Nanokogia
Name: Nanokogia
(small kogia).
Phonetic: Nah-noe-koe-ge-ah.
Named By: J. Velez-Juarbe, A. R. Wood, C.
Gracia & A. J. W. Hendy - 2015.
Classification: Chordata, Mammalia, Cetacea.
Species: N. isthmia (type).
Diet: Piscivore/Carnivore?
Size: Unavailable.
Known locations: Panama - Chagres Formation.
Time period: Tortonian of the Miocene.
Fossil representation: Partial skulls and jaws.
Nanokogia
seems to have been much like modern day pygmy sperm whales
of the Kogia
genus. This is reflected in the genus name which basically means
‘Small Kogia’. One difference however is that Nanokogia
seems to
have lacked teeth in the upper jaw, which may be a reflection of a
specific prey specialisation. Larger cousins to these whales are the
huge sperm whales of the Physeter genus also have
teeth only in the
lower jaw. Since these whales are hunters of soft bodied prey such as
cephalopods, specifically squid, it begs the question, did
Nanokogia have a similar prey preference, albeit
for smaller squid
species?
Further reading
- Evolutionary patterns among living and fossil kogiid sperm whales:
Evidence from the Neogene of Central America. - PLoS One
10(4):e0123909. - J. Velez-Juarbe, A. R. Wood, C.
Gracia & A. J. W. Hendy - 2015.
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