Macroraptorial sperm whale
highly predatory whales of the sperm whale superfamily (Physeteroidea) of the Miocene epoch
Macroraptorial sperm whales were highly predatory whales of the sperm whale superfamily (Physeteroidea) of the Miocene epoch that hunted large marine mammals, including other whales, using their large teeth. They consist of six genera: Acrophyseter, Albicetus, Brygmophyseter, Livyatan, Scaldicetus, and Zygophyseter. All species are known by at least a skull, and are informally grouped without a family designation. They were all likely the apex predator of their habitats, comparable to the modern day killer whale (Orcinus orca), and achieved great lengths, with one species—Livyatan—measuring about 13.5–17.5 m (44–57 ft).
Etymology
The term "macroraptorial" combines the Greek prefix "macro-" ("long", "large" or "great") and "raptorial" (from Latin rapere meaning "to seize", "to grasp").
Discovery
Zygophyseter was discovered in the Pietra Leccese Formation in Italy from a skull, teeth, and vertebrae; Brygmophyseter was discovered in the Bessho Formation in Japan from a nearly-complete skeleton; and Acrophyseter and Livyatan both originate from the Pisco Formation in Peru and are known by only a skull. Albicetus was discovered at the Santa Barbara Lighthouse in 1909, in what is believed to most likely be part of the Monterey Formation. It was first classified within the genus Ontocetus (now a genus of walrus), and then moved to a wastebasket taxon Scaldicetus until Boersma and his colleagues assigned a new generic name.
Description
Macroraptorial sperm whales had large, functional, conical teeth in both jaws, as opposed to the modern sperm whale whose teeth are small and nonfunctional in the upper jaw. The teeth were deeply rooted into the gumline and could interlock, probably to aid in holding struggling prey.
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This entry incorporates text from “Macroraptorial sperm whale” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.