Brandtocetus, a new genus of baleen whales (Cetacea, Cetotheriidae) from the late Miocene of Crimea, Ukraine

ABSTRACT

A new cetotheriid baleen whale, Brandtocetus chongulek, gen. et sp. nov., is described from the late Miocene of Crimea, Ukraine. The type series is represented by three partial skulls with periotic bones and tympanic bullae, one of the three belonging to a juvenile. Brandtocetus chongulek has transversely expanded squamosals, ‘S’-shaped nuchal crests, an anterior margin of the occipital shield extending anterior to the center of the temporal fossa, and an elongated posterior process of the tympanoperiotic. The tympanoperiotic and postglenoid process of the squamosal are typical of cetotheriines (as opposed to herpetocetines). Comparison of the juvenile specimen with adults shows no differences in tympanoperiotic anatomy, moderate squamosal growth, and significant growth of the neurocranium after the age of at least 1 year. The phylogenetic analysis including 13 cetotheriids supports the monophyly of Cetotheriidae sensu stricto and suggests the monophyly of whales from the Eastern Paratethys (Brandtocetus, Cetotherium, Kurdalagonus, and possibly Eucetotherium). Brandtocetus and other cetotheriids from the Black Sea region possess cranial features hypothesized to be adaptations to a generalized filter feeding strategy combining different modes of suction feeding.

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

We sincerely thank V. Serbin, E. Gladilina, K. Vishnyakova, Y. Lyashenko, E. Kushnir, O. Savenko, A. Vishnyakov, and A. Miroshnichenko for their help in field excursions and finding the specimens; S. Kuchmarov for donating the holotype to TNU; L. Godlevska and E. Gol’din for their help in delivering the specimen to TNU Museum; A. Olshtynska and Y. Vernigorova for data on the age of field sites; M. Rakhmanina, V. Stolbova, and E. Popova (NUMRMU), T. Krakhmalnaya and D. Ivanoff (NMNH-P), and A. Kunpilova, D. Zotov, and F. Dzhigunova (NMRA) for their help in our work with the museum collections in their care; N. Kryukova and S. Blokhin for providing photographs of gray whale skulls; M. Steeman and F. Marx for discussing cetacean taxonomy and anatomy and for providing photographs of Neogene mysticetes; F. Marx and T. Deméré for reviews of the earlier draft of the manuscript; E. Fitzgerald for the editor's remarks; and N. Kaloshina for proofreading the manuscript. This study was partially supported by the Sepkoski grant from the Paleontological Society International Research Program.

Handling editor: Erich Fitzgerald