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Ontocetus âśť

Description

Ontocetus is an extinct genus of walrus, an aquatic carnivoran of the family Odobenidae, endemic to coastal regions of the southern North Sea and the southeastern coastal regions of the U.S. during the Miocene-Pleistocene. It lived from 13.6 mya—300,000 years ago, existing for approximately 13.3 million years.


Source Data
SourceIDLink
Global Biodiversity Information Facility ID (GBIF)4833426https://www.gbif.org/species/4833426
PaleoBioDB ID (PBDB)36786https://paleobiodb.org/classic/checkTaxonInfo?taxon_no=36786
Rankgenus
Taxonomy (GBIF)Life : Animalia : Chordata : Mammalia : Carnivora : Odobenidae : Ontocetus
Taxonomy (PBDB)Life : Animalia : Chordata : Mammalia : Carnivora : Odobenidae : Ontocetus
Taxonomic Status (GBIF)accepted
Classification
(PBDB,GBIF)
RankNameAuthor
-Eukaryota
-OpisthokontaCavalier-Smith 1987
kingdomAnimalia
-TriploblasticaLankester 1877
-NephrozoaJondelius et al. 2002
-DeuterostomiaGrobben 1908
phylumChordataHaeckel 1847
subphylumVertebrataLamarck 1801
superclassGnathostomataGegenbauer 1874
-Osteichthyes
-SarcopterygiiRomer 1955
subclassDipnotetrapodomorpha
subclassTetrapodomorpha
-Tetrapoda
-ReptiliomorphaSäve-Söderbergh 1934
-AnthracosauriaSäve-Söderbergh 1934
-Batrachosauria
-Cotylosauria
-AmniotaHaeckel 1866
-SynapsidaOsborn 1903
-Therapsida
infraorderCynodontia
-EpicynodontiaHopson and Kitching 2001
infraorderEucynodontiaKemp 1982
-ProbainognathiaHopson 1990
-MammaliamorphaRowe 1988
-MammaliaformesRowe 1988
classMammaliaLinnaeus 1758
subclassTribosphenida
infraclassEutheria
-PlacentaliaOwen 1837
-LaurasiatheriaWaddell et al. 1999
-ScrotiferaWaddell et al. 1999
-FeraeLinnaeus 1758
-CarnivoramorphaWyss and Flynn 1993
-CarnivoraformesFlynn et al.
orderCarnivoraBowditch 1821
superfamilyArctoideaFlower 1869
-PinnipedimorphaBerta et al. 1989
-Pinnipedia
familyOdobenidae
-NeodobeniaMagallanes et al. 2018
subfamilyOdobeninaeAllen 1880
tribeOdobeniniAllen 1880
genusOntocetusLeidy 1859
Scientific NameOntocetus Leidy, 1859
Name Published InProc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philad., 1859
Opinions (PBDB)
NameRankOpinionEvidenceAuthor
Ontocetusgenusbelongs to Catodontidaestated without evidenceCope, 1867
Ontocetusgenusbelongs to Physeteridaestated without evidenceGill, 1871
Ontocetusgenusbelongs to Sireniastated without evidenceCope, 1875
Ontocetusgenussubjective synonym of Hoplocetusstated without evidenceTrouessart, 1898
Ontocetusgenusbelongs to Physeterinaestated without evidenceHay, 1902
Ontocetusgenusbelongs to Physeteridaestated without evidencePalmer, 1904
Ontocetusgenusbelongs to Physeterinaestated without evidenceSimpson, 1945
Ontocetusgenusbelongs to Odobenidaestated without evidenceRay, 1975
Ontocetusgenusbelongs to Physeteridaestated without evidenceBarnes, 1977
Ontocetusgenusbelongs to PhyseteridaeimpliedCarroll, 1988
Ontocetusgenusnomen dubium Physeteridaestated without evidenceFordyce and de Muizon, 2001
Ontocetusgenusbelongs to Cetaceasecond handSepkoski, 2002
Ontocetusgenusbelongs to Odobeninaestated without evidenceKohno, 2006
Ontocetusgenusbelongs to Odobenidaestated without evidenceUhen et al., 2008
Ontocetusgenusbelongs to Odobeninistated with evidenceKohno and Ray, 2008
Ontocetusgenusbelongs to Odobenidaestated without evidenceWerdelin and Peigne, 2010
Ontocetusgenusbelongs to Odobeninaestated with evidenceBoessenecker and Churchill, 2013
Ontocetusgenusbelongs to Odobeninaestated without evidenceBerta, 2017
Ontocetusgenusbelongs to Odobenidaestated with evidenceBerta, 2018
Ontocetusgenusbelongs to Odobeninaestated without evidenceBerta et al., 2018
Ontocetusgenusbelongs to Odobeninistated with evidenceBoessenecker et al., 2018
Ontocetusgenusbelongs to Odobenidaestated without evidenceAlbright et al., 2019
Status (PBDB)extinct
Taxon Size (PBDB)2
First Recorded Appearance23.0 - 11.6 Ma
Miocene
Last Recorded Appearance0.13 - 0.01 Ma
Pleistocene
Environmentmarine (based on Pinnipedia)
Motilityactively mobile (based on Osteichthyes)
Dietinsectivore (based on Odobenidae)
Reproductionviviparous (based on Pinnipedimorpha)
Ontogenymodification of parts (based on Pinnipedimorpha)
Taphonomyhydroxylapatite (based on Pinnipedimorpha)
Primary Reference (PBDB)J. Leidy. 1859. [Remarks on Dromatherium sylvestre and Ontocetus emmonsi]. Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia 1859:162
Wikipediahttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ontocetus

