Idiorophus is a genus of extinct in the family Physeteridae. Fossils have been found in the Colhuehuapian Gaiman Formation of Argentina and the Libano Sandstone in Italy.
Description
Idirophus is thought to have been long. Discovered in rocks dated to the
early Miocene, it is thought to be one of the oldest
physeteridae.
The teeth of
Idiorophus were similar in size to those of the modern
orca. This species is thought to be a highly predatory sperm whale. The teeth are covered in enamel and show wear from eating large prey.
Taxonomy
It has been proposed that
Idiorophus be placed in the subfamily
Hoplocetinae, alongside
Scaldicetus,
Diaphorocetus, and
Hoplocetus.
Further reading
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R. Kellogg. 1925. Two physeteroid whales from California. Contributions to Palaeontology from the Carnegie Institution of Washington 348(1):1–35
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R. Lydekker. 1894. Cetacean skulls from Patagonia. Anales del Museo de la Plata II:1–13
