Aulophyseter

Aulophyseter Temporal range: Mid-Late Miocene 16–15 Ma PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N

Skeleton of A. morricei at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Artiodactyla
Infraorder:	Cetacea
Family:	Physeteridae
Subfamily:	Physeterinae
Genus:	Aulophyseter Kellogg, 1927
Species
A. morricei Kellogg, 1927 (type species) A. mediatlanticus Cope, 1895

Aulophyseter is an extinct genus of sperm whales from the subfamily Physeterinae that existed during the Miocene.

History of discovery

Fossils of Aulophyseter have been found in:

Description

Aulophyseter is estimated to have been 6.4 metres (21 ft) long, and weighed approximately 1,100 kilograms (2,400 lb).

Paleobiology

Aulophyseter's small teeth lack enamel, which suggests that its feeding habits were more similar to those of modern sperm whales than to other early sperm whales. The diet of Aulophyseter was largely limited to cephalopods and fish.

References

↑ Remington, Kellogg (1927). "Study of the skull of a fossil sperm-whale from the Temblor Miocene of Southern California". Contributions to Palaeontology from the Carnegie Institution of Washington: 3–24.
↑ Aulophyseter at Fossilworks.org
↑ Paolucci, F.; Buono, M. R.; Fernández, M. S. (2025). "Awakening Patagonia's sleeping sperm whale: a new description of the Early Miocene Idiorophus patagonicus (Odontoceti, Physeteroidea)". Papers in Palaeontology. 11 (2). e70007. doi:10.1002/spp2.70007. This condition appeared convergently in other physeteroids, such as Aulophyseter (6.4 m), Zygophyseter (7 m), Brygmophyseter (c. 6 m) and probably Albicetus (5.9 m) during the Middle and Late Miocene
↑ van Dongen PAM. 1998 Brain size in vertebrates. In The central nervous system of vertebrates (eds Nieuwenhuys R, ten Donkelaar HJ, Nicholson C), pp. 2099–2134. Berlin, Germany: Springer.
↑ Encyclopedia of Marine Mammals by William F. Perrin, Bernd Wursig, and J. G.M. Thewissen*

Colbert's Evolution of the Vertebrates: A History of the Backboned Animals Through Time by Edwin H. Colbert, Michael Morales, and Eli C. Minkoff Pg.396.
Sperm Whales: Social Evolution in the Ocean by Hal Whitehead
Encyclopedia of Marine Mammals by William F. Perrin, Bernd Wursig, and J. G.M. Thewissen
Aulophyseter morricei

External links

Age of Mammals - Specimen Spotlight - Aulophyseter morricei

Odontocete genera

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Artiodactyla
Infraorder: Cetacea

Odontoceti

†Agorophius †Amphidelphis †Ankylorhiza †Archaeodelphis †Argyrocetus †Ashleycetus †Caolodelphis †Chilcacetus †Enigmatocetus †Eoplatanista †Inticetus †Macrodelphinus †Microcetus †Mirocetus †Neosqualodon †Olympicetus †Papahu †Patriocetus †Phoberodon †Phococetus †Prosqualodon †Romaleodelphis †Sachalinocetus †Simocetus †Sulakocetus †Tangaroasaurus
†Xenorophidae	Albertocetus Cotylocara Echovenator Inermorostrum Xenorophus
†Waipatiidae	Awamokoa Ediscetus Nihohae Nihoroa Otekaikea Urkudelphis Waipatia
†Squalodontidae	Eosqualodon Squalodon
†Squaloziphiidae	Crisocetus? Squaloziphius Yaquinacetus
†Eurhinodelphinidae	Ceterhinops Eurhinodelphis Iniopsis Mycteriacetus Phocaenopsis Schizodelphis Vanbreenia Xiphiacetus Ziphiodelphis
Crown-Odontoceti	see below↓

Crown-Odontoceti

Physeteroidea

†Acrophyseter †Albicetus †Angelocetus †Brygmophyseter †Eudelphis †Hoplocetus †Livyatan †Miophyseter †Rhaphicetus †Scaldicetus †Zygophyseter
Kogiidae	†Aprixokogia Kogia †Koristocetus †Nanokogia †Platyscaphokogia †Pliokogia †Praekogia †Scaphokogia †Thalassocetus?
Physeteridae	†Aulophyseter †Cozzuoliphyseter †Diaphorocetus †Eophyseter †Idiophyseter †Idiorophus †Orycterocetus Physeter †Physeterula †Placoziphius †Thalassocetus?

