Squalodelphinidae

Squalodelphinidae Temporal range: ?late Chattian-Langhian, 23–11.6 Ma PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Artiodactyla
Infraorder:	Cetacea
Superfamily:	Platanistoidea
Family:	†Squalodelphinidae Dal Piaz, 1917
Genera
Furcacetus Huaridelphis Macrosqualodelphis Medocinia Notocetus Phocageneus Squalodelphis Miodelphinus[1]

Squalodelphinidae is a family of primitive platanistoid river dolphins, found in marine deposits in the eastern Pacific, western Atlantic, and Europe.[2]

Description

Distinguishing features of Squalodelphinidae include a moderately elongated and tapered rostrum, posterior cheek teeth being single-rooted but retaining accessory denticles, and marked skull asymmetry. Members of the family can be differentiated from the South Asian river dolphin by their shorter rostrum.[3]

References

1. Yoshihiro Tanaka and Ryohei Nakagawa. 2024. A New platanistoid (Odontoceti: Squalodelphinidae) from the Early Miocene of Japan. Journal of Systematic Palaeontology. 22(1); 2378783. DOI: doi.org/10.1080/14772019.2024.2378783
2. "Fossilworks: Squalodelphinidae". fossilworks.org.
3. O. Lambert, G. Bianucci, and M. Urbina. 2014. Huaridelphis raimondii, a new early Miocene Squalodelphinidae (Cetacea, Odontoceti) from the Chilcatay Formation, Peru. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 34(5):987-1004