A critical revision of the fossil record, stratigraphy and diversity of the Neogene seal genus<i>Monotherium</i>(Carnivora, Phocidae)

Dewaele, Leonard; Lambert, Olivier; Louwye, Stephen

doi:10.1098/rsos.171669

Cited by 28 publications

(42 citation statements)

References 54 publications

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“…Moreover, it shows that significant skeletal remains of marine mammals, and not only isolated teeth, might be recovered from the Bolognano Formation. Lending indirect support to this suggestion, DEWAELE et al (2018) have recently proposed that the holotype of the archaic monachine seal Noriphoca gaudini collected in the 19th century from the vicinities of Roccamorice (northwestern sector of the Montagna della Majella massif; GUISCARDI, 1870) comes from basal beds of the Bolognano Formation exposed there. These observations encourage the continued search for fossil marine mammals in the Bolognano strata of the Montagna della Majella massif.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The shark-toothed dolphin Squalodon (Cetacea: Odontoceti) from the remarkable Montagna della Majella marine vertebrate assemblage (Bolognano Formation, central Italy)

Collareta¹,

Cencio²,

Ricci³

et al. 2020

Carnets Geol.

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T Th he e s sh ha ar rk k--t to oo ot th he ed d d do ol lp ph hi in n S Sq qu ua al lo od do on n ( (C Ce et ta ac ce ea a: : O Od do on nt to oc ce et ti i) ) f fr ro om m t th he e r re em ma ar rk ka ab bl le e M Mo on nt ta ag gn na a d de el ll la a M Ma aj je el ll la a m ma ar ri in ne e v ve er rt te eb br ra at te e a as ss se em mb bl la ag ge e ( (B Bo ol lo og gn na an no o F Fo or rm ma at ti io on n, , c ce en nt tr ra al l I It ta al ly y) )Abstract: The extinct family Squalodontidae consists of heterodont, medium-sized odontocetes, featuring a long rostrum that houses large, procumbent incisors and heavily ornamented postcanine teeth carrying accessory denticles, hence their vernacular name, "shark-toothed dolphins". These longirostrine toothed whales are often seen as bridging the anatomical gap between archaic Oligocene odontocetes and their late Miocene to Holocene relatives. Possibly among the major marine predators of their time, the shark-toothed dolphins are important components of several lower Miocene marine-mammal assemblages from the North Atlantic and Mediterranean/Paratethysian realms. In the present work, a partial skull of Squalodontidae is described from the strata of the Bolognano Formation cropping out in the northeastern sector of the Montagna della Majella massif (Abruzzo, central Italy), which has previously yielded a rich lower Miocene marine-vertebrate assemblage, including eleven taxa of elasmobranchs as well as subordinate teleosts and very fragmentary remains of marine reptiles and mammals. The specimen consists of the anterodorsal portion of a rostrum, preserving parts of both premaxillae and left maxilla, and the anteriormost seven upper left teeth. This partial skull is here identified as belonging to the genus Squalodon, whose presence in the Montagna della Majella vertebrate assemblage had already been tentatively proposed on the basis of two fragmentary teeth. The paleontological significance of this find is discussed in the broader framework of the Euromediterranean record of Squalodon.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The shark-toothed dolphin Squalodon (Cetacea: Odontoceti) from the remarkable Montagna della Majella marine vertebrate assemblage (Bolognano Formation, central Italy)

Collareta¹,

Cencio²,

Ricci³

et al. 2020

Carnets Geol.

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“…Among Monachine, Muizon (1981) only observed a similar condition in Piscophoca pacifica. Muizon (1981) also observed this condition in Frisiphoca aberrata (previously known as Monotherium aberratum), but recent phylogenetic analyses suggest that F. aberrata is not a monachine but a phocine seal (Dewaele, Lambert & Louwye, 2018). The distal end of the diaphysis and the distal epiphysis are missing.…”

Section: Historical and Geological Context Of Humerus Irsnb M2308mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In the current study, the specific names are corrected to Frisiphoca aberrata and Frisiphoca affinis to be grammatically correct. It should also be noted that the phocine affinities of the genus Frisiphoca are based on few and relatively weak characters and that the genus may as well be monachine (see Dewaele, Lambert & Louwye, 2018). Specimens of extant Phocinae considered for this study include specimens housed at the IRSNB and USNM.…”

Section: Biological Samplementioning

confidence: 99%

“…This supinator crest is consistently less developed in Monachinae than in Phocinae, in which it is sharp and well developed. However, it is noteworthy that the phocine condition is absent in the enigmatic Frisiphoca aberrata (Van Beneden, 1876) (Muizon, 1981;Berta & Wyss, 1994;Dewaele, Lambert & Louwye, 2018). Among Monachinae, the extinct Homiphoca spp.…”

Section: Historical and Geological Context Of Humerus Irsnb M2308mentioning

confidence: 99%

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Peer Review #3 of "A late surviving Pliocene seal from high latitudes of the North Atlantic realm: the latest monachine seal on the southern margin of the North Sea (v0.1)"

