A sperm whale (Cetacea: Physeteroidea) from the Paraná Formation (Late Miocene) of Entre Ríos, Argentina. Environment and Taphonomy

Abstract

Sperm whales (Physeteroidea) are known since the late Oligocene. They became very diverse during the middle and late Miocene (Bianucci and Landini, 2006). They are currently represented by only three species. Sperm whales have been reported in Argentina from the early Miocene Gaiman Formation [Diaphorocetus pouchetti Moreno, 1892, and Idiorophus patagonicus (Lydekker, 1893)], Gran Bajo del Gualicho Formation (Preaulophyseter gualichensis Caviglia and Jorge, 1980), the late Miocene Barranca Final Formation (“Aulophyseter” rionegrensis Gondar, 1975), and the late Miocene Paraná Formation (cf. Aulophyseter sp. by Agnolín and Lucero, 2004)