Title
An Amphibious Whale from the Middle Eocene of Peru Reveals Early South Pacific Dispersal of Quadrupedal Cetaceans
Date Issued
22 April 2019
Access level
open access
Resource Type
journal article
Author(s)
Lambert O.
Bianucci G.
Di Celma C.
Steurbaut E.
de Muizon C.
Publisher(s)
Cell Press
Abstract
Lambert et al. describe a new cetacean from the middle Eocene of Peru, characterized by retention of terrestrial locomotion abilities and a significant contribution of the tail for swimming. This first indisputable quadrupedal whale from the Pacific Ocean supports early dispersal of amphibious cetaceans to the New World across the South Atlantic.
Start page
1352
End page
1359.e3
Volume
29
Issue
8
Language
English
OCDE Knowledge area
Paleontología
Subjects
Scopus EID
2-s2.0-85064321019
PubMed ID
Source
Current Biology
ISSN of the container
09609822
Sponsor(s)
We thank W. Aguirre, A. Altamirano-Sierra, E. Díaz, K. Post, N. Valencia, and R. Varas-Malca for their help during fieldwork in November 2011; W. Aguirre for the careful preparation of MUSM 3580; R. Varas-Malca for giving access to the MUSM collection; A Gennari for preparing the life reconstructions of Peregocetus pacificus; J.H. Geisler for providing the nexus version of his recently updated morphological character-taxon matrix; M.D. Uhen for preliminary discussions on protocetid anatomy, for encouraging the study of this specimen, and for his contribution to the Paleobiology Database; and four anonymous reviewers for their constructive comments. Field expedition during which the skeleton MUSM 3580 has been collected was funded by the Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle , Paris (Action Transversale “Biodiversité Actuelle et Fossile” 2011). Geological and stratigraphical field investigations were supported by a grant of the Italian Ministero dell’Istruzione dell’Università e della Ricerca (PRIN Project 2012YSBMK ).
Sources of information:
Directorio de Producción Científica
Scopus