Boessenecker¹

2018

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Background: The family of true seals, the Phocidae, is subdivided into two subfamilies: the southern Monachinae, and the northern Phocinae, following the subfamilies' current distribution: extant Monachinae are largely restricted to the (sub-)Antarctic and the eastern Pacific, with historical distributions of the monk seals of the genus Monachus in the Caribbean, the Mediterranean and around Hawaii; and Phocinae to the northern temperate and Arctic zones. However, the fossil record shows that Monachinae were common in the North Atlantic realm during the late Miocene and early Pliocene. Until now, only one late Pliocene record is known from the Mediterranean, Pliophoca etrusca from Tuscany, Italy, but none from farther north in the North Atlantic. Methods: We present the description of one partial phocid humerus collected in the early 20 th century from the Antwerp area (Belgium), with an assessment of its stratigraphic origin using data from the literature. Results: The studied humerus was recovered during construction works at the former Lefèvre dock in the Antwerp harbour (currently part of the America dock). Combining the information associated to the specimen with data from the literature and from local boreholes, the upper Pliocene Lillo Formation is ascertained as the lithological unit from which the specimen originates. Morphologically, among other features the shape of the deltopectoral crest and the poor development of the supinator crest indicates a monachine attribution for this specimen. The development of the deltopectoral crest is closer to the condition in extant Monachinae than in extinct Monachinae. Discussion: The presented specimen most likely represents a monachine seal and a literature study clearly shows that it came from the latest early to late Pliocene Lillo Formation. This would be the first known monachine specimen from the latest early to late Pliocene of the Deleted: Confronting 42 3 North Sea, and more broadly from the northern part of the North Atlantic realm. This humerus differs from the humerus of Pliophoca etrusca and suggests a higher diversity of Monachinae in the latest early to late Pliocene than previously assumed.

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“…However, the distribution of extant Monachinae does not reflect the past distribution of Monachinae and Phocinae. Indeed, during the Neogene, multiple monachine taxa lived in the North Atlantic realm, with fossils of Auroraphoca atlantica Dewaele, Peredo, Meyvisch & Louwye, 2018, Callophoca obscura Van Beneden, 1876, and Virginiaphoca magurai Dewaele, Peredo, Meyvisch & Louwye, 2018, from late Miocene deposits from Belgium and late Miocene and early Pliocene deposits from the east coast of North America ( Van Beneden, 1876 ; Van Beneden, 1877 ; Ray, 1976 ; Koretsky & Ray, 2008 ; Dewaele, Lambert & Louwye, 2018 ). Historically, the youngest published fossil monachine taxon of the Northern Hemisphere is the holotype of Pliophoca etrusca Tavani, 1941 from the Piacenzian (late Pliocene) of Tuscany, Italy ( Tavani, 1941 ; Berta et al, 2015 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A late surviving Pliocene seal from high latitudes of the North Atlantic realm: the latest monachine seal on the southern margin of the North Sea

Dewaele

Lambert

Louwye

2018

PeerJ

Self Cite

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BackgroundThe family of true seals, the Phocidae, is subdivided into two subfamilies: the southern Monachinae, and the northern Phocinae, following the subfamilies’ current distribution: extant Monachinae are largely restricted to the (sub-)Antarctic and the eastern Pacific, with historical distributions of the monk seals of the genus Monachus in the Caribbean, the Mediterranean and around Hawaii; and Phocinae to the northern temperate and Arctic zones. However, the fossil record shows that Monachinae were common in the North Atlantic realm during the late Miocene and early Pliocene. Until now, only one late Pliocene record is known from the Mediterranean, Pliophoca etrusca from Tuscany, Italy, but none from farther north in the North Atlantic.MethodsWe present the description of one partial phocid humerus collected in the early 20th century from the Antwerp area (Belgium), with an assessment of its stratigraphic origin using data from the literature.ResultsThe studied humerus was recovered during construction works at the former Lefèvre dock in the Antwerp harbour (currently part of the America dock). Combining the information associated to the specimen with data from the literature and from local boreholes, the upper Pliocene Lillo Formation is ascertained as the lithological unit from which the specimen originates. Morphologically, among other features the shape of the deltopectoral crest and the poor development of the supinator crest indicates a monachine attribution for this specimen. The development of the deltopectoral crest is closer to the condition in extant Monachinae than in extinct Monachinae.DiscussionThe presented specimen most likely represents a monachine seal and a literature study clearly shows that it came from the latest early to late Pliocene Lillo Formation. This would be the first known monachine specimen from the latest early to late Pliocene of the North Sea, and more broadly from the northern part of the North Atlantic realm. This humerus differs from the humerus of P. etrusca and suggests a higher diversity of Monachinae in the latest early to late Pliocene than previously assumed.

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A critical revision of the fossil record, stratigraphy and diversity of the Neogene seal genusMonotherium(Carnivora, Phocidae)

Cited by 28 publications

References 54 publications

The shark-toothed dolphin Squalodon (Cetacea: Odontoceti) from the remarkable Montagna della Majella marine vertebrate assemblage (Bolognano Formation, central Italy)

The shark-toothed dolphin Squalodon (Cetacea: Odontoceti) from the remarkable Montagna della Majella marine vertebrate assemblage (Bolognano Formation, central Italy)

Peer Review #3 of "A late surviving Pliocene seal from high latitudes of the North Atlantic realm: the latest monachine seal on the southern margin of the North Sea (v0.1)"

A late surviving Pliocene seal from high latitudes of the North Atlantic realm: the latest monachine seal on the southern margin of the North Sea

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