c. 139 [0]; shared with Xenorophidae); postglenoid process tapering ventrally (c. 151[0]; shared with Xenorophidae); having rela- tively thin palatines in the floor of the posterior part of the nasal cavity (c. 158[0]; shared with Xenorophidae and S. rayi); and absence of tympanosquamosal recess and presence of fossa for sigmoid process of tympanic (c. 178[1]; shared with Xenorophidae). It differs further from most other stem odontocetes, except Ar. patrius, by having broad dorsal expo- sure of parietals; a prominent intertemporal constriction formed by elongated, rounded parietals; absence of a sagittal crest; lack of roofing of the temporal fossa; and concave pos- terior border of the supraorbital process. | |
| J. Velez-Juarbe 2023 | Small odontocetes, with bizygomatic width ranging from 145–220 mm (c.335[0,1]), with symmetric skulls and heterodont dentition, resembling Simocetus rayi (Fordyce, 2002). Differs from Simocetus, other simocetids, and other stem odontocetes by the following combination of characters: having a concave posterior end of the palatal surface of the rostrum (c.19[0]; shared with Xenorophidae); posterior buccal teeth closely spaced (c.26[0]; shared with Ashleycetus planicapitis, Patriocetus kazakhstanicus, Agorophius pygmaeus and Ankylorhiza tiedemani), differing from the widely-spaced teeth of S. rayi;
buccal teeth with ecto- and entocingula (c.32[1], 33[0]; shared with Xenorophus sloani Kellogg, 1923a, Echovenator sandersi, Cotylocara macei and P. kazakhstanicus), and unlike S. rayi where these features are absent; lacrimal and jugal separated (c.54[0]; shared with CCNHM 1000, Xenorophidae, P. kazakhstanicus, Ag. pygmaeus and An. tiedemani); presence of a short maxillary infraorbital plate (c.60[1]; shared with CCNHM 1000 and Archaeodelphis patrius; = infraorbital process sensu Mead & Fordyce, 2009); infratemporal crest of the frontal forming a well-defined ridge along the posterior edge of the sulcus for the optic nerve (c.63[0]; shared with Xenorophidae); posteriormost end of the nasal process of the premaxilla in line with the anterior half of the supraorbital process of the frontal (c.75[2]), differing from the longer process of S. rayi; posteriormost end of the ascending process of the maxilla in line with the posterior half of the supraorbital process of the frontal (c.78[2]; shared with Ashleycetus planicapitis and Archaeodelphis patrius); lack of a premaxillary cleft (c.110[0]; present in S. rayi); anteriormost point of the supraoccipital in line with the floor of the squamosal fossa (c.140[0]), differing from the more anterior position in S. rayi; having a relatively shallow squamosal fossa (c.147[1]; shared with Ar. patrius and P. kazakhstanicus), thus differing from the deeper fossae of Simocetus rayi and Simocetidae gen. et sp. A; involucrum of the tympanic bulla lacking a transverse groove (c.272[1]; shared with C. macei); dorsal process of atlas larger than ventral process (c.278[2]); presence of three mesial and three to four distal denticles on main upper molars (c.328[3], 329[3,4]); and, presence of four distal denticles on main lower molars (c.331[4]). Potential autapomorphies of this clade include: absence of a posterior dorsal infraorbital foramen ( = maxillary foramen; c.76[0]), differing from S. rayi which has two foramina on each side located medial to the orbit; presence of a transverse cleft on the apex of the zygomatic process of the squamosal (c.337[1]); arched palate, and, saddle-like profile of the skull roof (when viewed laterally). |