Ninjadelphis is an extinct genus of river dolphin from the early Miocene (Burdigalian) of Japan.

Ninjadelphis
Temporal range: Miocene 17 Ma
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Artiodactyla
Infraorder: Cetacea
Superfamily: Platanistoidea
Family: Allodelphinidae
Genus: Ninjadelphis
Kimura and Barnes, 2016
Species:
N. ujiharai
Binomial name
Ninjadelphis ujiharai
Kimura and Barnes, 2016

The generic name refers to the fact that the type locality, Iga, was a training center in Japan for ninja warriors.[1]

Description edit

Ninjadelphis is distinguished from other allodelphinids by having a trapezoidal shaped exposure of frontals on cranial vertex, a nuchal crest partly overhanging posterior end of maxilla, a wider basioccipital, and basioccipital crests widely diverging posteriorly .[1]

References edit

  1. ^ a b Toshiyuki Kimura and Lawrence G. Barnes (2016). New Miocene fossil Allodelphinidae (Cetacea, Odontoceti, Platanistoidea) from the North Pacific Ocean. Bulletin of the Gunma Museum of Natural History 20: 1–58.