Kingdom Animalia Class Mammalia Infraorder Cetacea Rank Genus | Phylum Chordata Order Artiodactyla Superfamily Balaenopteroidea | |
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Mesocetus is an extinct genus of baleen whale from the Miocene of Antwerp, Belgium.
Contents
Description
Mesocetus is similar to other tranatocetids in having rostral bones that override the frontals and contact the parietals, nasals dividing the maxillae on the vertex, a dorsoventrally bent occipital shield with a more horizontal anterior portion and more vertical posterior portion, and a tympanic bulla with short, narrow anterior portion with rounded or squared anterior end and wider and higher posterior portion that is particularly swollen in the posteroventral area. Shared characters with Tranatocetus include posterior ends of premaxillae fused with the maxillae and divided on the vertex by long, narrow and high (vertical plate-like) nasals and cervical vertebrae with wide transverse foramina, almost as wide as the centra.