ZIPHIIDAE Gray, 1865

Lambert O., 2005, Systematics and phylogeny of the fossil beaked whales Ziphirostrum du Bus, 1868 and Choneziphius Duvernoy, 1851 (Mammalia, Cetacea, Odontoceti), from the Neogene of Antwerp (North of Belgium), Geodiversitas 27 (3), pp. 443-497 : 445-446

Family ZIPHIIDAE Gray, 1865

TYPE GENUS. — Ziphius Cuvier, 1823 .

INCLUDED GENERA. — The extant genera Berardius Duvernoy, 1851 , Hyperoodon Lacépède, 1804 , Indopacetus Moore, 1968 , Mesoplodon Gervais, 1850 , Tasmacetus Oliver, 1937 , and Ziphius , the fossil genera known by at least a partial skull Aporotus du Bus, 1868 , Choneziphius Duvernoy, 1851 , Messapicetus Bianucci, Landini & Varola, 1992 , Ninoziphius Muizon, 1983 , Beneziphius n. gen., Tusciziphius Bianucci, 1997 , and Ziphirostrum du Bus, 1868 , and the fossil genera only known by rostra: Belemnoziphius Huxley, 1864 , Eboroziphius Leidy, 1877 , Pelycorhamphus Cope, 1895 , and Proroziphius Leidy, 1876 , or fragments of mandible: Anoplonossa Cope, 1869 and Cetorhynchus Gervais, 1861 . The systematic status of Squaloziphius Muizon, 1991 is discussed below, and this archaic genus is provisionally excluded from the family Ziphiidae . The fragment of mandibular symphysis of Palaeoziphius scaldensis Abel, 1905 is placed in Odontoceti incertae sedis.

EMENDED DIAGNOSIS. — A family of odontocetes with the following derived characters: elevated vertex with wide transverse premaxillary crests, and with medial edge of the maxillae and lateral edge of the premaxillae distinctly overhanging the maxillae laterally; strong development of the hamular lobe of the pterygoid sinus and enlargement of the hamular process of the pterygoid; enlargement of apical or subapical mandibular teeth (in some taxa, more developed in adult males); anterior process of the periotic transversely thickened at its base; enlarged posterior process of the tympanic bulla.

COMMENTS

Wide transverse premaxillary crests are also present on the delphinid Australodelphis mirus Fordyce, Quilty & Daniels, 2002 . The posterior process of the tympanic bulla is also enlarged in physeteroids.