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Ontocetus
Taxonomy
Ontocetus was named by Leidy (1859) [Sepkoski's age data: T Mi-m T Mi-u]. Its type is Ontocetus emmonsi.
It was synonymized subjectively with Hoplocetus by Trouessart (1898); it was considered a nomen dubium by Fordyce and de Muizon (2001).
It was assigned to Catodontidae by Cope (1867); to Sirenia by Cope (1875); to Physeterinae by Hay (1902) and Simpson (1945); to Physeteridae by Gill (1871), Palmer (1904), Kellogg (1928), Barnes (1977) and Carroll (1988); to Cetacea by Sepkoski (2002); to Odobeninae by Kohno (2006), Boessenecker and Churchill (2013), Berta (2017) and Berta et al. (2018); to Odobenidae by Ray (1975), Uhen et al. (2008), Werdelin and Peigne (2010), Berta (2018) and Albright et al. (2019); and to Odobenini by Kohno and Ray (2008), Magallanes et al. (2018), Boessenecker et al. (2018), Biewer et al. (2020) and Boisville et al. (2024).
It was synonymized subjectively with Hoplocetus by Trouessart (1898); it was considered a nomen dubium by Fordyce and de Muizon (2001).
It was assigned to Catodontidae by Cope (1867); to Sirenia by Cope (1875); to Physeterinae by Hay (1902) and Simpson (1945); to Physeteridae by Gill (1871), Palmer (1904), Kellogg (1928), Barnes (1977) and Carroll (1988); to Cetacea by Sepkoski (2002); to Odobeninae by Kohno (2006), Boessenecker and Churchill (2013), Berta (2017) and Berta et al. (2018); to Odobenidae by Ray (1975), Uhen et al. (2008), Werdelin and Peigne (2010), Berta (2018) and Albright et al. (2019); and to Odobenini by Kohno and Ray (2008), Magallanes et al. (2018), Boessenecker et al. (2018), Biewer et al. (2020) and Boisville et al. (2024).
Synonyms
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Synonymy list
| Year | Name and author |
|---|---|
| 1859 | Ontocetus Leidy p. 162 |
| 1865 | Trichecodon Lankester p. 226 figs. Plates X-XI |
| 1867 | Ontocetus Cope p. 144 |
| 1867 | Alachtherium Du Bus p. 566 |
| 1871 | Ontocetus Gill p. 126 |
| 1871 | Trichecodon koninckii Van Beneden p. 12 |
| 1874 | Trichecodon koninckii Vanden Broeck p. 199 |
| 1875 | Ontocetus Cope p. 51 |
| 1877 | Trichecodon koninckii Van Beneden |
| 1885 | Trichechodon Lydekker p. 200 |
| 1885 | Trichechodon konincki Lydekker p. 200 |
| 1898 | Trichechus koninckii Trouessart p. 376 |
| 1902 | Ontocetus Hay p. 596 |
| 1904 | Alachtherium Palmer p. 87 |
| 1904 | Ontocetus Palmer p. 475 |
| 1904 | Trichecodon Palmer p. 688 |
| 1904 | Trichechus konincki Trouessart p. 282 |
| 1906 | Prorosmarus Berry and Gregory p. 444 figs. Fig. 1-2, 4a |
| 1909 | Trichechodon konincki Dollo p. 117 |
| 1922 | Alachtherium Kellogg p. 101 |
| 1922 | Prorosmarus Kellogg p. 101 |
| 1922 | Trichecodon Kellogg p. 102 |
| 1928 | Ontocetus Kellogg p. 34 figs. Table 1 |
| 1930 | Prorosmarus Hay p. 559 |
| 1945 | Ontocetus Simpson p. 102 |
| 1968 | Alachtherium Mitchell p. 1897 |
| 1968 | Prorosmarus Mitchell p. 1897 |
| 1968 | Trichecodon Mitchell p. 1897 |
| 1975 | Ontocetus Ray |
| 1977 | Ontocetus Barnes p. 328 |
| 1977 | Alachtherium Repenning and Tedford p. 12 |
| 1977 | Prorosmarus Repenning and Tedford p. 12 |
| 1988 | Alachtherium Carroll |
| 1988 | Ontocetus Carroll |
| 1988 | Prorosmarus Carroll |
| 1989 | Alachtherium Barnes p. 23 |
| 1989 | Prorosmarus Barnes p. 23 |
| 1989 | Trichecodon Barnes p. 23 |
| 1994 | Alachtherium Deméré p. 118 |
| 1994 | Prorosmarus Deméré p. 119 |
| 1994 | Odobenus koninckii Deméré p. 121 |
| 1994 | Trichecodon Morgan |
