Kingdom Animalia Infraorder Cetacea Species †N. ratimitus Phylum Chordata Order Even-toed ungulate | Class Mammalia Family †Pakicetidae Scientific name Nalacetus ratimitus Rank Genus | |
Similar Pakicetidae, Indocetus, Remingtonocetus, Remingtonocetidae | ||
Nalacetus is an extinct pakicetid early whale, fossils of which have been found in Lutetian red beds in Punjab, Pakistan (33.6°N 72.2°E / 33.6; 72.2, paleocoordinates 14.3°N 68.3°E / 14.3; 68.3). Nalacetus lived in a fresh water environment, was amphibious, and carnivorous. It was considered monophyletic by Cooper, Thewissen & Hussain 2009. It was said to be wolf-sized and one of the earliest forms of the order Cetacea.
Nalacetus is known mostly from dental remains from the Lutetian of the Kala Chitta Hill, Punjab, Pakistan:
In the cheek teeth of Pakicetus, the protocone lobe increases from the first molar to the third. In Nalacetus, in contrast, the protocone lobe is larger in the first molar than in the second.
References
Nalacetus Wikipedia(Text) CC BY-SA