Awadelphis

Awadelphis Temporal range: Late Miocene 6.3–5.7 Ma
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Artiodactyla
Infraorder:	Cetacea
Superfamily:	Inioidea
Family:	incertae sedis
Genus:	†Awadelphis Murakami, 2016
Species:	†A. hirayamai
Binomial name
†Awadelphis hirayamai Murakami, 2016

Awadelphis hirayamai is a species of extinct oceanic river dolphin discovered in the Senhata Formation of Japan dating around 6 million years ago (mya). The genus name derives from Awa, an ancient name for the Chiba Prefecture where the holotype specimen was collected, and Ancient Greek delphis meaning "dolphin"; the species name honors the discoverer of the holotype, Ren Hirayama. It may have inhabited a subpolar environment. Awadelphis and other river dolphins of the Late Miocene may have been in abundance due to the decline of competing ancient dolphins and porpoises.[1]

References

1. Murakami, M. (2016). "A New Extinct Inioid (Cetacea, Odontoceti) from the Upper Miocene Senhata Formation, Chiba, Central Japan: The First Record of Inioidea from the North Pacific Ocean". Paleontological Research. 20 (3): 207–225. doi:10.2517/2015PR031. S2CID 132209924.