Africanacetus

Extinct genus of beaked whale

Africanacetus Temporal range: Late Miocene-Early Pliocene ~5.3–3.6 Ma PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N ↓
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Artiodactyla
Infraorder:	Cetacea
Family:	Ziphiidae
Genus:	†Africanacetus Bianucci et al. 2007
Species
†A. ceratopsis Bianucci et al. 2007 (type) †A. gracilis Ichishima et al. 2017

Africanacetus is an extinct genus of ziphiid cetacean known from skulls found in seafloor sediments of Late Miocene to Early Pliocene age off the coasts of South Africa (Banzare Bank) and Brazil (São Paulo Ridge).^[1]

Systematics

Two species are known, A. ceratopsis and A. gracilis. Both are distinguished by their cranial proportions, with A. gracilis having a more slender skull than A. ceratopsis.^[2]^[3]

References

^ Africanacetus at Fossilworks.org
^ G. Bianucci, O. Lambert, and K. Post. 2007. A high diversity in fossil beaked whales (Mammalia, Odontoceti, Ziphiidae) recovered by trawling from the sea floor off South Africa. Geodiversitas 29(4):561-618.
^ Ichishima, H., A.H.Augustin, T. Toyofuku, and H. Kitazato. 2016. A new species of Africanacetus (Odontoceti: Ziphiidae) found on the deep ocean floor off the coast of Brazil. Deep Sea Research Part II: Topical Studies in Oceanography. Online Early.

Odontocete genera

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Artiodactyla
Infraorder: Cetacea

Odontoceti

†Agorophius †Ankylorhiza †Archaeodelphis †Argyrocetus †Ashleycetus †Caolodelphis †Chilcacetus †Enigmatocetus †Eoplatanista †Inticetus †Macrodelphinus †Microcetus †Mirocetus †Neosqualodon †Olympicetus †Papahu †Patriocetus †Phoberodon †Phococetus †Prosqualodon †Sachalinocetus †Simocetus †Sulakocetus †Tangaroasaurus
†Xenorophidae	Albertocetus Cotylocara Echovenator Inermorostrum Xenorophus
†Waipatiidae	Awamokoa Ediscetus Nihohae Nihoroa Otekaikea Urkudelphis Waipatia
†Squalodontidae	Eosqualodon Squalodon
†Squaloziphiidae	Crisocetus? Squaloziphius Yaquinacetus
†Eurhinodelphinidae	Ceterhinops Eurhinodelphis Iniopsis Mycteriacetus Phocaenopsis Schizodelphis Vanbreenia Xiphiacetus Ziphiodelphis
Crown-Odontoceti	see below↓

Crown-Odontoceti

Physeteroidea

†Acrophyseter †Albicetus †Brygmophyseter †Eudelphis †Hoplocetus †Livyatan †Miophyseter †Rhaphicetus †Scaldicetus †Zygophyseter
Kogiidae	†Aprixokogia Kogia †Koristocetus †Nanokogia †Platyscaphokogia †Pliokogia †Praekogia †Scaphokogia †Thalassocetus?
Physeteridae	†Aulophyseter †Cozzuoliphyseter †Diaphorocetus †Idiophyseter †Idiorophus †Orycterocetus Physeter †Physeterula †Placoziphius †Thalassocetus?

Platanistoidea

†Aondelphis †Dolgopolis †Ensidelphis †Perditicetus †Eurhinodelphinidae? †Squalodontidae? †Waipatiidae?
†Allodelphinidae?	Allodelphis Arktocara Goedertius Ninjadelphis Zarhinocetus
†Squalodelphinidae?	Furcacetus Huaridelphis Macrosqualodelphis Medocinia Notocetus Phocageneus Squalodelphis
Platanistidae	†Araeodelphis †Dilophodelphis †Grimadelphis †Pachyacanthus? †Pebanista Platanista †Pomatodelphis †Prepomatodelphis †Zarhachis?

Ziphiidae

†Aporotus †Beneziphius †Caviziphius †Chavinziphius †Chimuziphius †Choneziphius †Dagonodum †Globicetus †Imocetus †Messapicetus †Nazcacetus †Nenga †Ninoziphius †Notoziphius †Pterocetus Tasmacetus †Tusciziphius †Xhosacetus †Ziphirostrum
Berardiinae	†Archaeoziphius Berardius †Microberardius
Ziphiinae	†Izikoziphius Ziphius
Hyperoodontinae	†Africanacetus Hyperoodon †Ihlengesi Indopacetus Mesoplodon

Delphinida	see below↓

Delphinida

†Albireo †Atocetus †Brevirostrodelphis †Cammackacetus †Delphinodon †Hadrodelphis †Herbeinodelphis †Liolithax †Lophocetus †Macrokentriodon †Miminiacetus †Odobenocetops †Pictodelphis †Pithanodelphis †Tagicetus †Westmorelandelphis
†Kentriodontidae	Belonodelphis? Kampholophos Kentriodon Platysvercus Sophianacetus Rudicetus Wimahl
Lipotidae	Lipotes †Parapontoporia †Prolipotes

