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Messapicetus is an extinct genus of beaked whale from the Late Miocene. It currently holds two species, M. longirostris from the Tortonian of Italy^[1] and M. gregarius from the Pisco Formation of Peru.^[2] However, a third unnamed species is represented in the St. Marys Formation of Maryland known from fragmentary material.^[3] M. gregarius is sexually dimorphic, males having tusks which are hypothesized to have been used in intraspecific combat for mates as in extant (living) beaked whales.^[4]

Description

Messapicetus reached a body length of about 3–5 meters (9.8–16.4 ft).^[5] Unlike modern beaked whales, it retained numerous small, pointed teeth inside its jaw. This structure may be a transitional structure between inhalative feeding and grasping ability.^[6]

Palaeoecology

Messapicetus, found in Peru, coexisted with various biomes. Ancient beaked whales, including Messapicetus, would have been threatened by large predators in the region, such as Otodus megalodon, Livyatan melvillei, and Acrophyseter. Messapicetus and ancestors of great white shark, such as Carcharodon hastalis and Carcharodon hubbelli, which hunted marine mammals, had an ecological relationship similar to that between modern small beaked whales and great white sharks.^{[citation needed]}

References

^ “Messapicetus longirostris a new genus and species of Ziphiidae (Cetacea) from the Late Miocene of “Pietra leccese” (Apulia; Italy)”. arpi.unipi.it. Retrieved 2020-08-28.
^ Ramassamy, Benjamin; Lambert, Olivier; Collareta, Alberto; Urbina, Mario; Bianucci, Giovanni (2018-01-16). “Description of the skeleton of the fossil beaked whale <i>Messapicetus gregarius</i>: searching potential proxies for deep-diving abilities”. Fossil Record. 21 (1): 11–32. doi:10.5194/fr-21-11-2018. hdl:11568/956055. ISSN 2193-0074.
^ Fuller, Anna J.; Godfrey, Stephen J. (2007-06-12). “A late Miocene ziphiid (Messapicetus sp.: Odontoceti: Cetacea) from the St. Marys Formation of Calvert Cliffs, Maryland”. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 27 (2): 535–540. doi:10.1671/0272-4634(2007)27[535:ALMZMS]2.0.CO;2. ISSN 0272-4634. S2CID 85606021.
^ “Messapicetus spp. | College of Osteopathic Medicine | NYIT”. www.nyit.edu. Retrieved 2020-08-28.
^ “Messapicetus spp. | College of Osteopathic Medicine | NYIT”. www.nyit.edu. Retrieved 2020-08-28.
^ Bianucci, Giovanni & Collareta, Alberto & Post, Klaas & Varola, Angelo & Lambert, Olivier. (2016). A new record of Messapicetus from the Pietra Leccese (Late miocene, Southern Italy): Antitropical distribution in a fossil beaked Whale (Cetacea, Ziphiidae). Rivista Italiana di Paleontologia e Stratigrafia. 122. 63-74. 10.13130/2039-4942/6930.

Odontocete genera

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Artiodactyla
Infraorder: Cetacea

Odontoceti

†Agorophius †Ankylorhiza †Archaeodelphis †Argyrocetus †Ashleycetus †Caolodelphis †Chilcacetus †Enigmatocetus †Eoplatanista †Inticetus †Macrodelphinus †Microcetus †Mirocetus †Neosqualodon †Olympicetus †Papahu †Patriocetus †Phoberodon †Phococetus †Prosqualodon †Sachalinocetus †Simocetus †Sulakocetus †Tangaroasaurus
†Xenorophidae	Albertocetus Cotylocara Echovenator Inermorostrum Xenorophus
†Waipatiidae	Awamokoa Ediscetus Nihohae Nihoroa Otekaikea Urkudelphis Waipatia
†Squalodontidae	Eosqualodon Squalodon
†Squaloziphiidae	Crisocetus? Squaloziphius Yaquinacetus
†Eurhinodelphinidae	Ceterhinops Eurhinodelphis Iniopsis Mycteriacetus Phocaenopsis Schizodelphis Vanbreenia Xiphiacetus Ziphiodelphis
Crown-Odontoceti	see below↓

