Himalayacetus

 ( Ambulocetidae ) 

Himalayacetus is an extinct genus of carnivorous aquatic mammal of the family Ambulocetidae. The holotype was found in Himachal Pradesh, India, (: paleocoordinates ). Retrieved June 2013. in what was the remnants of the ancient Tethys Ocean during the Early Eocene. This makes Himalayacetus the oldest Archaeoceti known, extending the fossil record of whales some 3.5 million years.

Himalayacetus lived in the ancient coastline of the ancient Tethys Ocean before the Indian Plate had collided with the Cimmerian Plate coast. Like Gandakasia, Himalayacetus is only known from a single jaw fragment, making comparisons to other ambulocetids difficult.

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Description Upon its discovery, Himalayacetus was described as a pakicetid because the dentary has a small mandibular canal and a dentition similar to Pakicetus. assigned Himalaycetus to the ambulocetids.

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Etymology

Himalayacetus was named by . Its type is Himalayacetus subathuensis after the Himalayas, cetus, "whale", and the Subathu Formation, the type locality.

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Taxonomy

It was considered monophyletic by Uhen (2010). It was assigned to Pakicetidae by Bajpai and Gingerich (1998) and McLeod and Barnes (2008); and to Ambulocetidae by Hans Thewissen et al. (2001) and Uhen (2010).. Retrieved June 2013.

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Notes

Categories: Ambulocetidae, Fossil Taxa Described In 1998, Monotypic Prehistoric Cetacean Genera, Extinct Animals Of India

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