Toipahautea facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Toipahautea |
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Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Artiodactyla |
| Infraorder: | Cetacea |
| Parvorder: | Mysticeti |
| Genus: | †Toipahautea Tsai and Fordyce, 2018 |
| Type species | |
| Toipahautea waitaki Tsai and Fordyce, 2018
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Toipahautea is a type of ancient baleen whale that lived a very long time ago. Its fossils have been found in New Zealand, specifically in rocks from the Late Oligocene period. This was about 27.5 million years ago!
Contents
What is Toipahautea?
A Glimpse into Ancient Whales
Scientists have studied Toipahautea to understand how whales evolved. It's considered an early type of baleen whale, but it's not exactly like the ones we see today, such as humpback whales or blue whales. It helps us learn about the family tree of whales.
How Scientists Describe Toipahautea
Unique Features of This Ancient Whale
When scientists find fossils, they look for special features that make an animal unique. For Toipahautea, these unique features are mostly found in its ear bones. For example, it had a very strong and large ear bone (called a periotic) and other special shapes and openings in its skull that help scientists identify it. These tiny details are like fingerprints for ancient animals!
Where Toipahautea Lived
Friends and Neighbors in the Ancient Ocean
Toipahautea lived in the ocean around what is now New Zealand. Its fossils were found in the same rock layers as other ancient sea creatures. These included early odontocetes (toothed whales) like Awamokoa and Waipatia. There were also other types of baleen whales, such as Matapanui and Horopeta. Finding these different animals together helps scientists understand what the ancient ocean looked like.
