A new Beneziphius beaked whale from the ocean floor off Galicia, Spain and biostratigraphic reassessment of the type species

Although the fossil record of beaked whales (Cetacea, Odontoceti, Ziphiidae) is continuously improving, the geological age of new taxa is often poorly constrained. Based on a partial cranium from deep seafloor deposits off Galicia, Spain, we describe a new species of the stem beaked whale genus Beneziphius, B. cetariensis sp. nov. The latter differs from the type species B. brevirostris in the larger size, the rostrum being proportionally longer, the premaxillae being longer than the maxillae at the apex of the rostrum, the left premaxillary sac fossa being transversely concave, and the ascending process of the premaxilla reaching the vertical. Considering that the stratigraphic context of deep-sea deposits off the Iberian Peninsula is not precisely known, we provisionally propose an extended, middle Miocene to early Pliocene interval for the geological age of B. cetariensis. Nonetheless, the palynological analysis of sediment sampled from cavities in the cranium of the holotype of B. brevirostris, discovered during the second part of the nineteenth century in inland deposits of Antwerp (north of Belgium), yield an early to mid-Serravallian age (13.2-12.8 Ma, late middle Miocene). B. brevirostris is thus the oldest described species of the "Messapicetus clade", a large clade of stem ziphiids in which most species are dated from the late Miocene. The description of the Galician species B. cetariensis broadens the biogeographic distribution of Beneziphius and confirms the strong ziphiid faunal affinities between the eastern coast of the North Atlantic and the southern margin of the North Sea Basin

Ballenato de Cuvier – Ziphius cavirostris (Cuvier, 1823)

Mamíferos - Orden Cetacea - Familia Ziphiidae en la Enciclopedia Virtual de Vertebrados Españoles, http://www.vertebradosibericos.org/. Versión: 15-09-2017A comprehensive review of the natural history of the Cuvier's Beaked Whale Ziphius cavirostris in Spain.Peer reviewe

Hallazgos de restos fósiles de Hyperoodon sp. (Cetacea, Ziphiidae) en las costas gallegas (NO España)

The frequent finding of fossil data of cetaceans in the Galician deep seas reveals us the existence of a very important cetacean paleontological deposit that placement is over 300 meters deep. Moreover the discovering of Globicephalinae rostra, mysticets tympanics and other rests highly degraded, the findings of two Hyperoodon sp. skulls from Miocene which are in a excellent conservation condition suppose one of the rare evidences of the primitive Hyperoodon and probably it means new species no described yet more plesiomorfic than known ones in this genre.La aparición relativamente frecuente de restos fósiles de cetáceos en los fondos marinos de Galicia nos revela la existencia de un yacimiento de extremada importancia en la paleontología cetológica a más de 300 metros de profundidad. Más allá de la aparición frecuente de rostros de cetáceos Globicephalinae, tímpanos de misticetos y otros restos altamente degradados, la aparición de dos cráneos de Hyperoodon sp. fosilizados del mioceno en un excelente estado de conservación constituyen una de las muy escasas evidencias fósiles de Hyperoodon y posiblemente representan a una especie aún no descripta más plesiomórfica que las conocidas actualmente para este género

Ballenato hocicudo de Blainville – Mesoplodon densirostris (Blainville, 1817)

Mamíferos - Orden Cetacea - Familia Ziphiidae en la Enciclopedia Virtual de Vertebrados Españoles, http://www.vertebradosibericos.org/. Versiones anteriores: 22-06-2011A comprehensive review of the natural history of the Blainville's Beaked Whale Mesoplodon densirostris in Spain.Peer reviewe

Orca – Orcinus orca (Linnaeus, 1758)

Mamíferos - Orden Cetacea - Familia Delphinidae en la Enciclopedia Virtual de Vertebrados Españoles, http://www.vertebradosibericos.org/. Versiones anteriores: 20-06-2011A comprehensive review of the natural history of the Killer Whale Orcinus orca in Spain.Peer reviewe

Tusciziphius Bianucci 1997

Genus <i>Tusciziphius</i> Bianucci, 1997 <p> TYPE SPECIES. <i>—</i> <i>Tusciziphius crispus</i> Bianucci, 1997, from Tuscany (Italy), early Pliocene, calcareous nannofossil zone MNN14-15 (Bianucci <i>et al.</i> 2001).</p> <p> OTHER SPECIES INCLUDED. — <i>Tusciziphius atlanticus</i> n. sp.</p> <p> EMENDED DIAGNOSIS. — <i>Tusciziphius</i> differs from all other ziphiines except <i>Imocetus</i> n. gen. and <i>Globicetus</i> n. gen. in having an extremely ossified trapezoidal vertex in which the anterior part of the nasals contact the premaxillary crests. It differs from <i>Globicetus</i> n. gen. and <i>Imocetus</i> n. gen. in the extreme widening and anterior projection of the right premaxillary crest, and in the lesser posterior constriction of the vertex; it further differs from <i>Globicetus</i> n. gen. in lacking a large spherical medial premaxillary rostral prominence; it further differs from <i>Imocetus</i> in lacking a wide facial depression, a rostral maxillary spur-shaped crest, and in having the premaxillary foramen not located posterior to the level of the antorbital notch. Among the other ziphiine genera it further differs from <i>Ziphius</i> and <i>Izikoziphius</i> in the medial fusion of the premaxillae closing the mesorostral groove; it further differs from the possible ziphiine <i>Caviziphius</i> in the shallower excavation of the premaxillary sac fossae.</p>Published as part of <i>Bianucci, Giovanni, Miján, Ismael, Lambert, Olivier, Post, Klaas & Mateus, Octávio, 2013, Bizarre fossil beaked whales (Odontoceti, Ziphiidae) fished from the Atlantic Ocean floor off the Iberian Peninsula, pp. 105-153 in Geodiversitas 35 (1)</i> on page 116, DOI: 10.5252/g2013n1a6, <a href="http://zenodo.org/record/5379815">http://zenodo.org/record/5379815</a&gt

Imocetus Bianucci & Miján & Lambert & Post & Mateus 2013, n. gen.

