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Basilosauridae

Taxonomy

Basilosauridae was named by Cope (1868). It is not extant. It is the type family of Basilosauroidea. It was considered paraphyletic by Uhen and Gingerich (2001), Uhen (2004) and Uhen (2008) and Martinez-Cacers and Muizon (2011).

It was synonymized subjectively with Zeuglodontidae by Mchedlidze (1970).

It was assigned to Zeuglodontia by Gill (1871), Gill (1871) and Gill (1873); to Zeuglodonta by Trouessart (1904); to Zeuglodontes by Hay (1902) and Hay (1930); to Basilosauroidea by Rice (1998); to Cetacea by Thewissen et al. (2001); to Archaeoceti by Bouetel and Muizon (2006); to Archaeoceti by Bianucci and Landini (2007); to Archaeoceti by Miller (1923), Kellogg (1936), Simpson (1945), Thurmond and Jones (1981), Barnes et al. (1985), Hooker (1986), Carroll (1988), Benton (1993), Fordyce and Barnes (1994), Fordyce et al. (1995), Uhen (1996), Kohler and Fordyce (1997), McKenna and Bell (1997), Uhen and Gingerich (2001), Fordyce and de Muizon (2001), Fordyce (2003), Geisler and Sanders (2003), Uhen (2004), Gingerich (2007), McLeod and Barnes (2008), Uhen (2008), Fordyce and Roberts (2009) and Fitzgerald (2010); and to Pelagiceti by Uhen (2008), Martinez-Cacers and Muizon (2011), Uhen et al. (2011) and Uhen (2013).

Subtaxa

Ancalecetus, Basilosaurus (syn. Zygodon, Alabamornis, Hydrarchos, Hydrargos, Hydrarchus, Zeuglodon), Basiloterus hussaini, Basilotritus, Chrysocetus, Cynthiacetus, Dorudon (syn. Prozeuglodon), Masracetus, Ocucajea, Saghacetus, Stromeriinae, Stromerius, Supayacetus, Zygorhiza

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Synonyms

Zeuglodon rossicus was named by Paulson in Brandt (1873). It is not a trace fossil.

It was corrected as Zeuglodon rossicum by Abel (1913); it was synonymized subjectively with Platyosphys paulsonii by Kellogg (1936) and Mchedlidze (1970).
Berardiopsis miocaenus was named by Koch (1899). It is a 3D body fossil. Its type locality is Cluj-Napoca, which is in an Eocene marine horizon in Romania.

It was considered a nomen dubium by Codrea (2006).
Zeuglodontinae was named by Slijper (1936).

It was synonymized subjectively with Basilosaurinae by Uhen (1998) and Uhen (2004).

It was assigned to Zeuglodontidae by Slijper (1936).
Prozeuglodontidae was named by Moustafa (1954).

It was synonymized subjectively with Basilosauridae by Uhen (2004) and Uhen (2013).

It was assigned to Archaeoceti by Moustafa (1954).
Pontogeneus was named by Leidy (1852) [Sepkoski's age data: T Eo-u]. It is not extant. Its type is Pontogeneus priscus.

It was synonymized subjectively with Zeuglodon by Bronn (1853); it was synonymized subjectively with Dorudon by Trouessart (1904); it was considered a nomen nudum by Uhen (2005).

It was assigned to Archaeoceti by Kellogg (1936); to Basilosauridae by Palmer (1904), Thurmond and Jones (1981) and Carroll (1988); to Cetacea by Sepkoski (2002); to Dorudontinae by McKenna and Bell (1997), Uhen (1998), Uhen (2002) and Uhen (2004); and to Basilosaurinae by McLeod and Barnes (2008).
Basilosaurinae was named by Miller (1923). It is not extant. It was considered monophyletic by Uhen (2008) and Uhen (2009).

It was considered an invalid subgroup of Basilosauridae by Uhen (2013).

It was assigned to Basilosauridae by Barnes et al. (1985), Fordyce and Barnes (1994), Fordyce et al. (1995), McKenna and Bell (1997), Fordyce and de Muizon (2001), Uhen (2002), Uhen (2004), Bouetel and Muizon (2006), Bianucci and Landini (2007), McLeod and Barnes (2008), Uhen (2008), Fordyce and Roberts (2009) and Uhen (2009).
Basiloterus was named by Gingerich et al. (1997). It was considered monophyletic by Martinez-Cacers and Muizon (2011).