Crown-Odontoceti

Physeteroidea

†Acrophyseter †Albicetus †Brygmophyseter †Eudelphis †Hoplocetus †Livyatan †Miophyseter †Rhaphicetus †Scaldicetus †Zygophyseter
Kogiidae	†Aprixokogia Kogia †Koristocetus †Nanokogia †Platyscaphokogia †Pliokogia †Praekogia †Scaphokogia †Thalassocetus?
Physeteridae	†Aulophyseter †Cozzuoliphyseter †Diaphorocetus †Idiophyseter †Idiorophus †Orycterocetus Physeter †Physeterula †Placoziphius †Thalassocetus?

Platanistoidea

†Aondelphis †Dolgopolis †Ensidelphis †Perditicetus †Eurhinodelphinidae? †Squalodontidae? †Waipatiidae?
†Allodelphinidae?	Allodelphis Arktocara Goedertius Ninjadelphis Zarhinocetus
†Squalodelphinidae?	Furcacetus Huaridelphis Macrosqualodelphis Medocinia Notocetus Phocageneus Squalodelphis
Platanistidae	†Araeodelphis †Dilophodelphis †Grimadelphis †Pachyacanthus? †Pebanista Platanista †Pomatodelphis †Prepomatodelphis †Zarhachis?

Ziphiidae

†Aporotus †Beneziphius †Caviziphius †Chavinziphius †Chimuziphius †Choneziphius †Dagonodum †Globicetus †Imocetus †Messapicetus †Nazcacetus †Nenga †Ninoziphius †Notoziphius †Pterocetus Tasmacetus †Tusciziphius †Xhosacetus †Ziphirostrum
Berardiinae	†Archaeoziphius Berardius †Microberardius
Ziphiinae	†Izikoziphius Ziphius
Hyperoodontinae	†Africanacetus Hyperoodon †Ihlengesi Indopacetus Mesoplodon

Delphinida	see below↓

Delphinida

†Albireo †Atocetus †Brevirostrodelphis †Cammackacetus †Delphinodon †Hadrodelphis †Herbeinodelphis †Liolithax †Lophocetus †Macrokentriodon †Miminiacetus †Odobenocetops †Pictodelphis †Pithanodelphis †Tagicetus †Westmorelandelphis
†Kentriodontidae	Belonodelphis? Kampholophos Kentriodon Platysvercus Sophianacetus Rudicetus Wimahl
Lipotidae	Lipotes †Parapontoporia †Prolipotes

Inioidea

†Awadelphis
Iniidae	†Brujadelphis †Goniodelphis Inia †Ischyrorhynchus †Isoninia? †Isthminia †Kwanzacetus †Meherrinia †Plicodontinia †Saurocetes
Pontoporiidae	†Atocetus? †Auroracetus †Brachydelphis †Piscorhynchus †Pliopontos †Pontistes †Protophocaena †Samaydelphis †Scaldiporia †Stenasodelphis Pontoporia

Delphinoidea

Monodontidae	†Bohaskaia †Casatia Delphinapterus †Denebola †Haborodelphis Monodon
Phocoenidae	†Archaeophocaena †Australithax †Haborophocoena †Lomacetus †Miophocaena Neophocaena †Numataphocoena Phocoena Phocoenoides †Piscolithax †Pterophocaena? †Semirostrum †Septemtriocetus

Delphinidae

†Arimidelphis †Australodelphis †Eodelphinus †Etruridelphis †Hemisyntrachelus Lagenorhynchus Leucopleurus †Norisdelphis Orcinus †Platalearostrum †Pliodelphis †Pterophocaena?
Lissodelphininae	Aethalodelphis Cephalorhynchus Lissodelphis
Delphininae	Delphinus Lagenodelphis Sotalia Sousa Stenella Tursiops
Globicephalinae	Feresa Globicephala Grampus Orcaella Peponocephala Pseudorca Steno

Sample Page

Description

Palaeoecology

References