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Dhedacetus hyaeni

Osteichthyes - Cetacea - Protocetidae

Taxonomy
Dhedacetus hyaeni was named by Bajpai and Thewissen (2014). Its type specimen is IITR-SB 2870, a partial skeleton (partial skull and skeleton), and it is a 3D body fossil. Its type locality is Dhedidi East, which is in a Lutetian marine horizon in the Harudi Formation of India. It is the type species of Dhedacetus.

Synonymy list
YearName and author
2014Dhedacetus hyaeni Bajpai and Thewissen p. 10

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RankNameAuthor
kingdomAnimalia()
Bilateria
EubilateriaAx 1987
Deuterostomia
phylumChordataHaeckel 1874
subphylumVertebrata
superclassGnathostomata
classOsteichthyes
subclassSarcopterygii()
subclassDipnotetrapodomorpha(Nelson 2006)
subclassTetrapodomorpha()
Tetrapoda
Reptiliomorpha
Anthracosauria
subclassAmphibiosauriaKuhn 1967
Cotylosauria()
Amniota
subclassSynapsida
Therapsida()
infraorderCynodontia()
RankNameAuthor
Mammaliamorpha
Mammaliaformes
classMammalia
Cladotheria
Zatheria
subclassTribosphenida()
subclassTheria
Eutheria()
Placentalia
Boreoeutheria
Laurasiatheria
Scrotifera
Euungulata
Artiodactylamorpha
Artiodactyla()
Whippomorpha
orderCetacea
familyProtocetidae
genusDhedacetus
specieshyaeni

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.

Dhedacetus hyaeni Bajpai and Thewissen 2014
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Diagnosis
ReferenceDiagnosis
S. Bajpai and J. G. M. Thewissen 2014Dhedacetus is a medium-sized protocetid, with premolars and molars similar in size to the larger protocetids described before from the Indian continent (namely Babiacetus, Rodhocetus, Maiacetus). As in Kharodacetus, Dhedacetus has a long, relatively broad snout (snout is narrower in Gaviacetus and Makaracetus, broader in Takracetus). In Dhedacetus, the orbit is high above the palate (unlike Indocetus and Babiacetus), the premolars are large (unlike Rodhocetus, Qaisracetus, Makaracetus, and Gaviacetus) and gracile (unlike Kharodacetus). The molars have a large protocone (unlike Babiacetus) and metacone (unlike Maiacetus). Kharodacetus is similar to all other protocetids and differs from pakicetids, ambulocetids and remingtonocetids by having a flat supraorbital shield with large orbits. It differs from basilosaurids in retaining M3.