Cetotherium

Cetotherium Temporal range: Miocene - Pliocene
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Cetacea
Suborder:	Mysticeti
Family:	Cetotheriidae Brandt, 1873
Genus:	Cetotherium

Cetotherium (meaning whale beast) is a genus of the extinct cetaceans from the family Cetotheriidae (the cetotheriids or cetotheres).^[1]

Known species

To date, several whales of the genus Cetotherium have been identified; C. furlongi, C. mayeri, C. megalophysum, C. parvum, C. priscum, and C. rathkii.

Evolution

Cetotheres came in to existence during the Oligocene epoch. The cetotheres have been divided in to two sub-groups. One group includes Cetotherium. From evolutionary perspective, these whales share some characteristics of the Balaenopteridae and Eschrichtiidae.^[2]

Potential threats

Fossil records of Cetotheriids indicate that these whales were attacked and preyed upon by large predatory sharks (e.g. megalodon and great white sharks). The raptorial toothed whale Livyatan melvillei may too, have posed a threat.

General references

• Barry Cox, Colin Harrison, R.J.G. Savage, and Brian Gardiner. (1999): The Simon & Schuster Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs and Prehistoric Creatures: A Visual Who's Who of Prehistoric Life. Simon & Schuster.

References

1. ^ Berta, Annalisa; Demere, Thomas, Mysticetes, Evolution, pp. 751–752, http://www.bio.sdsu.edu/faculty/BERTA_files/Berta_Demere2009_Evolution.pdf 
2. ^ Kimura, Toshiyuki; Ozawa, Tomowo (September 2002), "New Cetothere (Cetacea: Mysticeti) from the Miocene Chichibumachi Group, Japan.", Bulletin of the Saitama Museum of Natural History (The Society of Vertebrate Paleontology) 22 (3): 684–702, JSTOR 4524259 

See also

• Evolution of Cetaceans

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