Fossil Distribution

Subtaxa

NameStatusCommon Name(s)Fossil OccurrencesOldestYoungest
Ontocetus emmonsi âśť
species
accepted (GBIF)
listed (PBDB)
6423.0 Ma
Miocene
0.13 Ma
Pleistocene

Obsolete Names

NameSourceTaxon RankTaxonomy
Trichechus konincki (Van Beneden, 1871)GBIFspeciesAnimalia : Chordata : Mammalia : Carnivora : Odobenidae : Ontocetus : Trichechus konincki
Alachterium Du Bus, 1867GBIFgenusAnimalia : Chordata : Mammalia : Carnivora : Odobenidae : Alachterium
Trichecodon koninckii (Van Beneden, 1871)GBIFspeciesAnimalia : Chordata : Mammalia : Carnivora : Odobenidae : Ontocetus : Trichecodon koninckii
Odobenus koninckii (Van Beneden, 1871)GBIFspeciesAnimalia : Chordata : Mammalia : Carnivora : Odobenidae : Ontocetus : Odobenus koninckii
Trichechodon konincki (Van Beneden, 1871)GBIFspeciesAnimalia : Chordata : Mammalia : Carnivora : Odobenidae : Ontocetus : Trichechodon konincki

Synonymy List

YearName and Author
1859Ontocetus Leidy p. 162
1865Trichecodon Lankester p. 226
1867Ontocetus Cope p. 144
1867Alachtherium Du Bus p. 566
1871Ontocetus Gill p. 126
1871Trichecodon koninckii Van Beneden p. 12
1874Trichecodon koninckii Vanden Broeck p. 199
1875Ontocetus Cope p. 51
1877Trichecodon koninckii Van Beneden
1885Trichechodon Lydekker p. 200
1885Trichechodon konincki Lydekker p. 200
1898Trichechus koninckii Trouessart p. 376
1902Ontocetus Hay p. 596
1904Alachtherium Palmer p. 87
1904Ontocetus Palmer p. 475
1904Trichecodon Palmer p. 688
1904Trichechus konincki Trouessart p. 282
1906Prorosmarus Berry and Gregory p. 444 figs. Fig. 1-2, 4a
1909Trichechodon konincki Dollo p. 117
1922Alachtherium Kellogg p. 101
1922Prorosmarus Kellogg p. 101
1922Trichecodon Kellogg p. 102
1928Ontocetus Kellogg p. 34 figs. Table 1
1930Prorosmarus Hay p. 559
1945Ontocetus Simpson p. 102
1968Alachtherium Mitchell p. 1897
1968Prorosmarus Mitchell p. 1897
1968Trichecodon Mitchell p. 1897
1975Ontocetus Ray
1977Ontocetus Barnes p. 328
1977Alachtherium Repenning and Tedford p. 12
1977Prorosmarus Repenning and Tedford p. 12
1988Alachtherium Carroll
1988Ontocetus Carroll
1988Prorosmarus Carroll
1989Alachtherium Barnes p. 23
YearName and Author
1989Prorosmarus Barnes p. 23
1989Trichecodon Barnes p. 23
1994Alachtherium Deméré p. 118
1994Prorosmarus Deméré p. 119
1994Odobenus koninckii Deméré p. 121
1994Trichecodon Morgan
1995Alachtherium Horikawa p. 311
1995Prorosmarus Horikawa p. 311
1995Trichechodon Horikawa p. 322 figs. Table 4
1997Alachtherium Geraads p. 155
1997Alachtherium McKenna and Bell p. 256
1997Prorosmarus McKenna and Bell p. 256
1997Trichecodon McKenna and Bell p. 256
2002Alachtherium Berta p. 923
2002Alachtherium Sepkoski, Jr.
2002Ontocetus Sepkoski, Jr.
2002Prorosmarus Sepkoski, Jr.
2002Trichechodon Sepkoski, Jr.
2003Alachtherium Deméré et al. p. 49 figs. Fig. 3.3
2003Odobenus koninckii Deméré et al. p. 49 figs. Fig. 3.3
2003Prorosmarus Deméré et al. p. 49 figs. Fig. 3.3
2006Ontocetus Kohno p. 418
2008Prorosmarus Barnes p. 535
2008Trichecodon Barnes p. 536
2008Ontocetus Kohno and Ray p. 44
2008Ontocetus Uhen et al. p. 576
2009Alachtherium Berta p. 863
2010Ontocetus Werdelin and Peigne p. 647
2013Ontocetus Boessenecker and Churchill p. 10 fig. 8
2017Ontocetus Berta p. 156
2018Ontocetus Berta p. 714 figs. Fig. 3
2018Ontocetus Berta et al. p. 217 figs. Fig. 6
2018Ontocetus Boessenecker et al. p. 282
2018Ontocetus Magallanes et al. p. 30 figs. Fig. 14
2019Ontocetus Albright et al. p. 177