Inioidea

†Awadelphis
Iniidae	†Brujadelphis †Goniodelphis Inia †Ischyrorhynchus †Isoninia? †Isthminia †Kwanzacetus †Meherrinia †Plicodontinia †Saurocetes
Pontoporiidae	†Atocetus? †Auroracetus †Brachydelphis †Piscorhynchus †Pliopontos †Pontistes †Protophocaena †Samaydelphis †Scaldiporia †Stenasodelphis Pontoporia

Delphinoidea

Monodontidae	†Bohaskaia †Casatia Delphinapterus †Denebola †Haborodelphis Monodon
Phocoenidae	†Archaeophocaena †Australithax †Haborophocoena †Lomacetus †Miophocaena Neophocaena †Numataphocoena Phocoena Phocoenoides †Piscolithax †Pterophocaena? †Semirostrum †Septemtriocetus

Delphinidae

†Arimidelphis †Australodelphis †Eodelphinus †Etruridelphis †Hemisyntrachelus Lagenorhynchus †Norisdelphis Orcinus †Platalearostrum †Pliodelphis †Pterophocaena?
Lissodelphininae	Cephalorhynchus Lissodelphis
Delphininae	Delphinus Lagenodelphis Sotalia Sousa Stenella Tursiops
Globicephalinae	Feresa Globicephala Grampus Orcaella Peponocephala Pseudorca Steno

Geology of South Africa

Geological formations

List of fossiliferous stratigraphic units in South Africa

Palaeoarchaean	Bushveld Igneous Complex Fig Tree Formation Komatii Formation Moodies Group Onverwacht Group Transvaal Supergroup
Paleozoic	Carboniferous Dwyka Group Ganigobis Formation Devonian Bokkeveld Group Table Mountain Sandstone Permian Abrahamskraal Formation Balfour Formation Dwyka Group Ganigobis Formation Teekloof Formation Whitehill Formation Ordovician Soom Shale
Mesozoic	Cretaceous Uitenhage Group Buffelskloof Formation Enon Formation Kirkwood Formation Sundays River Formation Kalahari Deposits Jurassic Drakensberg Group Enon Formation Uitenhage Group Karoo Supergroup Beaufort Group Abrahamskraal Formation Balfour Formation Katberg Formation Middleton Formation Teekloof Formation Dwyka Group Ecca Group Whitehill Formation Stormberg Group Bushveld Sandstone Clarens Formation Elliot Formation Triassic Elliot Formation Katberg Formation Molteno Formation Normandien Formation
Cenozoic	Algoa Group

‎Tectonics and orogeny

Volcanism	List of volcanoes in South Africa Pilanesberg Pilanesberg Game Reserve Prince Edward Islands Diatremes Big Hole Finsch diamond mine Jagersfontein Mine Koffiefontein mine Barberton Greenstone Belt Drakensberg Karoo-Ferrar
Earthquakes	1620 Robben Island earthquake 1969 Tulbagh earthquake 2006 Mozambique earthquake 2014 Orkney earthquake
Impact craters	Kalkkop crater Morokweng impact structure Tswaing crater Vredefort impact structure
Meteorites	Bellsbank meteorite

‎Mineral deposits
Kimberlite Merensky Reef Witwatersrand Banket (mining term) Coal in South Africa Iron ore in Africa Platinum in Africa Titanium in Africa Uranium in Africa Minerals Council South Africa Department of Mineral Resources (South Africa) Department of Mineral Resources and Energy

Paleontology‎

Ordovician

Devonian

Carboniferous

Permian

Beaufort Group

Assemblages	Cistecephalus Assemblage Zone Daptocephalus Assemblage Zone Eodicynodon Assemblage Zone Pristerognathus Assemblage Zone Tapinocephalus Assemblage Zone Tropidostoma Assemblage Zone

Triassic

Assemblages	Cynognathus Assemblage Zone Lystrosaurus Assemblage Zone

Jurassic

Cretaceous

Paleogene

Nummulite

Neogene

Africanacetus
Nummulite

Pleistocene

Other

Research and administration‎

Geologists	Hans Merensky
Paleontologists	Andrew Geddes Bain Lieuwe Dirk Boonstra Charles Kimberlin Brain Robert Broom Alfred Brown Anusuya Chinsamy-Turan H. Basil S. Cooke Alfred W. Crompton Daniel Rossouw Kannemeyer Andre Keyser James Kitching John Talbot Robinson George William Stow Eduard Meine van Zinderen-Bakker

Regional articles
Geology of Cape Town

Other
Pothole (geology) Steep structure Swazian

Geology portal
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Category
Glossary

Taxon identifiers
Africanacetus	Wikidata: Q55221285 Fossilworks: 113824 GBIF: 4577194 IRMNG: 1169064 Open Tree of Life: 4942278 Plazi: 550B87C3-C168-FFB3-FF2C-7187FE53004A ZooBank: 77778FA8-665A-48C6-8902-C9405A7F9468