Fragilicetus velponi, Bisconti & Bosselaers, 2016

Bisconti, Michelangelo & Bosselaers, Mark, 2016, Fragilicetus velponi: a new mysticete genus and species and its implications for the origin of Balaenopteridae (Mammalia, Cetacea, Mysticeti), Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 177 (2), pp. 450-474 : 452-453

FRAGILICETUS VELPONI SP. NOV.

Holotype: Item no. NMR 999100007727 , housed at the Natuurhistorisch Museum Rotterdam, The Netherlands (hereinafter, NMR).

Type locality: The specimen was found along the southwest border of the Deurganckdock, approximately 12 km north-west of Antwerp city centre and 4 km north of the village of Kallo ( Fig. 1 ). The Deurganckdock is an artificial excavation located on the left side of the Scheldt River. The geographical coordinates of the discovery site are 51°17′05″N, 4°15′30″E.

Formation and age: The specimen was found in situ in the Kattendijk Sand Member of the Kattendijk Sands Formation (Early Pliocene, Zanclean), about 3 m above the basal gravel, at a depth of about 21.5 m below the Tweede Algemene Waterpassing (TAW; Fig. 2 ). TAW is the standardized (rectified) second general water level (main level of the sea at Ostend at low tide). The Belgian standard TAW is 2.33 m lower than the Dutch, German, and French standards. At the discovery site, the basal gravel of the Kattendijk Sand Member is in contact with and on top of the Rupel clay (Oligocene, firmed by Louwye et al. (2004). Based on these correlations, the estimated age of the holotype skeleton of F. velponi is approximately 5 Mya.

Diagnosis: As for genus.

Etymology: Velpon is the brand of the glue used in the preparation of the holotype skull.

Figures

Figure 1. Map showing the discovery site of the holotype of Fragilicetus velponi gen. et sp. nov. near the city of Antwerp, Belgium.

Figure 2. Stratigraphical information for the discovery site with the position of the holotype of Fragilicetus velponi gen. et sp. nov. indicated. The specimen is from the Zanclean of Belgium; it is from the Kattendijk Sands Formation and was found at a height of approximately 22 m below the main level of the sea at Ostend at low tide (Tweede Algemene Waterpassing: see text for explanation). Additional finds at the site include Glycymeris obovata ringelei, Pliothyrina sowerbyana, and Paliolum gerardi mollusc species.