Rodhocetus (from Rodho, the geological anticline at the type locality, and cetus, Latin for whale)[1] is an extinct genus of protocetid early whale known from the Lutetian of Pakistan.[2] The best-known protocetid, Rodhocetus is known from two partial skeletons that taken together give a complete image of an Eocene whale that had short limbs with long hands and feet that were probably webbed and a sacrum that was immobile with four partially fused sacral vertebrae.[3] It is one of several extinct whale genera that possess land mammal characteristics, thus demonstrating the evolutionary transition from land to sea.
^Gingerich et al. 1994, p. 844
^Rhodocetus in the Paleobiology Database. Retrieved September 2013.
portal Wikimedia Commons has media related to Rodhocetus. Wikispecies has information related to Rodhocetus. Evolution of cetaceans Gingerich et al. 1994...
There were many genera, and some of these are very well known (e.g., Rodhocetus). Known protocetids had large fore- and hindlimbs that could support the...
like the presence of hooves at the ends of the toes in Rodhocetus. The foot structure of Rodhocetus shows that protocetids were predominantly aquatic. A...
hunters. Their ability to move on land seems to have been variable: in Rodhocetus and Peregocetus possess a sacroiliac joint, indicating they could move...
is unclear how long it would have been. The snouts of Basilosaurus and Rodhocetus are short and make up about half the skull's length. Remingtonocetid snouts...
about 45 million years ago are species such as Indocetus, Kutchicetus, Rodhocetus and Andrewsiphius, all of which were adapted to life in water. The hind...
whales belonging to the family Protocetidae. It was a close relative to Rodhocetus and its tarsals indicate it resembled an artiodactyl. Artiocetus' name...
Qaisracetus, Rodhocetus has a sacrum where non of the vertebrae have fused centra, which is derived to be a protocetid, but Rodhocetus is primitive in...
the ventral margin of the mandible below M2 and M3; from Indocetus and Rodhocetus by the deciduous double-rooted P1; from Protocetus and Babiacetus by the...
Georgiacetus (other protocetids). Its auditory bulla is more narrow than Rodhocetus'. Babiacetus lacks the prominent molar protocone present in Indocetus...
probably primitive in some respects. Many protocetids (like Maiacetus, Rodhocetus) possessed well developed innominates and hind limbs, often attached to...
differs from Peregocetus by lacking a firm sacroiliac joint and from Rodhocetus by having smaller hind feet, indicating it were less capable of moving...
Global Information
