Articles | Volume 21, issue 1
https://doi.org/10.5194/fr-21-11-2018
https://doi.org/10.5194/fr-21-11-2018
Research article
 | 
16 Jan 2018
Research article |  | 16 Jan 2018

Description of the skeleton of the fossil beaked whale Messapicetus gregarius: searching potential proxies for deep-diving abilities

Benjamin Ramassamy, Olivier Lambert, Alberto Collareta, Mario Urbina, and Giovanni Bianucci

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Latest update: 13 Oct 2024
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Short summary
Extant beaked whales perform deep dives to forage for squids. We studied the morphology of the fossil ziphiid Messapicetus gregarius to evaluate its ability to perform such dives. Our analysis suggests an enlargement of the pterygoid sinus system in deep divers. In M. gregarius, the pterygoid sinus is enlarged, but other lines of evidence indicate that the coastal environment also represented an important part of its home range.