New archaic mysticete from Mexico

[DD1991]

A new mysticete-related paper is available online:

 

Hernández Cisneros, Atzcalli Ehécatl. 2018. A new group of late Oligocene mysticetes from México. Palaeontologia Electronica 21.1.7A 1-30. https://doi.org/10.26879/746 palaeo-electronica.org/content/2018/2147-oligocene-mysticetes-from-mexico

 

The discovery of Tlaxcallicetus represents the second named species of Oligocene chaeomysticete from the eastern Pacific and only the third named species of Paleogene mysticete from that region, the other being the late Eocene Mystacodon from Peru. Thanks to the discovery of Sitsqwayk from Washington State, Tlaxcallicetus shows how much more is to be learned about early chaeomysticete diversity in the Pacific because the vast majority of Pacific chaeomysticetes from the Oligocene have been found in New Zealand (it's possible that there may be an undescribed Oligocene mysticete fossil in museum collections in California, or mysticetes preferred pelagic habitats in California in contrast to the Pyramid Hill odontocetes).