Taikicetus

Taikicetus Temporal range: Middle Miocene, 15.2–11.5 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
Genus:	†Taikicetus Tanaka, Ando, and Sawamura, 2018
Species:	†T. inouei
Binomial name
†Taikicetus inouei Tanaka, Ando, and Sawamura, 2018

Taikicetus is a genus of basal thalassothere baleen whale from the Middle Miocene of Japan.

Classification

Phylogenetic analysis recovers Taikicetus as a basal thalassothere more primitive than Cetotheriidae and Balaenopteroidea.^[1]

Description

Taikicetus is distinguished from other closely related thalassotheres by an anteriorly swollen short zygomatic process (length vs width of the zygomatic process; high triangular coronoid process; and weak angular process, which does not reach as far posterior as the mandibular condyle; outline of suture between maxillae and palatines forming a posteriorly pointing V-shape, convex lateral edge of supraoccipital convex in dorsal view, tip of postglenoid process in lateral view pointing ventrally, and outline of postglenoid process distinctly wider than high in anterior or posterior view.^[1]

References

• v
• t
• e

Genera of baleen whales and their extinct allies

• Kingdom: Animalia
• Phylum: Chordata
• Class: Mammalia
• Order: Artiodactyla
• Infraorder: Cetacea

Mysticeti
Mysticeti †Borealodon †Coronodon †Imerocetus †Mioceta? †Piscocetus †Siphonocetus? †Tretulias? †Ulias? †Aetiocetidae Aetiocetus Ashorocetus Chonecetus Fucaia Morawanocetus Willungacetus †Llanocetidae Llanocetus Mystacodon †Mammalodontidae Janjucetus Mammalodon Chaeomysticeti Horopeta Sitsqwayk Whakakai †Eomysticetoidea Cetotheriopsis †Eomysticetidae Eomysticetus Micromysticetus Tohoraata Tokarahia Waharoa Yamatocetus Balaenomorpha Balaenidae †Antwerpibalaena †Archaeobalaena Balaena †Balaenella †Balaenula †Balaenotus Eubalaena †Idiocetus †Mesoteras †Morenocetus †Peripolocetus †Protobalaena Thalassotherii †Hibacetus †Isanacetus †Isocetus †Mauicetus †Pinocetus †Taikicetus †Tiphyocetus †Uranocetus †Aglaocetidae Aglaocetus †Diorocetidae Amphicetus Diorocetus Plesiocetopsis Thinocetus †Pelocetidae Cophocetus Halicetus Parietobalaena Pelocetus †Tranatocetidae Mesocetus Mixocetus Tranatocetus Cetotheriidae †Cephalotropis †Journocetus †Otradnocetus †Palaeobalaena? †Titanocetus? †Tiucetus †Cetotheriinae Brandtocetus Cetotherium Ciuciulea Eucetotherium Kurdalagonus Mithridatocetus Vampalus Zygiocetus Herpetocetinae Caperea †Herentalia †Herpetocetus †Metopocetus †Miocaperea †Nannocetus †Piscobalaena Balaenopteroidea †Eobalaenoptera Balaenopteridae †Archaebalaenoptera †Archaeschrichtius Balaenoptera †Burtinopsis? †Cetoteriophanes †Diunatans †Eschrichtioides Eschrichtius †Gricetoides †Incakujira Megaptera †Megapteropsis? †Miobalaenoptera †Nehalaennia †Notiocetus †Parabalaenoptera †Plesiobalaenoptera †Plesiocetus †Praemegaptera †Protororqualus