It was considered a nomen dubium by Uhen (2013).

It was assigned to Basilosaurinae by Gingerich et al. (1997), Uhen (1998), Uhen (2002), Uhen (2004), McLeod and Barnes (2008) and Uhen (2009); and to Basilosauridae by Gingerich et al. (1997), Thewissen et al. (2001) and Martinez-Cacers and Muizon (2011).
Dorudontidae was named by Miller (1923). It is not extant. Its type is Dorudon. It was considered paraphyletic by Uhen (2008).

It was reranked as the subfamily Dorudontinae by Slijper (1936), Barnes et al. (1985), Fordyce and Barnes (1994), Fordyce et al. (1995), Uhen (1996), Kohler and Fordyce (1997), Uhen (1998), Uhen and Gingerich (2001), Uhen (2002), Uhen (2004), Bouetel and Muizon (2006), Bianucci and Landini (2007), McLeod and Barnes (2008), Uhen (2008), Fordyce and Roberts (2009), Uhen (2009) and Uhen et al. (2011); it was considered an invalid subgroup of Basilosauridae by Uhen (2013).

It was assigned to Zeuglodontes by Hay (1930); to Zeuglodontidae by Slijper (1936); to Archaeoceti by Miller (1923), Kellogg (1936), Simpson (1945), Keyes (1973), Whitmore and Sanders (1977), Thurmond and Jones (1981) and Hooker (1986); to Basilosauroidea by Rice (1998); and to Basilosauridae by Barnes et al. (1985), Fordyce and Barnes (1994), Fordyce et al. (1995), Uhen (1996), Kohler and Fordyce (1997), McKenna and Bell (1997), Uhen (1998), Uhen and Gingerich (2001), Fordyce and de Muizon (2001), Uhen (2002), Uhen (2004), Bouetel and Muizon (2006), Bianucci and Landini (2007), McLeod and Barnes (2008), Uhen (2008), Fordyce and Roberts (2009), Uhen (2009) and Uhen et al. (2011).
Zeuglodon wanklyni was named by Seeley (1876) [The species was based on a specimen seen by the author, but never deposited in the BMNH. The specimen has not been seen since.]. Its type specimen is BMNH M. 11090, a skull, and it is a 3D body fossil. Its type locality is Wanklyn's Barton Cliff, which is in a Bartonian marine claystone in the Barton Clay Formation of the United Kingdom.

It was recombined as Basilosaurus wanklyni by Trouessart (1904); it was considered a nomen nudum by Uhen (1996) and Uhen (1998); it was recombined as Zygorhiza wanklyni by Kellogg (1936) and McLeod and Barnes (2008).
Pontogeneus priscus was named by Leidy (1852) [single third or fourth cervical vertebral body]. Its type specimen is ANSP 13668, a set of vertebrae (cervical vertebra), and it is a 3D body fossil. Its type locality is Ouachita River, which is in a Priabonian coastal marl in the Yazoo Formation of Louisiana. It is the type species of Pontogeneus.

It was synonymized subjectively with Zeuglodon pygmaeus by Bronn (1853); it was synonymized subjectively with Dorudon serratus by Trouessart (1904); it was synonymized subjectively with Pontogeneus brachyspondylus by Kellogg (1936) and Thurmond and Jones (1981); it was considered a nomen nudum by Uhen (2005).
Zeuglodon brachyspondylus was named by Müller (1849) [North American â€˜Zeuglodonâ€™ brachyspondylus is similar to Masracetus markgrafi , and it may prove to be a species of Masracetus. Z. brachyspondylus was named more than 150 years ago by Mueller (1849: 26) without designation of a holotype, and it has not been studied for many years. To clarify the meaning of the name, the lumbar vertebra illustrated as No. 6 of vertebral series II in Plate XX of Mueller (1849) is designated the lectotype of â€˜Zeuglodonâ€™ brachyspondylus. This was collected by Albert C. Koch in Alabama, and it is now in the collection of the Museum fuer Naturkunde in Berlin. Kellogg (1936: 254) identified the designated vertebra as lumbar L9, and transcribed Muellerâ€™s measurements as 190.5 mm for minimum centrum length; 190.5 mm for anterior centrum width; and 165 mm for anterior centrum height. ANSP 13668 is the type specimen of Pontogeneus priscus, which was subsumed withinin Pontogeneus brachyspondylus]. Its type specimen is MFNB, a set of vertebrae (lumbar vertebra, L9), and it is a 3D body fossil.

