Agorophius Temporal range: Early Oligocene, 32 Ma PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N ↓

Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Artiodactyla
Infraorder:	Cetacea
Parvorder:	Odontoceti
Family:	†Agorophiidae Godfrey et al., 2016
Genus:	†Agorophius Cope, 1895
Type species
Agorophius pygmaeus J. P. Muller, 1849

Agorophius is an extinct genus of toothed whale that lived during the Oligocene period, approximately 32 million years ago, in the waters off what is now South Carolina.

Taxonomy

The holotype of Agorophius pygmaeus, MCZ 8761, was first mentioned in an 1848 report on the geology of South Carolina by Michael Tuomey.^[1] It was eventually described as Zeuglodon pygmaeus by Johannes Peter Müller in 1849.^[2] Louis Agassiz coined the name Phocodon holmesii for the same specimen, classifying it as an odontocete. Later authors considered Zeuglodon pygmaeus a species of either Dorudon or Squalodon,^[3]^[4] and in 1895 Edward Drinker Cope eventually recognized it as being a distinct genus, which he named Agorophius.^[5]

Although the skull is lost and the tooth is the only extant part of MCZ 8761, Fordyce (1981) was able to diagnose Agorophius based on existing descriptions of the skull by Muller, Cope, and Agassiz.^[6] New specimens from the Ashley Formation and Chandler Bridge Formation have provided new data on Agorophius, distinguishing it from other Oligocene odontocetes from the US Eastern Seaboard by the condition of its intertemporal condition.^[7]

Classification

Agorophius is the type genus of Agorophiidae, named by Abel in 1914. A number of archaic odontocetes (e.g. Archaeodelphis, Microzeuglodon, and Xenorophus) were previously assigned to this family, but are now recognized as belonging to distinct families (Xenorophidae).^[7]

References

^ M. Tuomey. 1848. Report on the Geology of South Carolina 1-293.
^ J. Muller. 1849. Uber die fossilen Reste der Zeuglodonten von Nordamerica 1-38.
^ E. D. Cope. 1868. [Extinct Cetacea from the Miocene bed of Maryland]. Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences Philadelphia 20(3):159-160.
^ J. Leidy. 1869. The extinct mammalian fauna of Dakota and Nebraska, including an account of some allied forms from other localities, together with a synopsis of the mammalian remains of North America. Journal of the Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia 2:1-472.
^ E. D. Cope. 1895. Fourth contribution to the marine fauna of the Miocene Period of the United States. Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society 34:135-155.
^ R. E. Fordyce. 1981. Systematics of the odontocete whale Agorophius pygmaeus and the Family Agorophiidae (Mammalia: Cetacea). Journal of Paleontology 55(5):1028-1045.
^ ^a ^b S. Godfrey, M. D. Uhen, J. E. Osborne and L. E. Edwards. 2016. A new specimen of Agorophius pygmaeus (Agorophiidae, Odontoceti, Cetacea) from the early Oligocene Ashley Formation of South Carolina, USA. Journal of Paleontology 90(1):154-169.

Odontocete genera

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Artiodactyla
Infraorder: Cetacea

Odontoceti

†Agorophius †Ankylorhiza †Archaeodelphis †Argyrocetus †Ashleycetus †Caolodelphis †Chilcacetus †Enigmatocetus †Eoplatanista †Inticetus †Macrodelphinus †Microcetus †Mirocetus †Neosqualodon †Olympicetus †Papahu †Patriocetus †Phoberodon †Phococetus †Prosqualodon †Sachalinocetus †Simocetus †Sulakocetus †Tangaroasaurus
†Xenorophidae	Albertocetus Cotylocara Echovenator Inermorostrum Xenorophus
†Waipatiidae	Awamokoa Ediscetus Nihohae Nihoroa Otekaikea Urkudelphis Waipatia
†Squalodontidae	Eosqualodon Squalodon
†Squaloziphiidae	Crisocetus? Squaloziphius Yaquinacetus
†Eurhinodelphinidae	Ceterhinops Eurhinodelphis Iniopsis Mycteriacetus Phocaenopsis Schizodelphis Vanbreenia Xiphiacetus Ziphiodelphis
Crown-Odontoceti	see below↓

