Rhaphicetus
Genus of toothed whales
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Rhaphicetus is an extinct genus of physeteroid whale that lived in Peru in the lower Miocene epoch around 19-18 million years ago. This genus contains one species, Raphicetus valenciae, representing one of the earliest branching stem physteroid.[1]
| Rhaphicetus Temporal range: Early Miocene | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Reconstruction of the skull | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Artiodactyla |
| Infraorder: | Cetacea |
| Superfamily: | Physeteroidea |
| Family: | †Incertae sedis |
| Genus: | †Rhaphicetus Lambert et al., 2020 |
| Species: | †R. valenciae |
| Binomial name | |
| †Rhaphicetus valenciae Lambert et al., 2020 | |
Description
This genus is medium sized with a estimated length of 4.7–5.7 metres (15–19 ft). It has a narrow and cylindrical rostrum that comprises nearly 75% of the condylobasal length. The upper jaw has at least 36 teeth per quadrant.[1]
