Late Pliocene Odontocete Fossils From California

[AncientEarth]

I wanted to share a few of the local Central California Coast mammal specimens I've collected in the last month.

The tooth as it turns out is not easy to ID as I already had a friend check with Bobby on it (Thanks again Bobby!)

This is the first time sharing the vert specimens, one to me almost looks like it has a possible bite mark (shark) on it due to linear scratches, the other is a very well worn vert. I may be wrong completely on the Odontocete ID, if so please feel free to give input.

Age is Late Pliocene from deposits in northern Santa Barbara County.

[Plantguy]

Thanks for the very good photos-- Nice finds!

I can't help on the ID unfortunately--will need to wait for some vert folks to chime in. Regards, Chris

[DD1991]

So far, most Late Pliocene odontocete fossils from California are scrappy at best, although Parapontoporia sternbergi is the best preserved odontocete from Late Pliocene California.

[Boesse]

Actually there's a pretty fantastic late Pliocene odontocete record from California, primarily from the San Diego Formation, the Pismo Formation, and the Purisima Formation - but most of it is unpublished with the exception of Parapontoporia and the headless Albireo savagei. I have a paper in press with descriptions of fossil phocoenids, delphinids, Parapontoporia, and a couple other scraps from the Purisima Fm. - that'll hopefully be out in the next 6 months.

There's also some possible Pliocene globicephaline fossils from the Purisima Fm. I just published on in APP.

[AncientEarth]

Inyo, Thank you for the additional information about the Odontocetes and the lead on Dr. Barnes... and the fantastic website online. I've been a fan for years, many many many times I have used your site as a start for what is in regions of CA before getting out there myself.

Boesse, feel free to chime in if something looks somewhat recognizable, I appreciate the effort thus far. For those of us without access to unpublished or scarce documents, we need all the help we can get.

I met with someone from the Buena Vista Museum in Bakersfield this week and they helped me to ID two more possible Odontocete pieces out of the collection of bones I gathered, another vert and a phalange. Be great to have all your input on these as well.

Plantguy, thanks for the compliment, I try to get as clear of photos as I can to help others with visual ID.

Thanks everyone

Aaron