Olympicetus

Extinct genus of mammals

Olympicetus Temporal range: Oligocene (Rupelian-Chattian), ~33.7–26.5 Ma PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N

Holotype skull of O. thalassodon
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Artiodactyla
Infraorder:	Cetacea
Parvorder:	Odontoceti
Genus:	†Olympicetus Velez-Juarbe 2017
Type species
†Olympicetus avitus Velez-Juarbe 2017
Other species
†O. thalassodon Velez-Juarbe 2023

Olympicetus (meaning Olympic cetacean) is an extinct genus of small simocetid toothed whales that lived during the Oligocene epoch in what is now the coasts of Washington, about 33.7 million to 26.5 million years ago. The type species is Olympicetus avitus, known from the littoral Pysht Formation and described in 2017.^[1] A second species, Olympicetus thalassodon, was named in 2023 and it is also known from this formation.^[2]

References

^ Velez-Juarbe, J. (2017). "A new stem odontocete from the late Oligocene Pysht Formation in Washington State, U.S.A.". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 37 (5): e1366916. Bibcode:2017JVPal..37E6916V. doi:10.1080/02724634.2017.1366916. S2CID 90151706.
^ Velez-Juarbe, J. (2023). "New heterodont odontocetes from the Oligocene Pysht Formation in Washington State, U.S.A., and a reevaluation of Simocetidae (Cetacea, Odontoceti)". PeerJ. 11: e15576. doi:10.7717/peerj.15576. PMC 10292202. PMID 37377790.

External links

Media related to Olympicetus at Wikimedia Commons
Data related to Olympicetus at Wikispecies

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