Eurhinodelphis
Temporal range:
Skeleton of E. longirostris
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Artiodactyla
Infraorder: Cetacea
Family: †Eurhinodelphinidae
Genus: †Eurhinodelphis
Du Bus, 1867
Species
  • E. cocheuteuxi Du Bus, 1867(type)
  • E. longirostris Du Bus, 1872

Eurhinodelphis ("well-nosed dolphin") is an extinct genus of Miocene cetacean. Its fossils have been found in Belgium, France, and Maryland.

Species

Currently-valid species are:[1]

  • E. cocheuteuxi
  • E. longirostris

Former species include:

Description

Reconstructions of Macrodelphinus and E. longirostris

Eurhinodelphis was around 2 metres (6.6 ft) in length. In most respects, it would have looked like a modern dolphin or porpoise, but its upper jaw was elongated into a sharp tip similar to that of a swordfish. Most likely, Eurhinodelphis used it in a similar manner to swordfish, hitting or stabbing prey. It also had long, sharp teeth.[2]

Compared with earlier fossil species, Eurhinodelphis had complex ears, suggesting that it already hunted by echolocation like modern whales. Its brain was also asymmetrical, a trait found in modern dolphins, and possibly associated with the complexities of navigating its environment.[2]

History

Eurhinodelphis was first described by B. Du Bus in a paper read before the Royal Academy of Sciences of Belgium on 17 December 1867. O. Abel studied and illustrated the European species in a series of articles published in 1901, 1902 and 1905; subsequently, fossil skulls found in the Calvert Formation in Maryland and Virginia could be attributed to this genus.

References

  1. ↑ "Eurhinodelphis Van Beneden & Gervais, 1880". www.gbif.org. Retrieved 2023-04-13.
  2. 1 2 Palmer, D., ed. (1999). The Marshall Illustrated Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs and Prehistoric Animals. London: Marshall Editions. p. 232. ISBN 1-84028-152-9.


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