Idiorophus is a genus of toothed whales in the family Physeteridae. Fossils have been found in the Colhuehuapian Gaiman Formation of Argentina and the Libano Sandstone in Italy.[1]

Idiorophus
Temporal range: Early Miocene
~20.43–15.97 Ma
I. patagonicus
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Artiodactyla
Infraorder: Cetacea
Family: Physeteridae
Genus: Idiorophus
Kellogg, 1925
Species
  • I. bolzanensis Dal Piaz, 1916
  • I. patagonicus Lydekker, 1894
Synonyms
  • Apenophyseter Cabrera, 1926

The teeth of Idiorophus were similar in size to those of the modern orca.[2]

References edit

  1. ^ "Idiorophus at Fossilworks".
  2. ^ Hampe, O. (2006). "Middle/late Miocene hoplocetine sperm whale remains (Odontoceti: Physeteridae) of North Germany with an emended classification of the Hoplocetinae". Fossil Record. 9 (1): 61–86. doi:10.1002/mmng.200600002.

Further reading edit

  • R. Kellogg. 1925. Two physeteroid whales from California. Contributions to Palaeontology from the Carnegie Institution of Washington 348(1):1–35
  • R. Lydekker. 1894. Cetacean skulls from Patagonia. Anales del Museo de la Plata II:1–13