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Protoglobicephala

Mammalia - Cetacea - Delphinidae

Synonymy list
YearName and author
2009Protoglobicephala Aguirre-Fernández et al. p. 251 figs. Figures 2B, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, Table 3
2014Protoglobicephala Murakami et al. p. 492 figs. Table 1
2016Protoglobicephala Marx et al. p. 141
2017Protoglobicephala Berta p. 164

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RankNameAuthor
kingdomAnimalia()
Bilateria
EubilateriaAx 1987
Deuterostomia
phylumChordataHaeckel 1874
subphylumVertebrata
superclassGnathostomata
Osteichthyes()
subclassSarcopterygii()
subclassDipnotetrapodomorpha(Nelson 2006)
subclassTetrapodomorpha()
Tetrapoda
Reptiliomorpha
Anthracosauria
subclassAmphibiosauriaKuhn 1967
Cotylosauria()
Amniota
subclassSynapsida
Therapsida()
infraorderCynodontia()
Mammaliamorpha
Mammaliaformes
classMammalia
Theriamorpha(Rowe 1993)
RankNameAuthor
Theriiformes()
Trechnotheria
Cladotheria
Zatheria
subclassTribosphenida()
subclassTheria
Eutheria()
Placentalia
Boreoeutheria
Laurasiatheria
Scrotifera
Euungulata
Artiodactylamorpha
Artiodactyla()
Whippomorpha
orderCetacea
Pelagiceti
Neoceti
suborderOdontoceti
infraorderDelphinida
superfamilyDelphinoidea
familyDelphinidae
subfamilyGlobicephalinae()
genusProtoglobicephala

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. †Protoglobicephala Aguirre-Fernández et al. 2009
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Protoglobicephala mexicana Aguirre-Fernández et al. 2009
Diagnosis
ReferenceDiagnosis
G. Aguirre-Fernández et al. 2009Medium sized odontocete cetacean with relatively short and broad rostrum, 10 teeth in each maxilla; referred to superfamily Delphinoidea because nasal bones are short and blocky and do not overhang nares, lateral lamina of pterygoid does not form a complete bony wall within orbital area, vomer is exposed in anterior part of palate, premaxillae have reduced palatal exposure anterior to palatal exposure of vomer, petrosal has short posterior process, tympanic bulla lacks anterior process, and teeth are homodont; referred to family Delphinidae because nasal bones are convex and form highest part of cranial vertex, posterior end of left premaxilla is significantly narrower and shorter than right premaxilla, posterior end of left premaxilla has reduced contact with anterolateral corner of left nasal, no premaxillary eminence is present anterior to nares; referred to subfamily Globicephalinae because rostrum is relatively broad, premaxillae are wide and occupy major part of dorsal surface of rostrum, antorbital process is large and rounded in dorsal view, tooth numbers are reduced; differing from all other genera of Globicephalinae by having proportionally longer rostrum, greater medial extension of posterior ends of right maxilla and premaxilla, and proportionally larger premaxillary sac fossae; resembling Globicephala by having wider dorsal surfaces of premaxillae on rostrum than maxillae, rugosities present on dorsal surface of anterior part of premaxilla, and facial surface of cranium extended posteriorly so that occipital shield is nearly vertical and not extensively visible in dorsal view; and differing from Globicephala by being smaller, having proportionally narrower cranium and longer and narrower rostrum, narrower dorsal exposures of premaxillae on rostrum, more convex dorsal surface of rostrum in anterior part, proportionally larger premaxillary sac fossae, greater medial expansion of posterior end of right premaxilla toward cranial vertex, more teeth, and teeth of smaller diameter. Near their anterior ends, the dorsal surfaces of the premaxillae are arched prominently, and they are elevated along their medial margins adjoining the mesorostral gutter. These features are both autapomorphies of this genus.