Dear colleagues

We are very pleased to announce a new paper - describing a Pliocene gray
whale (*Eschrichtius*) from Beligum.

Tsai C.-H., Collareta A., and Bosselaers M. 2020. A Pliocene gray whale (
*Eschrichtius* sp.) from the Eastern North Atlantic. Rivista Italiana di
Paleontologia e Stratigrafia (Research in Paleontology and Stratigraphy)
126: 189-196.

Abstract

The gray whale *Eschrichtius robustus*, the only living member of the
eschrichtiid lineage, currently inhabits only the North Pacific.
Interestingly, however, the holotypes of both *E. robustus* and the late
Miocene *Archaeschrichtius ruggieroi *(the oldest known eschrichtiid
species) come from the North Atlantic and the Mediterranean, respectively.
Here we describe a partial mysticete mandible from the Pliocene (3.71–2.76
Ma) of Belgium (Eastern North Atlantic). This new fossil displays a
combination of morphological features that makes it nearly identical to
modern *E. robustus*. Nevertheless, given its incomplete nature, the
studied specimen is here identified in open nomenclature as belonging to
*Eschrichtius* sp. The recognition of such an early record of *Eschrichtius*
in the North Atlantic suggests that this genus developed a circum-Northern
Hemisphere distribution not later than in Pliocene times, thus complicating
our understanding of its origin, evolutionary history, and
palaeobiogeographic patterns.

The paper is freely accessible:

https://riviste.unimi.it/index.php/RIPS/article/view/13040

Alternatively, please feel free to email me or Alberto for a pdf copy
further discussion:

Tsai: [email protected]; [email protected]
Alberto: [email protected]

Regards and all the best,
Tsai


蔡政修(Cheng-Hsiu Tsai  さい まさのぶ)
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, National Taiwan University(台灣大學生命科學系)
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: [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected]
https://www.facebook.com/NTUWhaleTsai/?modal=admin_todo_tour
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