Brachydelphis
Brachydelphis is a genus of pontoporiid known from the Late Miocene Pisco Formation of Peru and the Bahía Inglesa Formation of Chile.
| Brachydelphis Temporal range: Late Miocene ~ | |
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| Brachydelphis skull | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Artiodactyla |
| Infraorder: | Cetacea |
| Family: | Pontoporiidae |
| Genus: | †Brachydelphis De Muizon 1988 |
| Species | |
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Taxonomy
Two species are recognized, B. jahuayensis and B. mazeasi. B. mazeasi has a shortened rostrum that gives Brachydelphis its name,[1] B. jahuayensis differs from the type species in having a longer snout and higher tooth count.[2]
Biology
Brachydelphis mazeasi was capable of suction-feeding judging from its short rostrum, but the longer rostrum of B. jahauyensis allowed it to capture small prey items.[2]
References
- C. de Muizon. 1988. Les vertebres fossiles de la Formation Pisco (Perou). Troisieme partie: Les Odontocetes (Cetacea, Mammalia) du Miocene. Editions Recherche sur les Civilisations (78)1-244.
- O. Lambert and C. de Muizon. 2013. A new long-snouted species of the Miocene pontoporiid dolphin Brachydelphis and a review of the Mio-Pliocene marine mammal levels in the Sacaco Basin, Peru. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 33(3):709-721
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