Maiabalaena
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Maiabalaena Temporal range: Early Oligocene, | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Artiodactyla |
| Infraorder: | Cetacea |
| Genus: | †Maiabalaena Peredo et al., 2018 |
| Species: | †M. nesbittae |
| Binomial name | |
| †Maiabalaena nesbittae Peredo et al., 2018 | |
Maiabalaena is an extinct genus of baleen whale from the Oligocene of Oregon 33 million years ago consisting of one species: M. nesbittae. It lacks any form of dentition, indicating that baleen whales first evolved tooth loss before evolving baleen. It was likely an efficient suction feeder.[1] The species name is in honor of Washington state's leading paleontologist, Elizabeth Nesbitt.