References

Leidy J. [Remarks on Dromatherium sylvestre and Ontocetus emmonsi], Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia 1859, 162
Lankester E. R. On the sources of the mammalian fossils of the Red Crag, and the discovery of a new mammal in that deposit, allied to the walrus, Quarterly Journal of the Geological Society of London 21, 221-232
Cope E. D. An addition to the vertebrate fauna of the Miocene period, with a synopsis of the extinct Cetacea of the United States, Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia 19 4, 138-157
Du Bus B. Sur quelques mammiferes du crag d'Anvers, Bulletins de L'Academie Royale des Sciences, des Lettres et des Beaux-Arts 24, 562-577
Gill T. Synopsis of the primary subdivisions of the cetaceans, Communications of the Essex Institute 6, 121-126
Vanden Broeck E. Esquisse Geologique & paleontologique des depots Pliocenes des Environs d'Anvers, Memoires de la Societe Malacologiques de Belgique 9, 87-374
Trouessart E. L. , Catalogus mammalium tam viventium quam fossilum 5, 665-1264
Hay O. P. (1902) , Bibliography and Catalogue of the Fossil Vertebrata of North America. Bulletin of the United States Geological Survey 179, 1-868
Palmer T. S. (1904) Index generum mammalium: a list of the genera and families of mammals, North American Fauna 23, 1-984
Trouessart E. L. (1904) , Catalogus Mammalium Tam Viventium Quam Fossilium, Fourth Edition, 1-929
Dollo L. (1909) The fossil vertebrates of Belgium, Annals of the New York Academy of Science 19 4, 99-119
Kellogg R. (1922) Pinnipeds from Miocene and Pleistocene deposits of California, University of California Publications in Geological Sciences 13 4, 23-132
Hay O. P. (1930) Second Bibliography and Catalogue of the Fossil Vertebrata of North America, Carnegie Institution of Washington 390 II, 1-1074
Simpson G. G. (1945) The principles of classification and a classification of mammals, Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 85, 1-350
Mitchell E. D. (1968) The Mio-Pliocene pinniped Imagotaria, Journal of the Fisheries Research Board of Canada 25 9, 1843-1900
Ray C. E. (1975) The relationshiops of Hemicaulodon effodiens Cope 1869 (Mammalia; Odobenidae), Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington 88 26, 282-304
Barnes L. G. (1977) Outline of eastern North Pacific fossil cetacean assemblages, Systematic Zoology 25 4, 321-343
Repenning C. A., Tedford R. H. (1977) Otarioid seals of the Neogene, United States Geological Survey Professional Paper 992, 1-93
Carroll R. L. (1988) , Vertebrate Paleontology and Evolution, 1-698
Barnes L. G. (1989) A new enaliarctine pinniped from the Astoria Formation, Oregon, and a classification of the Otariidae (Mammalia: Carnivora), Contributions in Science 403, 1-26
Morgan G. S. (1994) Miocene and Pliocene marine mammal faunas from the Bone Valley Formation of central Florida, Contributions in Marine Mammal Paleontology Honoring Frank C. Whitmore Jr., Proceedings of the San Diego Society of Natural History 29, 239-268
Horikawa H. (1995) A primitive odobenine walrus of Early Pliocene age from Japan, The Island Arc 3, 309-328
Geraads D. (1997) Carnivores du Pliocene terminal de Ahl al Oughlam (Casablanca, Maroc), GĂ©obios 30 1, 127-164
McKenna M. C., Bell S. K. (1997) , Classification of Mammals Above the Species Level, 1-640
