First eurhinodelphinid dolphin from the Paratethys reveals a new family of specialised echolocators

Autor(en)

Olivier Lambert, Gerhard Wanzenböck, Cathrin Pfaff, Stephen Louwye, Jürgen Kriwet, G. Marx Felix

Abstrakt

Eurhinodelphinids are a family of extremely long-snouted dolphins that once was widespread across the North Atlantic realm, but so far has not been recorded from the epicontinental Paratethys Sea. Here, we describe a new specimen of Xiphiacetus cristatus, including the cranium, left ear bones and a partial mandible, from the Middle Miocene (Badenian) of Austria. Our new fossil is the first record of this species outside the North Atlantic proper, and the first unequivocal record of eurhinodelphinids from the Paratethys. Its presence suggests a local invasion via the Mediterranean, and corroborates the persistence of an active marine gateway between the Mediterranean and the Central Paratethys throughout the Middle Miocene. Measurements of the bony labyrinth reveal that X. cristatus likely employed narrow-band high-frequency
echolocation, making eurhinodelphinids only the second extinct odontocete family with this trait. Marked non-orthogonality of the semicircular canals suggests that X. cristatus was unsuited to rapid head movements, and thus more likely a benthic forager than a snap feeder.

Organisation(en)

Institut für Paläontologie

Externe Organisation(en)

Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, Ghent University , Te Papa Tongarewa, Museum of New Zealand, Independent researcher, University of Otago

Journal

Historical Biology

Band

35

Seiten

1074-1091

Anzahl der Seiten

18

ISSN

0891-2963

DOI

https://doi.org/10.1080/08912963.2022.2077645

Publikationsdatum

06-2023

Peer-reviewed

Ja

ÖFOS 2012

105118 Paläontologie

Schlagwörter

ASJC Scopus Sachgebiete

Allgemeine Agrar- und Biowissenschaften

Sustainable Development Goals

SDG 14 – Leben unter Wasser

Link zum Portal

https://ucrisportal.univie.ac.at/de/publications/192099b6-91b1-463c-9a52-992dece586b4