Vanbreenia
Extinct genus of toothed whale
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Vanbreenia is an extinct genus of toothed whale from the Miocene epoch, containing only the species Vanbreenia trigonia.[2] Its fossils have been found in the Miste area of Winterswijk in the Netherlands.[3]
| Vanbreenia | |
|---|---|
| |
| A hypothetical reconstruction of the skull of V. trigonia. | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Artiodactyla |
| Infraorder: | Cetacea |
| Family: | †Eurhinodelphinidae |
| Genus: | †Vanbreenia Bianucci & Landini, 2002[1] |
| Species: | †V. trigonia |
| Binomial name | |
| †Vanbreenia trigonia Bianucci & Landini, 2002[2] | |
Etymology
Vanbreenia was named after Dr. P.J.H. van Bree from the Zoological Museum Amsterdam. Its grammatical gender (in Latin) is feminine.[4]
Description
V. trigonia is small compared to other odontocete genera, and has a shorter rostrum as well, with a length of 90 millimeters, and a width and height of 95 and 47 millimeters and its base, respectively. Its shorter rostrum likely gave it swimming maneuverability to avoid predators and capture prey.[4]
