Mauicetus facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Mauicetus |
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Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Artiodactyla |
| Infraorder: | Cetacea |
| Family: | Balaenopteridae (?) |
| Genus: | †Mauicetus Benham, 1939 |
| Type species | |
| Lophocephalus parki Benham, 1937
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| Synonyms | |
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Lophocephalus Benham, 1937 |
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Mauicetus was a type of ancient baleen whale that lived a very long time ago. These whales swam in the oceans around what is now New Zealand during the Late Oligocene period. That was about 23 to 28 million years ago! Mauicetus is now extinct, meaning it no longer exists on Earth.
Discovering and Naming Ancient Whales
Scientists give special names to all living things, including animals that are now extinct. This helps everyone know exactly which animal they are talking about. Sometimes, these names can change as scientists learn more.
How Mauicetus Got Its Name
The first scientist to study Mauicetus was William Benham. He first named this ancient whale Lophocephalus in 1937. However, scientists later found out that the name Lophocephalus was already being used for a type of beetle. To avoid confusion, Benham gave the whale a new name: Mauicetus. This new name was given in 1939.
Changing Classifications of Mauicetus
Over time, more fossils were found, and scientists learned even more about these ancient whales. In 1956, three more species were named under Mauicetus: M. brevicollis, M. lophocephalus, and M. waitakiensis.
However, as research continued, scientists realized that some of these whales were not as closely related to the original Mauicetus as they first thought. Today, only Mauicetus parki is still considered a true Mauicetus. The other two species, M. lophocephalus and M. waitakiensis, have been moved to different groups of ancient whales. They are now known as Tokarahia and Tohoraata. This shows how science is always growing and changing as new discoveries are made!
