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