Albicetus
Albicetus is a genus of stem-sperm whales that lived during the Miocene Epoch, around 15 million years ago, and was discovered in Santa Barbara, California in 1909. It was categorized for decades as belonging to a group of extinct walruses erroneously thought to be sperm whales. It was named Albicetus, meaning "white whale", is a reference to the leviathan in Herman Melville's classic 1851 novel Moby-Dick.
Taxonomy
Etymology
The genus Albicetus derives from the Latin albus "white" and cetus "whale", and so literally means "white whale". It was named in reference to the antagonist Moby Dick from Herman Melville's novel Moby-Dick. This reference was done both in honor of Melville and as a reference to the most notable traits of the Moby Dick–including an "unwonted magnitude", light color, and a crooked and deformed lower jaw–which coincidentally also describe the traits found in the Albicetus oxymycterus holotype specimen.The species name oxymycterus is derived from the Ancient Greek ὀξύς oxy "sharp" and μυκτήρ mycter "nose".
Taxonomic history
The holotype was recovered from an unspecified location in the sea cliffs near the original Santa Barbara Lighthouse in 1909, which is believed to most likely be part of the Monterey Formation.The whale was originally placed in the genus Ontocetus in 1925 by American naturalist Remington Kellogg as O. oxymycterus. This genus was originally thought to represent a sperm whale, however, in 2008, the type species, Ontocetus emmonsi, was discovered to actually be a walrus. The whale was then moved to the wastebasket taxon Scaldicetus, which consists of various other primitive sperm whales with enamel coated teeth. In 2015, the whale was moved to the newly erected genus Albicetus.
Phylogeny
Albicetus, unlike the modern sperm whale, possessed functional and enamel-coated teeth in both jaws. This suggests that it is related to the group of macroraptorial sperm whales which includes Acrophyseter, Brygmophyseter, Livyatan, and Zygophyseter. However, Albicetus is most similar in general shape and characteristics with Aulophyseter morricei, except for the dentition in which the latter possesses only small, vestigial upper teeth lacking enamel. The closest known relative to Albicetus is currently Livyatan.Albicetus contains only one species A. oxymycterus.
Description
The type specimen, USNM 10923, consists of a partial skull and isolated tooth fragments. Comparing the occipital condyle length with antorbital notch width of other primitive sperm whale, the total body length is estimated to be between. The preserved length of the beak is.The whale had a maximum of 18 teeth in either jaw, deeply rooted in exceedingly large tooth sockets.