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Protocetus atavus

Mammalia - Cetacea - Protocetidae

Taxonomy
Protocetus atavus was named by Fraas (1904). Its type specimen is SMNS 11085, a partial skeleton (skull and partial skeleton), and it is a 3D body fossil. Its type locality is Gebel Mokattam, lower, which is in a Lutetian open shallow subtidal limestone in the Mokattam Formation of Egypt.

Synonymy list
YearName and author
1904Protocetus atavus Fraas p. 201
1908Protocetus atavus Stromer p. 3
1914Protocetus atavus Abel p. 220
1925Protocetus atavus Zittel p. 84
1985Protocetus atavus Pilleri p. 10
2004Protocetus atavus van Vliet p. 143
2008Protocetus atavus Gingerich p. 109 figs. Table 1
2008Protocetus atavus McLeod and Barnes p. 93
2012Protocetus atavus Gingerich p. 313 figs. Figure 4
2014Protocetus atavus Fornasiero and Del Vavero p. 65

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

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.

Protocetus atavus Fraas 1904
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Diagnosis
No diagnoses are available
Measurements
No measurements are available
Composition: hydroxyapatiteo
Form: roller-shapedo
Ontogeny: modification of partso
Environment: marineo
Locomotion: actively mobileo
Life habit: aquatico
Depth habitat: surfaceo
Diet: carnivoreo
Reproduction: viviparouso
Created: 2005-03-06 14:19:05
Modified: 2017-04-17 10:41:18
Source: o = order
Reference: Uhen 2004

Age range: Lutetian or 47.80000 to 41.30000 Ma

Collections: one only


Time interval Ma Country or state Original ID and collection number
Lutetian47.8 - 41.3Egypt Protocetus atavus (type locality: 58456)