Crown-Odontoceti

Physeteroidea

†Acrophyseter †Albicetus †Brygmophyseter †Eudelphis †Hoplocetus †Livyatan †Miophyseter †Rhaphicetus †Scaldicetus †Zygophyseter
Kogiidae	†Aprixokogia Kogia †Koristocetus †Nanokogia †Platyscaphokogia †Pliokogia †Praekogia †Scaphokogia †Thalassocetus?
Physeteridae	†Aulophyseter †Cozzuoliphyseter †Diaphorocetus †Idiophyseter †Idiorophus †Orycterocetus Physeter †Physeterula †Placoziphius †Thalassocetus?

Platanistoidea

†Aondelphis †Dolgopolis †Ensidelphis †Perditicetus †Eurhinodelphinidae? †Squalodontidae? †Waipatiidae?
†Allodelphinidae?	Allodelphis Arktocara Goedertius Ninjadelphis Zarhinocetus
†Squalodelphinidae?	Furcacetus Huaridelphis Macrosqualodelphis Medocinia Notocetus Phocageneus Squalodelphis
Platanistidae	†Araeodelphis †Dilophodelphis †Grimadelphis †Pachyacanthus? †Pebanista Platanista †Pomatodelphis †Prepomatodelphis †Zarhachis?

Ziphiidae

†Aporotus †Beneziphius †Caviziphius †Chavinziphius †Chimuziphius †Choneziphius †Dagonodum †Globicetus †Imocetus †Messapicetus †Nazcacetus †Nenga †Ninoziphius †Notoziphius †Pterocetus Tasmacetus †Tusciziphius †Xhosacetus †Ziphirostrum
Berardiinae	†Archaeoziphius Berardius †Microberardius
Ziphiinae	†Izikoziphius Ziphius
Hyperoodontinae	†Africanacetus Hyperoodon †Ihlengesi Indopacetus Mesoplodon

Delphinida	see below↓

Delphinida

†Albireo †Atocetus †Brevirostrodelphis †Cammackacetus †Delphinodon †Hadrodelphis †Herbeinodelphis †Liolithax †Lophocetus †Macrokentriodon †Miminiacetus †Odobenocetops †Pictodelphis †Pithanodelphis †Tagicetus †Westmorelandelphis
†Kentriodontidae	Belonodelphis? Kampholophos Kentriodon Platysvercus Sophianacetus Rudicetus Wimahl
Lipotidae	Lipotes †Parapontoporia †Prolipotes

Inioidea

†Awadelphis
Iniidae	†Brujadelphis †Goniodelphis Inia †Ischyrorhynchus †Isoninia? †Isthminia †Kwanzacetus †Meherrinia †Plicodontinia †Saurocetes
Pontoporiidae	†Atocetus? †Auroracetus †Brachydelphis †Piscorhynchus †Pliopontos †Pontistes †Protophocaena †Samaydelphis †Scaldiporia †Stenasodelphis Pontoporia

Delphinoidea

Monodontidae	†Bohaskaia †Casatia Delphinapterus †Denebola †Haborodelphis Monodon
Phocoenidae	†Archaeophocaena †Australithax †Haborophocoena †Lomacetus †Miophocaena Neophocaena †Numataphocoena Phocoena Phocoenoides †Piscolithax †Pterophocaena? †Semirostrum †Septemtriocetus

Delphinidae

†Arimidelphis †Australodelphis †Eodelphinus †Etruridelphis †Hemisyntrachelus Lagenorhynchus †Norisdelphis Orcinus †Platalearostrum †Pliodelphis †Pterophocaena?
Lissodelphininae	Cephalorhynchus Lissodelphis
Delphininae	Delphinus Lagenodelphis Sotalia Sousa Stenella Tursiops
Globicephalinae	Feresa Globicephala Grampus Orcaella Peponocephala Pseudorca Steno