Published In
PeerJ
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
2020
Subjects
Paleoceanography -- Oregon, Biogeography -- Pacific Ocean
Abstract
Background: Basilosaurid archaeocetes are known from the Late Eocene of virtually all coastlines bearing coeval marine rocks except the North Pacific Basin, until now. Here we report on three consecutive posterior thoracic vertebrae of a large, basilosaurid archaeocete from a Late Eocene horizon in the Keasey Formation in Oregon.
Methods: These vertebrae were morphologically and morphometrically compared to other vertebrae of similar age from around the world.
Results: The specimens were determined to be different from all currently named species of fossil cetacean, but most similar to those found in the Gulf Coast region of North America. These vertebrae represent the first confirmed specimen of a Late Eocene basilosaurid from the North Pacific. These and other basilosaurids known only from vertebrae are reviewed here in the context of Late Eocene paleoceanography and cetacean evolution.
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DOI
10.7717/peerj.9809
Persistent Identifier
https://archives.pdx.edu/ds/psu/34024
Citation Details
Uhen, M. D., & Taylor, D. (2020). A basilosaurid archaeocete (Cetacea, Pelagiceti) from the Late Eocene of Oregon, USA. PeerJ, 8, e9809.
Description
Copyright (c) 2020 The Authors
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.