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Denebola brachycephala

Mammals

Denebola brachycephala is an extinct whale of the family Monodontidae and the only known species of the genus Denebola, which should not be confused with the star of the same name. It was described by Barnes in 1984 from a fossil found on the Baja California peninsula in Mexico. Wikipedia calls it the earliest known ancestor of the beluga, Delphinapterus leucas, and dates it to the Upper Miocene; the Paleobiology Database places it in the Messinian age between about 7.2 and 5.3 million years ago, with one recorded occurrence. Because the fossil came from the Baja California peninsula, it is taken as a sign that the family once lived in warmer waters than the Arctic ones the living narwhal and beluga inhabit.

Facts
Classification
Diet
Piscivore 1
System (Realm)
Marine and Freshwater 1
Living or Extinct
No 2
Connections

Child Taxon Of

Monodontidae, Taxa
Source Denebola brachycephala (Wikipedia)

In Biome

Marine, Biomes
Source Paleobiology Database: Paleobiology Database taxon record for Denebola brachycephala
In the Other Atlases

Found In

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Source Denebola brachycephala (Wikipedia)Lead, fossil locality
Quote, Lead, fossil locality
A fossil was found in the Baja California peninsula
Sources
1. Paleobiology Database: Paleobiology Database taxon record for Denebola brachycephala
Paleobiology Database
  • Ecospace, diet
    "jdt": "piscivore"
  • Ecospace, environment
    "jev": "marine,freshwater"
View the Source
2. Paleobiology Database: Paleobiology Database taxon record for Denebola brachycephala
Paleobiology DatabaseTaxon record, extinction flag
Quote, Taxon record, extinction flag
"ext": "0"
View the Source
Denebola brachycephala (Wikipedia)
  • In Group: Cetaceans (Whales, Dolphins and Porpoises), Lead, cetacean
    Denebola is an extinct genus of whale belonging to the family Monodontidae.
  • Child Taxon Of: Monodontidae, Lead, family
    Denebola is an extinct genus of whale belonging to the family Monodontidae.
View the Source
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