Platanistoidea

†Aondelphis †Aureia †Dolgopolis †Ensidelphis †Perditicetus †Eurhinodelphinidae? †Squalodontidae? †Waipatiidae?
†Allodelphinidae?	Allodelphis Arktocara Goedertius Ninjadelphis Zarhinocetus
†Squalodelphinidae?	Fordycetus Furcacetus Huaridelphis Macrosqualodelphis Medocinia Miodelphinus Notocetus Phocageneus Squalodelphis
Platanistidae	†Araeodelphis †Dilophodelphis †Grimadelphis †Pachyacanthus? †Pebanista Platanista †Pomatodelphis †Prepomatodelphis †Zarhachis?

Ziphiidae

†Aporotus †Beneziphius †Caviziphius †Chavinziphius †Chimuziphius †Choneziphius †Dagonodum †Flandriacetus †Globicetus †Imocetus †Khoikhoicetus †Mamaziphius †Messapicetus †Nazcacetus †Nenga †Ninoziphius †Notoziphius †Pterocetus Tasmacetus †Tusciziphius †Xhosacetus †Ziphirostrum
Berardiinae	†Archaeoziphius Berardius †Microberardius
Ziphiinae	†Izikoziphius Ziphius
Hyperoodontinae	†Africanacetus Hyperoodon †Ihlengesi Indopacetus Mesoplodon

Delphinida	see below↓

Delphinida

†Albireo †Atocetus †Brevirostrodelphis †Cammackacetus †Delphinodon †Hadrodelphis †Herbeinodelphis †Liolithax †Lophocetus †Macrokentriodon †Miminiacetus †Odobenocetops †Pictodelphis †Pithanodelphis †Tagicetus †Westmorelandelphis
†Kentriodontidae	Belonodelphis? Kampholophos Kentriodon Mesokentriodon Platysvercus Sophianacetus Rudicetus Wimahl
Lipotidae	Eolipotes Lipotes †Parapontoporia †Prolipotes

Inioidea

†Awadelphis
Iniidae	†Brujadelphis †Goniodelphis Inia †Ischyrorhynchus †Isoninia? †Isthminia †Kwanzacetus †Meherrinia †Plicodontinia †Saurocetes
Pontoporiidae	†Atocetus? †Auroracetus †Brachydelphis †Piscorhynchus †Pliopontos †Pontistes †Protophocaena †Samaydelphis †Scaldiporia †Stenasodelphis Pontoporia

Delphinoidea

Monodontidae	†Bohaskaia †Casatia Delphinapterus †Denebola †Haborodelphis Monodon
Phocoenidae	†Archaeophocaena †Australithax †Brabocetus †Haborophocoena †Lomacetus †Miophocaena Neophocaena †Numataphocoena Phocoena Phocoenoides †Piscolithax †Pterophocaena? †Semirostrum †Septemtriocetus

Delphinidae

†Arimidelphis †Australodelphis †Eodelphinus †Etruridelphis †Hemisyntrachelus Lagenorhynchus Leucopleurus †Norisdelphis Orcinus †Platalearostrum †Pliodelphis †Pterophocaena? †Septidelphis
Lissodelphininae	Aethalodelphis Cephalorhynchus Lissodelphis
Delphininae	Delphinus Lagenodelphis Sotalia Sousa Stenella Tursiops
Globicephalinae	Feresa Globicephala Grampus Orcaella Peponocephala Pseudorca †Rododelphis Steno

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