PBDB Taxon

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Morphology	Ecology and taphonomy	External Literature Search	Age range and collections

Physeter macrocephalus (sperm whale)

Osteichthyes - Cetacea - Physeteridae

Taxonomy

Physeter macrocephalus was named by Linnaeus (1758). It is extant. Its type locality is Kariston, which is in a Holocene coastal horizon in the United Kingdom.

It was recombined as Catodon macrocephalus by Lacépède (1804), Gray (1846), Gray (1846), Gray (1850), Gray (1864), Gray (1866), Gray (1868), Gray (1871); it was synonymized subjectively with Physeter catodon by Thomas (1911), Hershkovitz (1966), Mead and Brownell (2005).

Synonyms

Catodon australis was named by MacLeay (1851). It is extant.

It was synonymized subjectively with Physeter catodon by Hershkovitz (1966).
Meganeuron krefftii was named by Gray (1866). It is extant.

It was synonymized subjectively with Physeter catodon by Hershkovitz (1966).
Megistosaurus ensiformis was named by Godman (1827) [no type specimen number listed]. It is not a trace fossil.

It was synonymized subjectively with Physeter macrocephalus by Harlan (1828).
Physeter australasianus was named by Desmoulins (1822). It is extant.

It was synonymized subjectively with Physeter catodon by Mead and Brownell (2005).
Physeter australis was named by Gray (1846). It is extant.

It was synonymized subjectively with Physeter catodon by Mead and Brownell (2005).
Catodon colneti was named by Gray (1850). It is extant.

It was synonymized subjectively with Physeter catodon by Hershkovitz (1966).
Physeter polycyphus was named by Quoy and Gaimard (1824). It is extant.

It was recombined as Catodon polycyphus by Gray (1850); it was synonymized subjectively with Physeter catodon by Hershkovitz (1966).
Physeter antiquus was named by Leidy (1853). Its type specimen is ANSP 12076, a set of teeth (portions of three teeth and fragments of two tympanic bones), and it is a 3D body fossil. Its type locality is Ashley River, Pleistocene, which is in a Pleistocene marine horizon in South Carolina.

It was replaced with Catodon vetus by Leidy (1869); it was synonymized subjectively with Physeter vetus by Hay (1902), Rhoads (1903); it was misspelled as Physiter antiquus by Lawley (1876), Paquier (1894), Trouessart (1898); it was synonymized subjectively with Physeter macrocephalus by Hay (1923).
Physeter catodon was named by Linnaeus (1758) [No type specimen designated; see Hershkovitz (1966) for a discussion of the origins of the binomen Physeter catodon.]. It is extant. Its type locality is Kariston, which is in a Holocene coastal horizon in the United Kingdom.

It was synonymized subjectively with Catodon macrocephalus by Gray (1846); it was synonymized subjectively with Physeter macrocephalus by Rice (1998).
Catodon vetus was named by Leidy (1869) [ANSP 11258 may represent these teeth (Spammer et al., 1995)]. Its type specimen is ANSP 11258, a set of teeth, and it is a 3D body fossil.

It was synonymized objectively with Physeter antiquus by Trouessart (1898); it was recombined as Physeter antiquus vetus by Trouessart (1904); it was synonymized subjectively with Physeter macrocephalus by Hay (1923); it was recombined as Physeter vetus by Cope (1875), Hay (1902), Rhoads (1903), Hay (1930).
Balaena macrocephalus was named by Desmoulins (1822) [No type specimen is listed by Desmoulins (1822).]. It is a 3D body fossil. Its type locality is Sos (Pliocene), which is in a Pliocene coastal sandstone in France.

It was synonymized subjectively with Physeter macrocephalus by Gray (1846).
Catodon trumpo was named by Lacépède (1804). It is extant.

It was synonymized subjectively with Physeter catodon by Hershkovitz (1966).
Catodon svineval was named by Lacépède (1804). It is extant.

It was synonymized subjectively with Physeter catodon by Hershkovitz (1966).
Physalus cylindricus was named by Lacépède (1804). It is extant.

