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Allodelphinidae
Allodelphinids
5
Number of resurrected species:
Family
Order
Class
Allodelphinidae
Artiodactyla
Mammalia
Description
The Allodelphinidae is a family of primitive river dolphins that lived in the Pacific Ocean during the Oligocene and Miocene. A typical Allodelphinid was fairly large in size and had a very elongated rostrum. They lived in coastal regions and probably hunted fish and squid by using echolocation.
Distribution & Fossil evidence
Fossils of the oldest known member of the family, Arktocara, have been found in Alaska (USA). It is therefore the most northern region a river dolphin has ever been found! Most of the genuses are known from fossil remains of their skulls of which some still retained their long rostrum.
Species
Up until now, there are five genera known within this family.
Included genera
Arktocara, Allodelphis, Goedertius, Zarhinocetus, Ninjadelphis
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