It was synonymized subjectively with Zeuglodon cetoides by Lydekker (1887); it was recombined as Basilosaurus brachyspondylus by Hay (1902), Trouessart (1904) and Hay (1930); it was recombined as Pontogeneus brachyspondylus by Kellogg (1936), Thurmond and Jones (1981), Uhen (1998), Uhen (2002), Uhen (2004) and McLeod and Barnes (2008); it was considered a nomen nudum by Uhen (2005) and Uhen (2009).
Zeuglodon paulsonii was named by Brandt (1873) [The type specimen is in the Anatomical Museum of the University of Kiev according to Kellogg (1936): no number is available. See Brandt 1873b, plate 34 The type specimen is in the Anatomical Museum of the University of Kiev according to Kellogg (1936): no number is available. The type specimen is in the Anatomical Museum of the University of Kiev according to Kellogg (1936): no number is available. The type specimen is in the Anatomical Museum of the University of Kiev according to Kellogg (1936): no number is available.]. Its type specimen is no number listed, a set of vertebrae, and it is a 3D body fossil. Its type locality is Chigirin, which is in a Priabonian marine claystone in Ukraine.

It was recombined as Basilosaurus paulsoni by Trouessart (1904); it was recombined as Platyosphys paulsonii by Kellogg (1936); it was recombined as Platyosphys paulsoni by Mchedlidze (1970); it was considered a nomen dubium by Goldin and Zvonok (2013).
Balaenoptera juddi was named by Seeley (1881). Its type specimen is BMNH M 133, a set of vertebrae, and it is a 3D body fossil. Its type locality is Roydon, which is in a Priabonian marine horizon in the Headon Hill Formation of the United Kingdom.

It was considered a nomen nudum by Uhen (1998); it was recombined as Zygorhiza juddi by Kellogg (1936) and McLeod and Barnes (2008).
Zeuglodontidae was named by Bonaparte (1849). It is not extant.

It was synonymized subjectively with Hydrarchidae by Bonaparte (1850); it was misspelled as Zeuglodontae by Bronn (1853), Lydekker (1887), Cope (1889), Thompson (1890), Cope (1890), Flower and Lydekker (1891), Trouessart (1898), Case (1904), Andrews (1906), Abel (1913), Abel (1919), Zittel (1925), Van Deinse (1931), Slijper (1936), Benham (1937) and Mchedlidze (1970); it was synonymized subjectively with Basilosauridae by Kellogg (1936), Uhen (2004) and Uhen (2013).

It was assigned to Cetacea by Bronn (1853); to Pinnipedia by Bonaparte (1849) and Thompson (1890); to Zeuglodonta by Trouessart (1898); to Archaeoceti by Abel (1913) and Slijper (1936); to Archaeoceti by Benham (1937); and to Archaeoceti by Lydekker (1887), Cope (1889), Cope (1890), Flower and Lydekker (1891), Case (1904), Andrews (1906), Abel (1919), Zittel (1925), Van Deinse (1931) and Mchedlidze (1970).
Hydrarchidae was named by Bonaparte (1850). Its type is Hydrarchos.

It was synonymized subjectively with Basilosauridae by Kellogg (1936), Uhen (2004) and Uhen (2013).

It was assigned to Pinnipedia by Bonaparte (1850).
Stegorhinidae was named by Brandt (1873).

It was synonymized subjectively with Basilosauridae by Kellogg (1936), Uhen (2004) and Uhen (2013).

It was assigned to Archaeoceti by Brandt (1873).
Hydrarchina was named by Bonaparte (1850). It is extant.

It was synonymized subjectively with Basilosauridae by McKenna and Bell (1997).

It was assigned to Hydrarchidae by Bonaparte (1850).

