Izikoziphius, Bianucci & Lambert & Post, 2007

Bianucci, Giovanni, Lambert, Olivier & Post, Klaas, 2007, A high diversity in fossil beaked whales (Mammalia, Odontoceti, Ziphiidae) recovered by trawling from the sea floor off South Africa, Geodiversitas 29 (4), pp. 561-618 : 570

Genus Izikoziphius n. gen.

TYPE SPECIES. — Izikoziphius rossi n. gen., n. sp., by present designation.

OTHER SPECIES INCLUDED. — Izikoziphius angustus n. gen., n. sp.

ETYMOLOGY. — Iziko is the network of South African museums, which includes the South African Museum where most of the specimens studied here are stored, Ziphius is a Recent ziphiid genus. Gender masculine.

DIAGNOSIS. — Izikoziphius n. gen. differs from all the other members of the Ziphiinae in the presence of a fossa on the anterior surface of the ascending process of the premaxilla distinct from the premaxillary sac fossa. It differs from Ziphius in: longer rostrum; lack of a prenarial basin; lesser asymmetry of the premaxillary sac fossae (<0.40) and longer contact between nasal and premaxillary crest. It differs from Tusciziphius in: the barely concave premaxillary sac fossa and the anterior part of the nasal not contacting the premaxillary crest. It differs from Choneziphius in: longer rostrum; premaxillae medially separated on the rostrum by the thickened vomer and barely concave premaxillary sac fossa. It differs from Caviziphius in: premaxillae medially separated on the rostrum by the thickened vomer; lower rostrum base and less asymmetric and barely concave premaxillary sac fossa. It differs from Aporotus , Beneziphius , Messapicetus , and Ziphirostrum in: longitudinally elongated nasals; premaxillae medially separated on the rostrum by the thickened vomer and lack of a constriction of the ascending process of the premaxilla (last character less clearly present in Messapicetus ). Both species of Izikoziphius n. gen. have a somewhat smaller cranium size than Ziphius cavirostris .