Aporotus du Bus, 1868

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 : 482-483

Genus Aporotus du Bus, 1868

Mioziphius Abel, 1905: 98 , partim.

TYPE SPECIES. — Aporotus recurvirostris du Bus, 1868 by subsequent designation.

OTHER INCLUDED SPECIES. — Aporotus dicyrtus du Bus, 1868 . The specimens of the species A. affinis sensu du Bus, 1868 (including IRSNB 3819, referred to Mioziphius belgicus by Abel 1905), were not found in the collection. They consist in rostral fragments of maxillae and premaxillae, and their brief description by du Bus (1868) places them comparable to Aporotus recurvirostris . EMENDED DIAGNOSIS. — Fossil ziphiid differing from Ziphirostrum , Messapicetus , Choneziphius , and Beneziphius n. gen. in the unfused elevated premaxillae covering the mesorostral groove. It further differs from: – Ziphirostrum and Messapicetus in: longer and higher longitudinal maxillary crest on the preorbital process; a longitudinal wide valley between this maxillary crest and the more elevated premaxilla on the rostrum;

– Choneziphius in: excavation of a prenarial basin at the base of the rostrum; flat surface of the premaxillary sac fossae;

– Tusciziphius in: flat surface of the premaxillary sac fossae; thinner transverse premaxillary crests;

– all the other known ziphiid genera by the dorsal roofing of the mesorostral groove by the thickened premaxillae.

Because of the scarcity and incompleteness of the specimens referred to it, the genus Aporotus is poorly defined and the polarity of its characters is difficult to establish (see phylogenetic discussion).