Acrophyseter Temporal range: Late Miocene
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Acrophyseter deinodon skull | |
Scientific classification | |
Missing taxonomy template (fix): | Acrophyseter deinodon |
Binomial name | |
Acrophyseter deinodon Lambert, Bianucci & Muizon, 2008
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Acrophyseter is a genus of stem-sperm whales that lived around 6 million years ago. Much smaller than today's sperm whales at around 4 meters, A. deinodon had a relatively short rostrum and upwardly curved jaw. Also unlike sperm whales, it had large teeth on both the top and bottom of the jaw. "Deinodon" means "terrible tooth," and due to these large teeth and structure of the mouth Acrophyseter appears to have fed on large animals such as smaller whales, pinnipeds, and penguins.[1]
References
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