Miophocaena nishinoi is an extinct species of porpoise from the Late Miocene Koetoi Formation of Japan, dating to around 6.4–5.5 million years ago (mya), represented by a partial skull. the genus name derives from Ancient Greek mio for the Miocene, and phocaena for "porpoise"; the species name honors the discoverer, Takanobu Nishino. Miophocaena resides in a clade with Archaeophocaena discovered in the same area, and, along with Pterophocaena, represents an intermediate phase between porpoises and dolphins.[1]
| Miophocaena Temporal range: Late Miocene 6.4–5.5 Ma
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Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Artiodactyla |
| Infraorder: | Cetacea |
| Family: | Phocoenidae |
| Genus: | †Miophocaena Murakami, Shimada, Hikida, and Hirano, 2012 |
| Species: | †M. nishinoi
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| Binomial name | |
| †Miophocaena nishinoi Murakami, Shimada, Hikida, and Hirano, 2012
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References
edit- ^ Murakami, M.; Shimada, C.; Hikida, Y.; Hirano, H. (2012). "Two new extinct basal phocoenids (Cetacea, Odontoceti, Delphinoidea), from the upper Miocene Koetoi Formation of Japan and their phylogenetic significance". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 32 (5): 1172–1185. Bibcode:2012JVPal..32.1172M. doi:10.1080/02724634.2012.694337. S2CID 84268028.
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