A new genus of kentriodontid (Cetacea: Odontoceti) from the Miocene of south Italy

ABSTRACT

The holotype of Priscodelphinus squalodontoides Capellini, 1878 and a second, more complete skull both derive from Miocene sediments of the Salento Peninsula (southern Italy). They are ascribed to Rudicetus, a new genus within the Kentriodontidae (Odontoceti, Cetacea). Rudicetus is characterized by a nearly symmetrical skull, condylobasal skull length of about 450 mm, rostrum 60 percent of the condylobasal length of skull, about 30 teeth in the upper tooth row, posterior teeth with accessory denticles, wide and knob-like premaxillary terminations, wide, flat and low vertex, nasals smaller than frontals at vertex, rectilinear anterior margin of nasal, nasal-frontal suture anteriorly convex, relatively narrow posterior portion of skull with occipital shield laterally constricted, and slender and anteroposteriorly elongated zygomatic process of squamosal. Rudicetus is referred to the subfamily Kentriodontinae because of its flat, wide, and low vertex. Rudicetus squalodontoides confirms the presence of kentriodontids from Italy and the Mediterranean Basin, as all previous reports were based on fragmentary specimens.