Aulophyseter
Genus of mammals
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Aulophyseter is an extinct genus of sperm whales from the subfamily Physeterinae that existed during the Miocene.
| Aulophyseter Temporal range: Mid-Late Miocene | |
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| 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[1] |
| Species | |
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History of discovery
Fossils of Aulophyseter have been found in:[2]
- Oidawara Formation, Japan
- United States
Description
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.[5]
