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A new tropical Oligocene dolphin from Montanita/Olon, Santa Elena, Ecuador

Tanaka, Yoshihiro; Abella, Juan; Aguirre-Fernandez, Gabriel; Gregori, Maria; Fordyce, R. Ewan

PLOS ONE
2017
VL / 12 - BP / - EP /
abstract
A new small probable Oligocene dolphin from Ecuador represents a new genus and species, Urkudelphis chawpipacha. The new taxon is known from a single juvenile skull and earbones; it differs from other archaic dolphins in features including widely exposed frontals at the vertex, a dorsally wide open vomer at the mesorostral groove, and a strongly projected and pointed lateral tuberosity of the periotic. Phylogenetic analysis places it toward the base of the largely-extinct clade Platanistoidea. The fossil is one of a few records of tropical fossil dolphins.

AccesS level

Gold DOAJ, Green published, Green accepted

MENTIONS DATA