Genus <i>Imocetus</i> n. gen. <p> TYPE AND ONLY SPECIES. — <i>Imocetus piscatus</i> n. sp., by present designation.</p> <p>ETYMOLOGY. — From Latin “imum”, bottom, because it was trawled on the sea floor, and from Latin “cetus”, whale. Gender masculine.</p> <p>DIAGNOSIS. — Same as for the species.</p>Published as part of <i>Bianucci, Giovanni, Miján, Ismael, Lambert, Olivier, Post, Klaas & Mateus, Octávio, 2013, Bizarre fossil beaked whales (Odontoceti, Ziphiidae) fished from the Atlantic Ocean floor off the Iberian Peninsula, pp. 105-153 in Geodiversitas 35 (1)</i> on page 130, DOI: 10.5252/g2013n1a6, <a href="http://zenodo.org/record/5379815">http://zenodo.org/record/5379815</a&gt

Caviziphius Bianucci & Post 2005

Genus Caviziphius Bianucci & Post, 2005 TYPE AND ONLY SPECIES. — Caviziphius altirostris Bianucci & Post, 2005, known from a single specimen from Steendorp (Belgium), probably late Miocene (Bianucci & Post 2005).Published as part of Bianucci, Giovanni, Miján, Ismael, Lambert, Olivier, Post, Klaas & Mateus, Octávio, 2013, Bizarre fossil beaked whales (Odontoceti, Ziphiidae) fished from the Atlantic Ocean floor off the Iberian Peninsula, pp. 105-153 in Geodiversitas 35 (1) on page 136, DOI: 10.5252/g2013n1a6, http://zenodo.org/record/537981

Ziphirostrum du Bus 1868

Genus Ziphirostrum du Bus, 1868 TYPE SPECIES. — Ziphirostrum marginatum du Bus, 1868, from Antwerp (Belgium), late Miocene (Lambert 2005). OTHER SPECIES INCLUDED. — Ziphirostrum recurvus (du Bus, 1968) and Z. turniense du Bus, 1868.Published as part of Bianucci, Giovanni, Miján, Ismael, Lambert, Olivier, Post, Klaas & Mateus, Octávio, 2013, Bizarre fossil beaked whales (Odontoceti, Ziphiidae) fished from the Atlantic Ocean floor off the Iberian Peninsula, pp. 105-153 in Geodiversitas 35 (1) on page 139, DOI: 10.5252/g2013n1a6, http://zenodo.org/record/537981

Ziphiinae Gray 1850

Subfamily ZIPHIINAE Gray, 1850 <p> TYPE GENUS. — <i>Ziphius</i> Cuvier, 1823.</p> <p> OTHER GENERA INCLUDED. — <i>Choneziphius</i> Duvernoy, 1851, <i>Globicetus</i> n. gen., <i>Imocetus</i> n. gen., <i>Izikoziphius</i> Bianucci, Lambert & Post, 2007, <i>Tusciziphius</i> Bianucci, 1997, and possibly <i>Caviziphius</i> Bianucci & Post, 2005.</p> <p> EMENDED DIAGNOSIS. — With the exception of <i>Izikoziphius</i> and <i>Ziphius</i>, members of the subfamily Ziphiinae differ from all other Ziphiidae in the dorsal closure of the mesorostral groove by medial sutural contact of the premaxillae extending posteriorly until the bony nares. With the exception of <i>Choneziphius</i> and <i>Imocetus</i> n. gen., they further differ from all other Ziphiidae in having very elongated nasals with the anterior tip of nasals located anterior to the premaxillary crests (ratio between length of medial suture of nasals and maximum width of nasals> 1.1). ffley further differ from all other Ziphiidae, with the exception of the clade formed by <i>Africanacetus</i> Bianucci, Lambert & Post, 2007, <i>Hyperoodon</i>, <i>Ihlengesi</i> Bianucci, Lambert & Post, 2007, and <i>Mesoplodon</i> Gervais, 1850, in having the ascending process of the premaxilla concave in lateral view, with the posterodorsal portion partly overhanging the bony nares (apart from <i>Choneziphius planirostris</i> (Cuvier, 1823), with bony nares still visible in dorsal view). ffley further differ from all other Ziphiidae, except <i>Beneziphius, Messapicetus</i>, and <i>Ziphirostrum,</i> in having the left premaxillary crest anterolaterally directed.</p>Published as part of <i>Bianucci, Giovanni, Miján, Ismael, Lambert, Olivier, Post, Klaas & Mateus, Octávio, 2013, Bizarre fossil beaked whales (Odontoceti, Ziphiidae) fished from the Atlantic Ocean floor off the Iberian Peninsula, pp. 105-153 in Geodiversitas 35 (1)</i> on page 110, DOI: 10.5252/g2013n1a6, <a href="http://zenodo.org/record/5379815">http://zenodo.org/record/5379815</a&gt