Kutchicetus

Kutch-e-see-tus.
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Benjamin Gutierrez

Vertebrate Paleontologist

Benjamin Gutierrez is a leading expert on dinosaurs, particularly the mighty theropods. His fieldwork in South America has uncovered new species and provided insights into dinosaur social structures.

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Name

Kutchicetus ‭(‬Kachchh whale‭)‬.

Phonetic

Kutch-e-see-tus.

Named By

S.‭ ‬Bajpai‭ & ‬J.‭ ‬G.‭ ‬M.‭ ‬Thewissen‭ ‬-‭ ‬2000.

Classification

Chordata,‭ ‬Mammalia,‭ ‬Cetacea,‭ ‬Archaeoceti,‭ ‬Remingtonocetidae.

Diet

Carnivore.

Species

K.‭ ‬minimus‭

Size

Details uncertain.

Known locations

India‭ ‬-‭ ‬Harudi Formation,‭ ‬Panandhro Formation.

Time Period

Lutetian of the Eocene.

Fossil representation

Partial remains.

In Depth

       Although details are uncertain,‭ ‬Kutchicetus is noted as being a small remingtonocetid whale‭ (‬relative of Remingtonocetus‭)‬.‭ ‬The tail of Kutchicetus seems to‭ ‬have been quite well developed and may have played a more important role in swimming than other primitive whales,‭ ‬though there is‭ ‬no evidence that a tail fluke had been developed.

Further Reading

-‭ ‬A new,‭ ‬diminutive Eocene whale from Kachchh‭ (‬Gujarat,‭ ‬India‭) ‬and its implications for locomotor evolution.‭ ‬Current Science‭ ‬79‭(‬10‭)‬:1478-1482.‭ ‬-‭ ‬S.‭ ‬Bajpai‭ & ‬J.‭ ‬G.‭ ‬M.‭ ‬Thewissen‭ ‬-‭ ‬2000. – New Skeletal Material of Andrewsiphius and Kutchicetus, Two Eocene Cetaceans from India. – Journal of Paleontology. 83 (5): 635–63. – J. G. M. Thewissen & Sunil Bajpai – 2009.

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