Ciuciulea davidi

Ciuciulea davidi Temporal range: Miocene PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
Skull of Ciuciulea davidi Gol'din, 2018, dorsal side
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Artiodactyla
Infraorder:	Cetacea
Family:	Cetotheriidae
Genus:	†Ciuciulea Gol'din, 2018
Species
†Ciuciulea davidi Gol'din, 2018 (type)

Ciuciulea is a genus of cetotheriid mysticete found in middle Miocene marine deposits in Moldova.

Description

Ciuciulea is a dwarf cetotheriid 3–4 meters in length. It comes from the Badenian deposits (13.8-12.7 Ma) of the Central Paratethys, and this is the earliest world record of the family Cetotheriidae. It differs from the other Cetotheriidae in the presence of a narrow occipital shield, which is as long as wide, and a pars cochlearis of the periotic bone bulging out ventral to fenestra rotunda. Primitive characters include the premaxillae forming a transverse line with the posterior ends of nasals and maxillae rather than constricted or overridden by ascending processes of maxillae.^[1]

Biology

Ciuciulea lived in shallow marine waters in present-day Moldova, earlier than true seals Pontophoca, Sarmatonectes, Histriophoca, Monachopsis, Cryptophoca, and Praepusa, the putative kentriodontid Sarmatodelphis, and the problematic odontocetes Pachypleurus, Phocaena euxinica, and Delphinus bessarabicus.

References

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Genera of baleen whales and their extinct allies

• Kingdom: Animalia
• Phylum: Chordata
• Class: Mammalia
• Order: Artiodactyla
• Infraorder: Cetacea

Mysticeti
Mysticeti †Borealodon †Coronodon †Imerocetus †Mioceta? †Piscocetus †Siphonocetus? †Tretulias? †Ulias? †Aetiocetidae Aetiocetus Ashorocetus Chonecetus Fucaia Morawanocetus Willungacetus †Llanocetidae Llanocetus Mystacodon †Mammalodontidae Janjucetus Mammalodon Chaeomysticeti Horopeta Sitsqwayk Whakakai †Eomysticetoidea Cetotheriopsis †Eomysticetidae Eomysticetus Micromysticetus Tohoraata Tokarahia Waharoa Yamatocetus Balaenomorpha Balaenidae †Antwerpibalaena †Archaeobalaena Balaena †Balaenella †Balaenula †Balaenotus Eubalaena †Idiocetus †Mesoteras †Morenocetus †Peripolocetus †Protobalaena Thalassotherii †Hibacetus †Isanacetus †Isocetus †Mauicetus †Pinocetus †Taikicetus †Tiphyocetus †Uranocetus †Aglaocetidae Aglaocetus †Diorocetidae Amphicetus Diorocetus Plesiocetopsis Thinocetus †Pelocetidae Cophocetus Halicetus Parietobalaena Pelocetus †Tranatocetidae Mesocetus Mixocetus Tranatocetus Cetotheriidae †Cephalotropis †Journocetus †Otradnocetus †Palaeobalaena? †Titanocetus? †Tiucetus †Cetotheriinae Brandtocetus Cetotherium Ciuciulea Eucetotherium Kurdalagonus Mithridatocetus Vampalus Zygiocetus Herpetocetinae Caperea †Herentalia †Herpetocetus †Metopocetus †Miocaperea †Nannocetus †Piscobalaena Balaenopteroidea †Eobalaenoptera Balaenopteridae †Archaebalaenoptera †Archaeschrichtius Balaenoptera †Burtinopsis? †Cetoteriophanes †Diunatans †Eschrichtioides Eschrichtius †Gricetoides †Incakujira Megaptera †Megapteropsis? †Miobalaenoptera †Nehalaennia †Notiocetus †Parabalaenoptera †Plesiobalaenoptera †Plesiocetus †Praemegaptera †Protororqualus

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