Cynthiacetus
Encyclopedia
Cynthiacetus is an extinct genus
of cetacean
archaeocete
, belonging to the family Basilosauridae
. Lived during the Upper Eocene 38 million years ago. Was found in the southeastern United States
, Egypt
and Peru
. Its skull was similar in size and morphology to Basilosaurus
, but unlike it had no elongated dorsal vertebrae.
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
of cetacean
Cetacea
The order Cetacea includes the marine mammals commonly known as whales, dolphins, and porpoises. Cetus is Latin and is used in biological names to mean "whale"; its original meaning, "large sea animal", was more general. It comes from Ancient Greek , meaning "whale" or "any huge fish or sea...
archaeocete
Archaeoceti
Archaeocetes, or "ancient whales", are a paraphyletic group of cetaceans that gave rise to the modern cetaceans.The archaeocetes were once thought to have evolved from the mesonychids, based on dental characteristics...
, belonging to the family Basilosauridae
Basilosauridae
Basilosauridae is family of extinct cetaceans that lived in tropical seas during the late Eocene.-Taxonomy:*Family Basilosauridae** Subfamily Basilosaurinae*** Genus Basilosaurus*** Genus Basiloterus** Subfamily Dorudontinae...
. Lived during the Upper Eocene 38 million years ago. Was found in the southeastern United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
and Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
. Its skull was similar in size and morphology to Basilosaurus
Basilosaurus
Basilosaurus is a genus of cetacean that lived from in the Late Eocene. Its fossilized remains were first discovered in the southern United States . The American fossils were initially believed to be some sort of reptile, hence the suffix -"saurus", but later found to be a marine mammal...
, but unlike it had no elongated dorsal vertebrae.