Synonymy list

Year	Name and author
1849	Zeuglodontidae Bonaparte p. 618
1849	Zeuglodon brachyspondylus Müller pp. pp. 20-33
1850	Hydrarchidae Bonaparte p. 1
1850	Hydrarchina Bonaparte p. 1
1851	Zeuglodon trachyspondylus Koch p. 57
1852	Pontogeneus Leidy
1852	Pontogeneus priscus Leidy p. 52
1853	Zeuglodontae Bronn p. 763
1853	Zeuglodon brachyspondylus Bronn p. 770
1868	Basilosauridae Cope
1871	Basilosauridae Gill p. 93
1873	Zeuglodon paulsonii Brandt
1873	Stegorhinidae Brandt p. 334
1873	Basilosauridae Gill p. 27
1873	Zeuglodon rossicus Paulson in Brandt p. 336
1876	Zeuglodon wanklyni Seeley
1881	Balaenoptera juddi Seeley p. 278
1887	Balaenoptera juddi Lydekker p. 41
1887	Zeuglodontidae Lydekker p. 49
1889	Zeuglodontidae Cope p. 876
1890	Zeuglodontidae Cope p. 601
1890	Zeuglodon brachyspondylus Cope p. 602
1890	Zeuglodontidae Thompson p. 1
1891	Zeuglodontidae Flower and Lydekker p. 89
1898	Zeuglodontidae Trouessart p. 1009
1898	Zeuglodon brachyspondylus Trouessart p. 1010
1898	Zeuglodon paulsonii Trouessart p. 1010
1898	Zeuglodon wanklyni Trouessart p. 1010
1898	Balaenoptera juddi Trouessart p. 1077
1899	Berardiopsis miocaenus Koch p. 209 figs. Fig. 1-2
1902	Basilosauridae Hay p. 586
1902	Basilosaurus brachyspondylus Hay p. 586
1904	Zeuglodontidae Case p. 4
1904	Pontogeneus Palmer p. 558
1904	Basilosauridae Trouessart p. 753
1904	Basilosaurus brachyspondylus Trouessart p. 753
1904	Basilosaurus paulsoni Trouessart p. 753
1904	Basilosaurus wanklyni Trouessart p. 753
1904	Balaenoptera juddi Trouessart p. 782
1906	Zeuglodontidae Andrews p. 234
1908	Zeuglodon brachyspondylus Stromer p. 31
1913	Zeuglodon rossicum Abel p. 203
1913	Zeuglodon wanklyni Abel p. 220
1913	Zeuglodontidae Abel p. 220
1919	Zeuglodontidae Abel p. 751
1923	Basilosaurinae Miller
1923	Dorudontidae Miller
1923	Basilosauridae Miller p. 40
1923	Dorudontidae Miller p. 40
1925	Zeuglodontidae Zittel p. 84
1925	Zeuglodon brachyspondylus Zittel p. 85
1925	Zeuglodon wanklyni Zittel p. 85
1930	Basilosauridae Hay p. 569
1930	Basilosaurus brachyspondylus Hay p. 570
1930	Dorudontidae Hay p. 657
1931	Zeuglodontidae Van Deinse p. 33
1936	Zygorhiza juddi Kellogg
1936	Basilosauridae Kellogg p. 13
1936	Platyosphys paulsonii Kellogg p. 97
1936	Dorudontidae Kellogg p. 100
1936	Pontogeneus brachyspondylus Kellogg p. 101
1936	Zygorhiza wanklyni Kellogg p. 176
1936	Pontogeneus Kellogg p. 248
1936	Dorudontinae Slijper p. 540
1936	Zeuglodontidae Slijper p. 540
1936	Zeuglodontinae Slijper p. 540
1937	Zeuglodontidae Benham p. 1
1945	Basilosauridae Simpson p. 100
1945	Dorudontidae Simpson p. 100
1954	Prozeuglodontidae Moustafa p. 87
1970	Zeuglodontidae Mchedlidze p. 50
1970	Platyosphys paulsoni Mchedlidze p. 52
1973	Dorudontidae Keyes p. 389
1977	Dorudontidae Whitmore and Sanders p. 305
1981	Dorudontidae Thurmond and Jones p. 192
1981	Basilosauridae Thurmond and Jones p. 193
1981	Pontogeneus Thurmond and Jones p. 196
1981	Pontogeneus brachyspondylus Thurmond and Jones p. 196
1985	Basilosauridae Barnes et al. p. 25
1985	Basilosaurinae Barnes et al. p. 25
1985	Dorudontinae Barnes et al. p. 25
1986	Basilosauridae Hooker p. 214
1986	Dorudontidae Hooker p. 214