| 1995 | Alachtherium Horikawa p. 311 |
| 1995 | Prorosmarus Horikawa p. 311 |
| 1995 | Trichechodon Horikawa p. 322 figs. Table 4 |
| 1997 | Alachtherium Geraads p. 155 |
| 1997 | Alachtherium McKenna and Bell p. 256 |
| 1997 | Prorosmarus McKenna and Bell p. 256 |
| 1997 | Trichecodon McKenna and Bell p. 256 |
| 2002 | Alachtherium Berta p. 923 |
| 2002 | Alachtherium Sepkoski |
| 2002 | Ontocetus Sepkoski |
| 2002 | Prorosmarus Sepkoski |
| 2002 | Trichechodon Sepkoski |
| 2003 | Alachtherium Deméré et al. p. 49 figs. Fig. 3.3 |
| 2003 | Odobenus koninckii Deméré et al. p. 49 figs. Fig. 3.3 |
| 2003 | Prorosmarus Deméré et al. p. 49 figs. Fig. 3.3 |
| 2006 | Ontocetus Kohno p. 418 |
| 2008 | Prorosmarus Barnes p. 535 |
| 2008 | Trichecodon Barnes p. 536 |
| 2008 | Ontocetus Kohno and Ray p. 44 |
| 2008 | Ontocetus Uhen et al. p. 576 |
| 2009 | Alachtherium Berta p. 863 |
| 2010 | Ontocetus Werdelin and Peigne p. 647 |
| 2013 | Ontocetus Boessenecker and Churchill p. 10 fig. 8 |
| 2017 | Ontocetus Berta p. 156 |
| 2018 | Ontocetus Berta p. 714 figs. Fig. 3 |
| 2018 | Ontocetus Berta et al. p. 217 figs. Fig. 6 |
| 2018 | Ontocetus Boessenecker et al. p. 282 |
| 2018 | Ontocetus Magallanes et al. p. 30 figs. Fig. 14 |
| 2019 | Ontocetus Albright et al. p. 177 |
| 2020 | Ontocetus Biewer et al. figs. Figure 2 |
| 2024 | Ontocetus Boisville et al. |
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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. †Ontocetus Leidy 1859
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†Ontocetus emmonsi Leidy 1859
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Invalid names: Alachtherium africanum Geraads 1997 [synonym], Alachtherium antverpiensis Rutten 1907 [synonym], Alachtherium cretsii Du Bus 1867 [synonym], Prorosmarus alleni Berry and Gregory 1906 [synonym], Trichecodon huxleyi Lankester 1865 [synonym]
†Ontocetus posti Boisville et al. 2024
Invalid names: Alachtherium Du Bus 1867 [synonym], Prorosmarus Berry and Gregory 1906 [synonym], Trichecodon Lankester 1865 [synonym], Trichecodon koninckii Van Beneden 1871 [nomen dubium]
Diagnosis
| Reference | Diagnosis | |
|---|---|---|
| M. Boisville et al. 2024 | A genus of the subfamily Odobeninae distinguished from other genera by having tusk-like canine with thin cementum and orthodentine layers and trefoiled incisive foramina; distinguished from Aivukus and Protodobenus by having tusk-like upper canine with well-defined core of globular osteodentine; distinguished from Valenictus and Odobenus by retention of the tusk-like upper canine with strong curvature, taper, lateral compression, and longitudinal surface fluting; two upper incisors not in line with the cheek teeth; two well developed lower incisors; distinguished from Odobenus by having a slanted and elevated anterior margin of the horizontal ramus; a short distance between the dorsal margin of the horizontal ramus and coronoid process; a lower canine at least 20% larger than cheektooth row; the presence of p1 within lower postcanine toothrow; and a high and posterolaterally projected coronoid process. |
Measurements
No measurements are available
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| Source: f = family, c = class, uc = unranked clade | |||||
| References: Kohno et al. 1995, Hendy et al. 2009, Carreño and Cronin 1993 | |||||
Age range: base of the Serravallian to the top of the Rancholabrean or 13.82000 to 0.01200 Ma
Collections (71 total)
