Dear colleagues I am very pleased to announce a new article:
Tsai C.-H. 2023. In search of the origin of crown Mysticeti. Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand doi:10.1080/03036758.2023.2249410 Abstract Recent research on mysticete fossils from the Late Eocene and Oligocene has revolutionised our understanding of the diversity and evolutionary scenarios for early baleen whales. For example, aetiocetids are a possible, though controversial, lineage that bridges the gap between the toothed and baleen-bearing mysticetes, and eomysticetids show a further transitional step towards the baleen-bearing status, with the presence of non-functional dentition in adults. However, information about the origin of crown mysticetes, including the most recent common ancestor of all extant lineages and its descendants, is critical to further understanding the evolution of baleen whales. The phylogenetic positions of the Oligocene *Toipahautea*, *Whakakai*, *Horopeta*, and *Mauicetus* from New Zealand remain unresolved and problematic, but all four genera show a close relationship with crown mysticetes. The original and subsequent cladistic analyses have consistently revealed a sister relationship between the *Toipahautea*-to-*Mauicetus* grade and crown mysticetes, and *Horopeta* has been placed close to the cetotheriids within the crown group. This review aims to stimulate more research on this topic by elucidating the origin of crown mysticetes, which likely experienced a poorly known radiation event during the Oligocene that established the modern lineages. This article is open-access: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/03036758.2023.2249410?scroll=top&needAccess=true&role=tab Alternatively, please feel free to email me for a pdf copy or further discussion: whalet...@ntu.edu.tw or crani...@gmail.com Regards and all the best, Tsai 蔡政修（Cheng-Hsiu Tsai さい まさのぶ) PhD Associate Professor R508, Lab of evolution and diversity of fossil vertebrates（古脊椎動物演化及多樣性實驗室） Department of Life Science & Institute of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology （生命科學系＆生態學與演化生物學研究所） National Taiwan University（台灣大學） No. 1, Sec. 4, Roosevelt Rd., Taipei, 106-17, Taiwan（台灣 106-17 台北市羅斯福路 4 段 1 號） Email: whalet...@ntu.edu.tw; crani...@gmail.com; Tel: 886 - 2 - 3366 - 2448 Twitter: TSAI_NTU508 <https://twitter.com/TSAI_NTU508>; FB: 蔡政修 CH Tsai <https://www.facebook.com/NTUWhaleTsai>; Google Scholar: TSAI, Cheng-Hsiu <https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=AeNkkhAAAAAJ&hl=en>; and Paleo fund-raising <https://giving.ntu.edu.tw/backend/FastDonation.html?DonateNo=28&DonateIOTxt=臺灣大學生命科學系古脊椎動物演化及多樣性實驗室&fbclid=IwAR31Q8p1NFMM7FJGBnlunMjFR7t462rLTyoFuhTGvHU45kMntad4fwa8ANE>
_______________________________________________ MARMAM mailing list MARMAM@lists.uvic.ca https://lists.uvic.ca/mailman/listinfo/marmam