Sepkoski, Jr. J. J. (2002) A compendium of fossil marine animal genera, Bulletins of American Paleontology 363, 1-560
Deméré T. A., Berta A., et al (2003) Pinnipedimorph evolutionary biogeography, Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 279, 32-76
Kohno N. (2006) A new Miocene odobenid (Mammalia: Carnivora) from Hokkaido, Japan, and its implications for odobenid phylogeny, Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 26 2, 411-421
Barnes L. G. (2008) Otarioidea, Evolution of Tertiary Mammals of North America 2, 523-541
Kohno N., Ray C. E. (2008) Pliocene walruses from the Yorktown Formation of Virginia and North Carolina, and a systematic revision of the North Atlantic Pliocene walruses, Virginia Museum of Natural History Special Publication 14, 39-80
Uhen M. D., Fordyce R. E., et al (2008) Odontoceti, Evolution of Tertiary Mammals of North America II, 566-606
Berta A. (2009) Pinniped Evolution, Encyclopedia of Marine Mammal Evolution, 861-868
Werdelin L., Peigne S. (2010) Carnivora, Cenozoic Mammals of Africa, 603-657
Boessenecker R. W., Churchill M. (2013) A Reevaluation of the Morphology, Paleoecology, and Phylogenetic Relationships of the Enigmatic Walrus Pelagiarctos, PLoS One 8 1, e5411
Berta A. (2017) , The Rise of Marine Mammals: 50 Million Years of Evolution, 1-198
Berta A. (2018) Pinniped evolution, Encyclopedia of Marine Mammals, 712-722
Berta A., Churchill M., et al (2018) The Origin and Evolutionary Biology of Pinnipeds: Seals, Sea Lions, and Walruses, Annual Review of Earth and Planetary Sciences 46, 203-228 doi:10.1146/annurev-earth-082517-010009
Boessenecker S. J., Boessenecker R. W., et al (2018) Youngest record of the extinct walrus Ontocetus emmonsi from the Early Pleistocene of South Carolina and a review of North Atlantic walrus biochronology, Acta Palaeontologica Polonica 63 2, 279-286 doi:10.4202/app.00454.2018
Magallanes I., Parham J. F., et al (2018) A new tuskless walrus from the Miocene of Orange County, California, with comments on the diversity and taxonomy of odobenids, PeerJ 6, e5708 doi:10.7717/peerj.5708
Albright L. B., Sanders A. E., et al (2019) Cenozoic vertebrate biostratigraphy of South Carolina, U.S.A. and additions to the fauna, Bulletin of the Florida Museum of Natural History 57 2, 77-236
GBIF/Paleo Database - via The Interim Register of Marine and Nonmarine Genera
Nomenclator Zoologicus. A list of the names of genera and subgenera in zoology from the tenth edition of Linnaeus, 1758 to the end of 2004. Digitised by uBio from vols. 1-9 of Neave (ed.), 1939-1996 plus supplementary digital-only volume. http://ubio.org/NomenclatorZoologicus (as at 2006). - via The Interim Register of Marine and Nonmarine Genera
Sepkoski, J. J., Jr. (2002). A compendium of fossil marine animal genera. Bulletins of American Paleontology. 363, 1-560. - via The Interim Register of Marine and Nonmarine Genera
Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philad., 1859 - via The Interim Register of Marine and Nonmarine Genera
Data courtesy of: PBDB: The Paleobiology Database, Creative Commons CC-BY licenced. , GBIF: the Global Biodiversity Information Facility, various licences, iDigBio, various licences, and EOL: The Encyclopedia of Life (Open Data Public Domain). Because fossils are made of minerals too!
 
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