Kekenodon

Name: Kekenodon.
Phonetic: Ke-ke-no-don.
Named By: J.‭ ‬Hector‭ ‬-‭ ‬1881.
Classification: Chordata,‭ ‬Mammalia,‭ ‬Cetacea,‭ ‬Kekenodontidae.
Species: K.‭ ‬onamata‭ (‬type‭)‬.
Diet: Uncertain,‭ ‬either a carnivore or filter feeder.
Size: Uncertain but roughly estimated to be about‭ ‬7‭ ‬meters long.
Known locations: New Zealand‭ ‬-‭ ‬Kokoamu Greensand Formation.
Time period: Chattian of the Oligocene.
Fossil representation: Fragmentary skull and post cranial skeletal remains.‭

       Originally though to be a member of the Archaeoceti,‭ ‬Kekenodon has more recently been considered to be a mysticetid‭ (‬baleen‭) ‬whale.‭ ‬Unfortunately the fragmentary nature of the holotype fossils makes is hard to be certain of distinct physical features about Kekenodon.

Further reading
-‭ ‬Notes on New Zealand Cetacea,‭ ‬recent and fossil.‭ ‬-‭ ‬Transactions and Proceedings of the New Zealand Institute‭ ‬13:434-437.‭ ‬-‭ ‬J.‭ ‬Hector‭ ‬-‭ ‬1881.

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