Mammalia - Cetacea - Ziphiidae

Full reference: G. Bianucci, W. Landini, and A. Varola. 1992. Messapicetus longirostris, a new genus and species of Ziphiidae (Cetacea) from the late Miocene of "Pietra leccese" (Apulia, Italy). Bollettino della Societa Paleontologica Italiana 31(2):261-264

Belongs to Messapicetus according to G. Bianucci et al. 1994

Sister taxon: Messapicetus gregarius

Type specimen: MGNS, no number, a partial skull (skull lacking the auditory bones, teeth and mandibles). Its type locality is Cisterna, which is in a Tortonian marine lime mudstone in the Pietra Leccese Formation of Italy.

Ecology: aquatic piscivore-carnivore