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Denebola brachycephala

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Denebola brachycephala
Temporal range: Late Miocene
D. brachycephala and Praekogia
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Artiodactyla
Infraorder: Cetacea
Family: Monodontidae
Genus: Denebola
Barnes, 1984
Species:
D. brachycephala
Binomial name
Denebola brachycephala
Barnes, 1984[1]

Denebola is an extinct genus of whale belonging to the family Monodontidae. It contains a single known species, Denebola brachycephala. It is the earliest known ancestor of the beluga, Delphinapterus leucas, and dates from the Upper Miocene period.[2] A fossil was found in the Baja California peninsula, indicating that the family once existed in warmer waters.[3]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Barnes, Lawrence G. (1984). "Fossil odontocetes (Mammalia: Cetacea) from the Almejas Formation, Isla Cedros, Mexico". PaleoBios. 42: 13–17.
  2. ^ ZipcodeZoo.com. "Denebola brachycephala". Archived from the original on 2012-08-20. Retrieved 2010-09-16.
  3. ^ William F. Perrin; Bernd G. Würsig; J. G. M. Thewissen (2009). Encyclopedia of marine mammals (2 ed.). Academic Press. p. 214. ISBN 978-0-12-373553-9.