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Fragilicetus
Taxonomy
Fragilicetus was named by Bisconti and Bosselaers (2016). Its type is Fragilicetus velponi.
It was assigned to Balaenopteridae by Bisconti and Bosselaers (2016), Berta (2017), Govender (2019) and Govender and Marx (2023).
It was assigned to Balaenopteridae by Bisconti and Bosselaers (2016), Berta (2017), Govender (2019) and Govender and Marx (2023).
Species
F. velponi (type species)
Synonymy list
| Year | Name and author |
|---|---|
| 2016 | Fragilicetus Bisconti and Bosselaers p. 451 |
| 2017 | Fragilicetus Berta p. 168 |
| 2019 | Fragilicetus Govender p. 10 |
| 2023 | Fragilicetus Govender and Marx p. 6 |
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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. †Fragilicetus Bisconti and Bosselaers 2016
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†Fragilicetus velponi Bisconti and Bosselaers 2016
Diagnosis
| Reference | Diagnosis | |
|---|---|---|
| M. Bisconti and M. Bosselaers 2016 | The diagnosis of Fragilicetus includes the presence of eschrichtiid-like and balaenopterid-like features in the same individual. Fragilicetus is distinguished from the other nonbalaenopterid mysticete families based on the presence, in the same individual, of a squamosal bulging into the temporal fossa; posterior projection of the posterolateral corner of the exoccipital; anterior placement of the posterior apex of the lambdoidal crest; squamosal cleft present and v-shaped (turning ventrally at its lateral end); abruptly depressed and flat supraorbital process of the frontal; anterior portion of temporal crest transversely elongated and forming a dorsal roof to the anterior portion of the temporal fossa; very short intertemporal region; infraorbital region of the frontal exposed dorsally between the ascending processes of the maxillae; ante- rior end of the parietal located more anteriorly than the posterior ends of the ascending process of the maxilla; descending suprameatal surface from the central portion of the periotic to the superior rim of the internal acoustic meatus; endocranial opening of the facial canal separated from the internal acoustic meatus by a thick crista transversa but not pro- longed into a groove; triangular anterior process of the periotic; anterior process of the periotic and central portion of periotic on the same plane; groove for VII cranial nerve in posterior process reduced; anteroposteriorly short and flattened posterior process of the periotic. |
Measurements
No measurements are available
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| Source: f = family, subo = suborder, o = order | |||||
| References: Uhen 2004, Nowak 1991 | |||||
Age range: Early/Lower Pliocene or 5.33300 to 3.60000 Ma
Collections (7 total)
| Time interval | Ma | Country or state | Original ID and collection number |
|---|---|---|---|
| Neogene | South Africa | F. sp. (230122) | |
| Early/Lower Pliocene | South Africa | F. sp. (115221) | |
| Zanclean | Netherlands | F. velponi (179576) | |
| Zanclean | South Africa | F. sp. (100313 230123 230124 230125) |