| Time interval | Ma | Country or state | Original ID and collection number |
|---|---|---|---|
| Miocene - Pliocene | Netherlands | Alachtherium sp., Trichechus huxleyi (53929) | |
| Neogene | USA (Georgia) | O. emmonsi (77597) | |
| Neogene | USA (Florida) | O. emmonsi (77598 77599) | |
| Serravallian | Netherlands | Alachterium cretsii (75152) | |
| Tortonian | Belgium (Antwerpen) | Alachterium cretsii, Trichecodon koninckii (66960) | |
| Late/Upper Miocene | Netherlands | Alachtherium sp. (74896) | |
| Late/Upper Hemphillian | USA (Florida) | O. emmonsi (60036) Trichecodon huxleyi (18532 18595) | |
| Late/Upper Hemphillian - Zanclean | USA (Florida) | Trichecodon huxleyi (18535) | |
| Messinian - Early/Lower Pleistocene | Netherlands | O. emmonsi (189573) | |
| Early/Lower Pliocene | USA (Virginia) | O. emmonsi (57908) | |
| Early/Lower Pliocene | Japan (Nagano) | Alachtherium sp. (156221) | |
| Zanclean | USA (Florida) | O. emmonsi (45474) Trichecodon huxleyi (154720) | |
| Zanclean | USA (North Carolina) | O. emmonsi (49982 51591 52582 77580 77581 77582 77583 77584 77585 77586) | |
| Zanclean | USA (South Carolina) | O. emmonsi (77594) | |
| Zanclean | USA (Virginia) | O. emmonsi (77577 77578 77579) | |
| Pliocene | Belgium (Antwerpen) | Alachtherium cretsii (67029) Trichecodon koninckii, Alachtherium cretsii (67028) | |
| Pliocene | USA (South Carolina) | O. emmonsi (77593 77595) | |
| Pliocene | USA (North Carolina) | O. emmonsi (49983) | |
| Pliocene | Belgium | Alachtherium antwerpiensis (116315) | |
| Zanclean - Piacenzian | USA (Virginia) | Prorosmarus alleni (59155) | |
| Zanclean - Piacenzian | Belgium (Zedelgem) | Trichecodon koninckii (67027) | |
| Zanclean - Piacenzian | Netherlands (Noord-Brabant) | Alachtherium cretsii (59003) | |
| Pliocene - Pleistocene | Netherlands | Alachtherium sp. (87377) | |
| Pliocene - Pleistocene | USA (Georgia) | O. emmonsi (51589) | |
| Blancan | USA (Florida) | O. emmonsi (19753) | |
| Late/Upper Pliocene | Netherlands | Odobenus antverpiensis (116344) | |
| Late/Upper Pliocene | Morocco | Alachtherium africanum (32052 32054) | |
| Piacenzian | United Kingdom (England) | Odobenus huxleyi (77745) | |
| Piacenzian (interglacial) | USA (Florida) | O. emmonsi (77601) | |
| Piacenzian | USA (South Carolina) | O. emmonsi (77591) | |
| Piacenzian | Belgium (Antwerpen) | Trichechus antverpiensis, Alachtherium cretsii, Alachtherium antwerpiensis (66958) | |
| Piacenzian | USA (Florida) | O. emmonsi (32039 77600 77602 77604) | |
| Gelasian | United Kingdom (England) | Odobenus huxleyi (77746) O. emmonsi (77632) Trichecodon huxleyi (48093) | |
| Early/Lower Pleistocene | Netherlands | O. emmonsi (189574) | |
| Early/Lower Pleistocene | United Kingdom (England) | Trichechus huxleyi (77750) | |
| Pleistocene | USA (Georgia) | O. emmonsi (77596) | |
| Pleistocene | USA (South Carolina) | O. emmonsi (77588 206994) | |
| Pleistocene | United Kingdom (England) | O. posti (236024) | |
| Pleistocene | Netherlands | Alachtherium sp. (65174) Odobenus huxleyi (77659) O. posti (236025) | |
| Calabrian | Belgium (Knokke-Heist) | Trichechus antverpiensis (59164) | |
| Irvingtonian | USA (Florida) | O. emmonsi (20482) | |
| Middle Pleistocene | United Kingdom (England) | Trichechus huxleyi (58421) | |
| Middle Pleistocene | Netherlands | Hippopotamus major (109704) | |
| Rancholabrean | USA (South Carolina) | O. emmonsi (206985) | |
| Late/Upper Pleistocene | USA (South Carolina) | O. emmonsi (188304) |