It was synonymized subjectively with Physeter catodon by Hershkovitz (1966).
Physeter orthodon was named by Lacépède (1804). It is extant.

It was synonymized subjectively with Physeter catodon by Hershkovitz (1966).
Physeter mular was named by Lacépède (1804). It is extant.

It was synonymized subjectively with Physeter catodon by Hershkovitz (1966).
Physeter tursio was named by Linnaeus (1758). It is extant.

It was synonymized subjectively with Physeter catodon by Thomas (1911), Hershkovitz (1966).

Synonymy list

Year	Name and author
1758	Physeter catodon Linnaeus
1758	Physeter macrocephalus Linnaeus p. 76
1758	Physeter tursio Linnaeus p. 76
1758	Physeter macrocephalus Linnaeus p. 107
1804	Catodon macrocephalus Lacépède p. 165
1804	Catodon trumpo Lacépède p. 212
1804	Catodon svineval Lacépède p. 216
1804	Physalus cylindricus Lacépède p. 219
1804	Physeter orthodon Lacépède p. 236
1804	Physeter mular Lacépède p. 239
1821	Physeter catodon Gray p. 310
1822	Physeter australasianus Desmoulins
1822	Balaena macrocephalus Desmoulins p. 165
1824	Physeter polycyphus Quoy and Gaimard p. 52
1827	Megistosaurus ensiformis Godman p. 566
1829	Physeter macrocephalus Fischer p. 517
1842	Physeter macrocephalus De Kay p. 128
1844	Balaena macrocephalus Boitard p. 444
1846	Physeter australis Gray
1846	Catodon macrocephalus Gray p. 21
1846	Physeter tursio Gray p. 23
1846	Catodon macrocephalus Gray p. 83
1846	Physeter tursio Gray p. 83
1850	Catodon macrocephalus Gray p. 49
1850	Catodon colneti Gray p. 52
1850	Catodon polycyphus Gray p. 52
1850	Physeter tursio Gray p. 56
1851	Catodon australis MacLeay
1852	Physeter macrocephalus Gervais p. 156
1853	Physeter antiquus Leidy p. 378
1859	Physeter macrocephalus Gervais p. 285
1860	Physeter antiquus Holmes p. 117
1860	Physeter antiquus Leidy p. 117
1864	Catodon macrocephalus Gray p. 231
1864	Physeter tursio Gray p. 234
1866	Catodon australis Gray p. 202
1866	Catodon macrocephalus Gray p. 202
1866	Physeter tursio Gray p. 212
1866	Physeter catodon Gray p. 307
1866	Meganeuron krefftii Gray p. 389
1867	Physeter antiquus Cope p. 144
1868	Physeter antiquus Cope p. 739
1868	Catodon macrocephalus Gray p. 3
1868	Meganeuron krefftii Gray p. 3
1868	Physeter tursio Gray p. 3
1868	Physeter catodon Gray p. 9
1869	Catodon vetus Leidy p. 436
1869	Physeter macrocephalus Scammon and Cope p. 32
1871	Catodon macrocephalus Gray p. 59
1871	Meganeuron krefftii Gray p. 59
1871	Physeter tursio Gray p. 60
1873	Balaena macrocephalus Brandt p. 191
1873	Physeter macrocephalus Brandt p. 205
1873	Catodon vetus Brandt p. 289
1873	Physeter macrocephalus Scott p. 111
1875	Physeter vetus Cope p. 50
1876	Physiter antiquus Lawley p. 111
1887	Physeter macrocephalus Lydekker p. 53
1889	Physeter macrocephalus Ameghino p. 887
1890	Physeter macrocephalus Cope p. 606
1891	Physeter macrocephalus Newton p. 65
1894	Physeter antiquus Paquier p. 46
1898	Physeter antiquus Trouessart p. 1055
1898	Balaena macrocephalus Trouessart p. 1092
1902	Physeter macrocephalus Hay p. 595
1902	Physeter vetus Hay p. 595
1903	Physeter vetus Rhoads p. 248
1904	Physeter antiquus vetus Trouessart p. 774
1904	Physeter macrocephalus Trouessart p. 774
1904	Balaena macrocephalus Trouessart p. 787
1911	Physeter catodon Thomas p. 157
1912	Physeter macrocephalus Turner p. 71
1922	Physeter macrocephalus Oliver p. 565
1929	Physeter macrocephalus Dal Piaz p. 79
1930	Physeter catodon Hay p. 599
1930	Physeter vetus Hay p. 599
1952	Physeter catodon Sherman p. 99
1963	Physeter catodon Scheffer and Rice p. 8
1966	Physeter catodon Hershkovitz p. 116
1977	Physeter catodon Barnes p. 323 figs. Table 1
1982	Physeter macrocephalus Fordyce p. 423
1987	Physeter macrocephalus Pilleri p. 53
1991	Physeter macrocephalus Vidal p. 5
1998	Physeter macrocephalus Rice p. 82
2005	Physeter catodon Mead and Brownell p. 737
2008	Physeter catodon Agnarsson and May-Collado p. 981 figs. Fig. 5
2011	Physeter macrocephalus Geisler et al. p. 5 figs. Table 1
2011	Physeter catodon Marx p. 83 figs. Figure 2
2014	Physeter macrocephalus Ormezzano and Lanzetti p. 20
2015	Physeter macrocephalus Velez-Juarbe et al. p. 15 figs. Fig. 10

