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Cotylocara

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Cotylocara
Temporal range: Late Oligocene, 28.4–23.0 Ma
Life restoration
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
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)

Cotylocara is a genus of primitive odontocete from late Oligocene (Chattian) marine deposits of the Chandler Bridge Formation of South Carolina. It belongs to the Xenorophidae.

Paleobiology

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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

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  1. ^ 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