Definitions
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun Any of a group of
extinct mammals of the family Pakicetidae.
Etymologies
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Examples
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Late early Eocene and early middle Eocene pakicetid and ambulocetid archaeocetes, known from less complete remains, were almost certainly semiaquatic like protocetids Basilosauridae are late middle Eocene and late Eocene in age (Bartonian-Priabonian, 40-34 Ma) and were widely distributed in the world's oceans.
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Madar SI (2007) The postcranial skeleton of early Eocene pakicetid cetaceans.
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The restored, partial upper tooth row of a pakicetid whale made from a composite of teeth from multiple species.
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There had obviously been a radiation of pakicetid whales early in the history of the group.
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We now know that these restorations are wildly inaccurate, as associated pakicetid skeletons show that these mammals weren’t all that different, superficially, from basal ‘slinker-type’ artiodactyls such as chevrotains, small deer and basal Eocene forms (Thewissen et al. 2001).
Archive 2006-02-01 Darren Naish 2006
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