2026/07/01 by Henk Jan van Vliet, Jonas Hakkens, Theo M. Paijmans +7
Earth and Planetary Sciences · Environmental Science · #Genus #Ichthyology and Marine Biology #Marine animal studies overview #Paleontology and Evolutionary Biology #Postcrania #SPINE (molecular biology) #Skeleton (computer programming) #Skull #Whale
paper · doi:10.1016/j.pgeola.2026.101201
openalex publication_date 2026/07/01 · openalex created_date 2026/07/21 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/31
Since 1913, the Bournemouth Natural Science Society has housed a partial postcranial skeleton, regarded as a small archaeocete whale from the Barton Clay Formation at Highcliffe and Barton-on-Sea, England. Despite being mentioned at least once in literature, it has never been thoroughly described. In 1876, Seeley described a small basilosaurid skull from the same location and formation, naming it Zeuglodon wanklyni ; illustrations were not provided by him. Later, Kellogg (1936) reclassified it as Zygorhiza wanklyni Seeley, 1876. Unfortunately, the skull was lost soon after its discovery. Traditionally, small basilosaurid remains from Barton-on-Sea cliffs have been assigned to ‘ Zygorhiza ’ wanklyni , but this name is now generally regarded a nomen dubium . The skeleton, newly described here, provides an opportunity for re-evaluation of this taxon. Both the skeleton and skull can be attributed to a juvenile, small dorudontine basilosaurid, apparently representing the same taxon, comparable in size to a juvenile Dorudon atrox Andrews, 1906. Based on several unique features, we establish a new genus, Bartoncetus . Similar remains have been discovered in the Helmstedt region of Germany, part of the same Eocene North Sea Basin, and possibly also in Varano, Italy. Based on dinocysts in the adhering sediments, the partial skeleton has been dated to 39.5 to 40.5 Ma, i.e. , during the middle Bartonian, the middle Eocene. This makes it one of the oldest, well-dated remains of a small dorudontine basilosaurid currently known.