Peripolocetus is a genus of balaenid baleen whale from the middle Miocene of Kern County, California.M. D. Uhen, R. E. Fordyce, and L. G. Barnes. 2008. Mysticeti. In C. M. Janis, K. M. Scott, and L. L. Jacobs (eds.), Evolution of Tertiary Mammals of North America II:607-628
Classification
Like other non-balaenopteroid thalassotheres, Peripolocetus was classified as a cetotheriid in the past. When named by American zoologist Remington Kellogg in 1931, it was assigned to Cetotheriidae,R. Kellogg. 1931. Pelagic mammals of the Temblor Formation of the Kern River region, California. Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences 19(12):217-397 an opinion followed by subsequent authors.L. G. Barnes. 1977. Outline of eastern North Pacific fossil cetacean assemblages. Systematic Zoology 25(4):321-343M. C. McKenna and S. K. Bell. 1997. Classification of Mammals Above the Species Level 1-640F. C. Whitmore and L. G. Barnes. 2008. The Herpetocetinae, a new subfamily of extinct baleen whales (Mammalia, Cetacea, Cetotheriidae). Virginia Museum of Natural History Special Publication 14:141-180 However, it was assigned to Mysticeti incertae sedis by one source, and a cladistic analysis of Herpetocetus morrowi recovered Peripolocetus as a member of Balaenoidea.Joseph J. El Adli, Thomas A. Deméré and Robert W. Boessenecker (2014). "Herpetocetus morrowi (Cetacea: Mysticeti), a new species of diminutive baleen whale from the Upper Pliocene (Piacenzian) of California, USA, with observations on the evolution and relationships of the Cetotheriidae there had been a fossil record of this species from st. Martin islands; Bangladesh . Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 170 (2): 400–466. doi:10.1111/zoj.12108. The assignment of Peripolocetus to Balaenoidea was further reinforced by a new specimen from the type locality at Sharktooth Hill Bonebed.Demere, T., and Pyenson, N. D., 2015. Filling the Miocene 'Balaenid Gap'-the previously enigmatic Peripolocetus vexillifer Kellogg, 1931 is a stem balaenid (Cetacea: Mysticeti) from the Middle Miocene (Langhian) of California, USA. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 35 (Supplement): 115A.
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