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Rank	Name	Author
kingdom	Animalia	()
—	Bilateria
—	Eubilateria	Ax 1987
—	Deuterostomia
phylum	Chordata	Haeckel 1874
subphylum	Vertebrata
superclass	Gnathostomata
class	Osteichthyes
subclass	Sarcopterygii	()
subclass	Dipnotetrapodomorpha	(Nelson 2006)
subclass	Tetrapodomorpha	()
—	Tetrapoda
—	Reptiliomorpha
—	Anthracosauria
subclass	Amphibiosauria	Kuhn 1967
—	Cotylosauria	()
—	Amniota
subclass	Synapsida
—	Therapsida	()
infraorder	Cynodontia	()
—	Mammaliamorpha
—	Mammaliaformes

Rank	Name	Author
class	Mammalia
—	Cladotheria
—	Zatheria
subclass	Tribosphenida	()
subclass	Theria
—	Eutheria	()
—	Placentalia
—	Boreoeutheria
—	Laurasiatheria
—	Scrotifera
—	Euungulata
—	Artiodactylamorpha
—	Artiodactyla	()
—	Whippomorpha
order	Cetacea
—	Pelagiceti
—	Neoceti
suborder	Odontoceti
superfamily	Physeteroidea
family	Physeteridae
genus	Physeter
species	macrocephalus

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.

Physeter macrocephalus Linnaeus 1758 [sperm whale]

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Invalid names: Balaena macrocephalus Desmoulins 1822 [synonym], Megistosaurus ensiformis Godman 1827 [synonym], Physeter antiquus Leidy 1853 [synonym], Physeter catodon Linnaeus 1758 [synonym], Physeter vetus Leidy 1869 [synonym]

Diagnosis

No diagnoses are available

Measurements

part	N	mean

Composition:

hydroxyapatitesubo

Form:

roller-shapedo

Ontogeny:

modification of partso

Environment:

oceanicg

Locomotion:

actively mobileg

Life habit:

aquaticg

Depth habitat:

surfaceg

Diet:

carnivoreg

Reproduction:

viviparoussubo

Created:

2015-04-14 16:58:50

Modified:

2015-04-14 16:58:50

Source: g = genus, subo = suborder, o = order

References: Uhen 2004, Hirota and Barnes 1995

Age range: base of the Serravallian to the top of the Holocene or 13.82000 to 0.00000 Ma

Collections (61 total)

