Eophyseter
Extinct genus of sperm whale from the Pliocene epoch
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Eophyseter is a genus of extinct physeterid sperm whale from the Pliocene epoch of Italy. It contains one known species: Eophyseter damarcoi, the remains of which were found in the Sabbie d'Asti Formation in the municipality of Vigliano d'Asti. The holotype specimen, MGPT-PU 13864, is relatively complete, consisting of a partial skeleton including most of the vertebral column, a partial left flipper and sternum, fifteen ribs and one chevron. The generic name derives from the Ancient Greek words for dawn (ήώς) and blower (φυσώ). The specific name honors Piero Damarco, who facilitated the preparation of the holotype specimen.[1]
| Eophyseter Temporal range: [1] | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Artiodactyla |
| Infraorder: | Cetacea |
| Family: | Physeteridae |
| Genus: | †Eophyseter Bisconti et al., 2025 |
| Type species | |
| †Eophyseter damarcoi Bisconti et al., 2025 | |
Phylogenetic analysis by Michelangelo Bisconti and colleagues recovers Eophyseter within the family Physeteridae, placing it as sister to Idiophyseter and as a close relative to Aulophyseter and the modern sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus). Using four equations derived from measurements taken from extant sperm whales, Bisconti and colleagues estimated the mean skeletal length of Eophyseter at 12.83 m (42.1 ft), and its total body length to have been 15.1 m (50 ft) in life.[1]
