Attockicetus is an extinct genus of remingtonocetid early whale known from the Middle Eocene (Lutetian) Kuldana Formation in the Kala Chitta Hills, in the Attock District of Punjab, Pakistan.[1]
| Attockicetus Temporal range: Eocene
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| Holotype skull H-GSP 96232 | |
Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Artiodactyla |
| Infraorder: | Cetacea |
| Family: | †Remingtonocetidae |
| Genus: | †Attockicetus Thewissen & Hussain 2000 |
| Species: | †A. praecursor
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| Binomial name | |
| †Attockicetus praecursor | |
Attockicetus is described based on fragmentary cranial material. The holotype specimen, H-GSP 96232, includes a fragmentary rostrum, an endocast (interior of cranium), and an ectotympanic (ear bone). The specimen also had preserved cheek teeth, P3-M3, which is rare in remingtonocetids. Attockicetus is primitive in the retention of large protocones on the upper molars and the location of the orbits anteriorly on the skull. It is probably the most plesiomorphic remingtonocetid[2]
Additional dental material was found at the type locality and assigned to Attockicetus. Compared to pakicetid teeth found at the same locality, the P3 of Attockicetus is much lower, angled anteriorly, and has a very long posterior extension. A long diastema separates P3 from P4 and P3 is longer than P4, which was identified as a remingtonocetid character and, because Attockicetus is the only known remingtonocetid known from the Kala Chitta Hills, they tentatively assigned the specimen as belonging to this genus. The P4 of Attockicetus is similar to those of Pakicetus in retaining a tall protoconid (cusp) and anterior and posterior basal extensions with prominent cristae (crests), but differs from them in having steeper protoconid slopes, being taller, and having longer basal extensions. The molar wear in pakicetids is typically extensive, whilst the P4 in Attockicetus is less worn, suggesting that the latter was not used for breaking down food, but for holding prey.[1]
See also
editNotes
edit- ^ a b Cooper, Thewissen & Hussain 2009, pp. 1296–8
- ^ Thewissen & Hussain 2000, Abstract
References
edit- Cooper, Lisa Noelle; Thewissen, J. G. M.; Hussain, S. T. (2009). "New middle Eocene archaeocetes (Cetacea: Mammalia) from the Kuldana Formation of northern Pakistan". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 29 (4): 1289–1299. doi:10.1671/039.029.0423. S2CID 84127292.
- Thewissen, J. G. M.; Hussain, S.T. (2000). "Attockicetus praecursor, a new remingtonocetid cetacean from marine Eocene sediments of Pakistan". Journal of Mammalian Evolution. 7 (3): 133–46. doi:10.1023/A:1009458618729. OCLC 362777268. S2CID 5700031.