1988	Basilosauridae Carroll
1988	Pontogeneus Carroll
1993	Basilosauridae Benton p. 761
1994	Basilosauridae Fordyce and Barnes p. 428 figs. Table 1
1994	Basilosaurinae Fordyce and Barnes p. 428 figs. Table 1
1994	Dorudontinae Fordyce and Barnes p. 428
1995	Basilosauridae Fordyce et al. p. 379
1995	Basilosaurinae Fordyce et al. p. 379
1995	Dorudontinae Fordyce et al. p. 379
1996	Basilosauridae Uhen p. 39
1996	Dorudontinae Uhen p. 41
1997	Basiloterus Gingerich et al.
1997	Basilosauridae Kohler and Fordyce p. 575
1997	Dorudontinae Kohler and Fordyce p. 575
1997	Basilosauridae McKenna and Bell p. 369
1997	Basilosaurinae McKenna and Bell p. 369
1997	Dorudontidae McKenna and Bell p. 369
1997	Pontogeneus McKenna and Bell p. 369
1998	Basilosauridae Rice
1998	Dorudontidae Rice
1998	Basiloterus Uhen
1998	Dorudontinae Uhen p. 34
1998	Pontogeneus Uhen p. 37
1998	Pontogeneus brachyspondylus Uhen p. 37
2001	Dorudontidae Fordyce and de Muizon p. 104
2001	Basilosauridae Fordyce and de Muizon p. 176
2001	Basilosaurinae Fordyce and de Muizon p. 176
2001	Basilosauridae Thewissen et al. p. 351 figs. Table 1
2001	Basiloterus Thewissen et al. p. 351 figs. Table 1
2001	Basilosauridae Uhen and Gingerich p. 2
2001	Dorudontinae Uhen and Gingerich p. 2
2002	Pontogeneus Sepkoski, Jr.
2002	Basilosaurinae Uhen p. 79
2002	Basiloterus Uhen p. 79
2002	Dorudontinae Uhen p. 79
2002	Pontogeneus Uhen p. 79
2002	Pontogeneus brachyspondylus Uhen p. 79
2003	Basilosauridae Fordyce p. 156 figs. Figure 9.1
2003	Basilosauridae Geisler and Sanders p. 27
2004	Basilosauridae Uhen pp. 11-12
2004	Basilosaurinae Uhen p. 12
2004	Basiloterus Uhen p. 12
2004	Dorudontinae Uhen p. 12
2004	Pontogeneus Uhen p. 12
2004	Pontogeneus brachyspondylus Uhen p. 12
2006	Basilosauridae Bouetel and Muizon p. 383
2006	Basilosaurinae Bouetel and Muizon p. 383
2006	Dorudontinae Bouetel and Muizon p. 383
2007	Basilosauridae Bianucci and Landini p. 45 figs. Table 2.1
2007	Basilosaurinae Bianucci and Landini p. 45 figs. Table 2.1
2007	Dorudontinae Bianucci and Landini p. 45 figs. Table 2.1
2007	Basilosauridae Gingerich p. 366
2008	Basilosauridae McLeod and Barnes p. 93
2008	Dorudontinae McLeod and Barnes p. 93
2008	Zygorhiza juddi McLeod and Barnes p. 93
2008	Zygorhiza wanklyni McLeod and Barnes p. 93
2008	Basilosaurinae McLeod and Barnes p. 94
2008	Basiloterus McLeod and Barnes p. 94
2008	Pontogeneus McLeod and Barnes p. 94
2008	Pontogeneus brachyspondylus McLeod and Barnes p. 94
2008	Basilosauridae Uhen p. 561
2008	Basilosaurinae Uhen p. 561
2008	Dorudontinae Uhen p. 561
2008	Basilosauridae Uhen p. 592 figs. Figure 4
2009	Basilosauridae Fordyce and Roberts p. 553
2009	Basilosaurinae Fordyce and Roberts p. 553
2009	Dorudontinae Fordyce and Roberts p. 553
2009	Basilosaurinae Uhen p. 93
2009	Basiloterus Uhen p. 93
2009	Dorudontinae Uhen p. 93
2010	Basilosauridae Fitzgerald p. 370 figs. Table 1
2011	Basilosauridae Martinez-Cacers and Muizon
2011	Basiloterus Martinez-Cacers and Muizon
2011	Dorudontinae Uhen et al. p. 960
2011	Basilosauridae Uhen et al. p. 966 figs. Figure 10
2013	Basilosauridae Uhen

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