Denebola brachycephala
| Denebola brachycephala Temporal range: | |
|---|---|
 | |
| D. brachycephala and Praekogia | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Artiodactyla |
| Infraorder: | Cetacea |
| Family: | Monodontidae |
| Genus: | † Barnes, 1984 |
| Species: | †D. brachycephala |
| Binomial name | |
| †Denebola brachycephala Barnes, 1984[1] | |
Denebola is an extinct genus of whale belonging to the family Monodontidae. It contains a single known species, Denebola brachycephala. It is the earliest known ancestor of the beluga, Delphinapterus leucas, and dates from the Upper Miocene period.[2] A fossil was found in the Baja California peninsula, indicating that the family once existed in warmer waters.[3]
References
- ^ Barnes, Lawrence G. (1984). "Fossil odontocetes (Mammalia: Cetacea) from the Almejas Formation, Isla Cedros, Mexico". PaleoBios. 42: 13–17.
- ^ ZipcodeZoo.com. "Denebola brachycephala". Archived from the original on 2012-08-20. Retrieved 2010-09-16.
- ^ William F. Perrin; Bernd G. Würsig; J. G. M. Thewissen (2009). Encyclopedia of marine mammals (2 ed.). Academic Press. p. 214. ISBN 978-0-12-373553-9.