Time interval	Ma	Country or state	Original ID and collection number
Serravallian	13.82 - 11.63	France	Physeter antiquus (85338)
Tortonian - Serravallian	11.63 - 11.63	USA (Virginia)	Physeter vetus (105548)
Messinian - Early/Lower Pleistocene	7.246 - 0.774	Netherlands	Physeter macrocephalus (189573)
Zanclean	5.333 - 3.6	South Africa	Physeter macrocephalus (100313)
Zanclean	5.333 - 3.6	USA (North Carolina)	Physeter catodon (52582)
Pliocene	5.333 - 2.58	France (Aquitaine Region)	Balaena macrocephalus (240188)
Piacenzian	3.6 - 2.58	Italy (Tuscany)	Physeter macrocephalus (48652)
Pleistocene	2.58 - 0.0117	USA (South Carolina)	Physeter antiquus (79950)
Middle Pleistocene	0.774 - 0.129	United Kingdom (England)	Physeter macrocephalus (58421)
Late/Upper Pleistocene	0.129 - 0.0117	France	Physeter macrocephalus (86273)
Late/Upper Pleistocene	0.129 - 0.0117	Spain (Santander)	Physeter catodon (125320)
Holocene	0.0117 - 0.0	Portugal	Physeter macrocephalus (168251 240769)
Holocene	0.0117 - 0.0	Svalbard and Jan Mayen	Physeter macrocephalus (168262)
Holocene	0.0117 - 0.0	Brazil	Physeter macrocephalus (168253)
Holocene	0.0117 - 0.0	Italy	Physeter macrocephalus (168259 196903)
Holocene	0.0117 - 0.0	Italy (Sardinia)	Physeter macrocephalus (224272)
Holocene	0.0117 - 0.0	Norway	Physeter macrocephalus (237891)
Holocene	0.0117 - 0.0	Japan	Physeter macrocephalus (82088 168258)
Holocene	0.0117 - 0.0	Portugal (Santarém)	Physeter macrocephalus (276408)
Holocene	0.0117 - 0.0	Antarctica	Physeter macrocephalus (168263)
Holocene	0.0117 - 0.0	USA (California)	Physeter macrocephalus (168255)
Holocene	0.0117 - 0.0	Portugal (Lisbon)	Physeter macrocephalus (276298 276299)
Holocene	0.0117 - 0.0	USA (North Carolina)	Physeter macrocephalus (168254)
Holocene	0.0117 - 0.0	Morocco	Physeter macrocephalus (79917)
Holocene	0.0117 - 0.0	India	Physeter macrocephalus (168261)
Holocene	0.0117 - 0.0	Mexico (Baja California)	Physeter catodon (201786)
Holocene	0.0117 - 0.0	New Caledonia (Loyalty Islands)	Physeter macrocephalus (83487)
Holocene	0.0117 - 0.0	United Kingdom (Scotland)	Physeter macrocephalus (type locality: 86904 238962)
Holocene	0.0117 - 0.0	Denmark	Physeter macrocephalus (159716 159719)
Holocene	0.0117 - 0.0	Portugal (Setúbal District)	Physeter macrocephalus (276296)
Holocene	0.0117 - 0.0	Italy (Sicily)	Physeter macrocephalus (175523)
Holocene	0.0117 - 0.0	Spain	Physeter macrocephalus (240765)
Holocene	0.0117 - 0.0	New Zealand	Physeter macrocephalus (168257)
Holocene	0.0117 - 0.0	Greenland (Qeqertasussuk)	Physeter macrocephalus (187755)
Holocene	0.0117 - 0.0	New Caledonia	Physeter macrocephalus (83457 83483 83484 83485 83486 83488 83489 83490 83491 83492 83493 83494 83495 83496 83497 83498 83499)
Holocene	0.0117 - 0.0	Peru	Physeter macrocephalus (168256)
Holocene	0.0117 - 0.0	Somalia	Physeter macrocephalus (168260)
Holocene	0.0117 - 0.0	Angola	Physeter macrocephalus (168252)
Holocene	0.0117 - 0.0	Portugal (Viana do Castelo)	Physeter macrocephalus (276297)