Physeterula
| Physeterula Temporal range: | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Fragmentary Physeterula tooth from the Bone Valley Formation | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Artiodactyla |
| Infraorder: | Cetacea |
| Family: | Physeteridae |
| Subfamily: | Physeterinae |
| Genus: | †Physeterula Van Beneden, 1877 |
| Type species | |
| †Physeterula dubusi Van Beneden, 1877 | |
| Other species | |
|
†P. neolassicus Veatch and Stephenson, 1911 | |
Physeterula was a prehistoric close relative of the sperm whale that lived in Europe and the United States during the Late Miocene-Late Pliocene. This species is classified as a large-bodied species.
Description
Physeterula retained functional maxillary teeth, although its tooth enamel had degenerated. Condylobasal length is estimated to have exceeded 137.5 cm. Physeterula was similar in size to Idiorophus, Zygophyseter, and Brygmophyseter.
References
- ↑ Physeterula in the Paleobiology Database
- ↑ Physeterula neolassicus in the Paleobiology Database
- 1 2 Lambert, Olivier (January 2008). "Sperm whales from the Miocene of the North Sea: A re-appraisal". Bulletin de l'Institut Royal des Sciences Naturelles de Belgique, Sciences de la Terre. 78: 277–316.
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