Waipatia


Waipatia is an extinct genus of odontocetes from the late Oligocene of New Zealand.

Taxonomy

The type species, Waipatia maerewhenua is known from a single skull found near 45th [parallel south|45° South] in Otago. The second species, W. hectori, was originally named Microcetus hectori in 1935, but later recognized as distinct from Microcetus. "Uncamentodon" was informally coined for M. hectori in a table by Rothausen in a 1970 paper, but the lack of a diagnosis or description made it a nomen nudum. Finally in 2015, M. hectori was recognized as a second species of Waipatia based on preparation of additional material included in the holotype.