Albertocetus


Albertocetus is an extinct genus of primitive odontocete cetacean from early Oligocene (Rupelian) marine deposits in North Carolina, and belonging to the family Xenorophidae.[1]

Albertocetus is a relatively small whale, measuring 1.82 metres (6.0 ft) long and weighing approximately 51–73 kilograms (112–161 lb).[2] It is distinguished from other xenorophids in having a large lacrimal bone, a steep ascending process of the maxilla, a short but present intertemporal constriction with a sagittal crest, and a tall median ridge on the premaxilla. The teeth were heterodont, and may have been polydont, because other xenorophids are polydont.[1]