Biology:Willungacetus

Short description: Extinct genus of mammals

Willungacetus Temporal range: Oligocene PreЄ Є O S D C P T J K Pg N
Scientific classification
Missing taxonomy template (fix):	Aetiocetidae/?
Genus:	†Willungacetus Pledge 2005
Species
†W. aldingensis Pledge 2005

Willungacetus is an extinct genus of primitive baleen whale of the family Aetiocetidae known from the Oligocene of Australia (at Port Willunga, [ ⚑ ] 35.3°S 138.5°E / -35.3; 138.5, paleocoordinates [ ⚑ ] 52.9°S 133.7°E / -52.9; 133.7). It is the oldest-known whale from Australia, and the only aetiocetid whale currently known from the Southern Hemisphere.

Neville S. Pledge first visited the type locality in 1983 and collected two boulders. These two rocks, however, were forgotten until 2001 when a partial vertebra were discovered within. The site was subsequently revisited and another specimen, a partial cranium, was discovered. Pledge referred a radius, collected from the same cliff in 1994, to his newly named species.

Pledge provisionally assigned Willungacetus to Aetiocetidae, but this assignment still needs to be confirmed.

Sister taxa

• Aetiocetus
• Ashorocetus
• Chonecetus
• Morawanocetus

References

Sources

• Deméré, T. A.; Berta, A. (2008). "Skull anatomy of the Oligocene toothed mysticete Aetioceus weltoni (Mammalia; Cetacea): implications for mysticete evolution and functional anatomy". Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 154 (2): 308–352. doi:10.1111/j.1096-3642.2008.00414.x. https://zenodo.org/records/5446647/files/source.pdf. 
• Pledge, N. S. (2005). "A New Species of Early Oligocene Cetacean from Port Willunga, South Australia". Memoirs of the Queensland Museum 51 (1): 123–133. http://www.qm.qld.gov.au/About+Us/Publications/Memoirs+of+the+Queensland+Museum/MQM+Vol+51#.UrgA8vhLsqg. Retrieved 17 December 2021. 
  • "N. S. Pledge 2005". http://www.fossilworks.org/cgi-bin/bridge.pl?a=displayReference&reference_no=14147. 

Wikidata ☰ Q8022520 entry