ON PLESIOCETUS VAN BENEDEN, 1859 (MAMMALIA, CETACEA, MYSTICETI)

A new analysis of the “type” Plesiocetus collection established by Van Beneden in the 19th century is performed to provide an updated taxonomy of this genus. Plesiocetus was established based on isolated finds that were assembled together to reconstruct almost complete skeletons of four species: P. brialmontii, P. dubius, P. hupschii, and P. burtinii. Plesiocetus has then been used by different authors in taxonomic studies of mysticete faunas and became a taxonomic wastebasked that is now in critical need of revision. Unfortunately, the diagnosis of Plesiocetus provided by Van Beneden does not... Mehr ...