Cotylocara
Cotylocara is a genus of primitive odontocete from late Oligocene (Chattian) marine deposits of the Chandler Bridge Formation of South Carolina belonging to Xenorophidae.
| Cotylocara Temporal range: Late Oligocene, | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Life restoration | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Artiodactyla |
| Infraorder: | Cetacea |
| Family: | †Xenorophidae |
| Genus: | †Cotylocara Geisler et al., 2014 |
| Species: | †C. macei |
| Binomial name | |
| †Cotylocara macei Geisler et al., 2014 (type) | |
Paleobiology
Cotylocara was capable of echolocation like modern dolphins, as evidenced by its dense, thick and downturned rostrum, air sac fossae, cranial asymmetry, and exceptionally broad maxillae.[1]
Cotylocara anterolateral at Mace Brown Museum of Natural History
References
- Jonathan H. Geisler, Matthew W. Colbert, James L. Carew., 2014: A new fossil species supports an early origin for toothed whale echolocation. Nature. doi:10.1038/nature13086
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