Scientific name Waipatia maerewhenua | Phylum Chordata Order Artiodactyla Superfamily Platanistoidea (?) Rank Genus | |
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Similar Squalodontidae, Prosqualodon, Squalodon, Kentriodon, Eurhinodelphis | ||
Taxonomy
The type species, Waipatia maerewhenua is known from a single skull found near 45° South in Otago . The second species, W. hectori, was originally named Microcetus hectori in 1935, but later recognized as distinct from Microcetus. "Uncamentodon" was informally coined for M. hectori in a table by Rothausen in a 1970 paper, but the lack of a diagnosis or description made it a nomen nudum. Finally in 2015, M. hectori was recognized as a second species of Waipatia based on preparation of additional material included in the holotype.
References
Waipatia Wikipedia(Text) CC BY-SA