Raoellidae

Raoellidae
Temporal range: 56–41.3 Ma Early EoceneMiddle Eocene
Indohyus
Scientific classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Artiodactyla
Clade: Cetaceamorpha
Family: Raoellidae
Sahni, Bal Bhatia, Hartenberger, Jaeger, Kumar, Sudre & Vianey-Liaud, 1981
Genera

The Raoellidae, previously grouped within Helohyidae, are an extinct family of semiaquatic digitigrade artiodactyls in the clade Whippomorpha. Fossils of raoellids are found in Eocene strata of South and Southeast Asia.

An exceptionally complete skeleton of Indohyus from Kashmir suggests that raoellids are the "missing link" sister group to whales (Cetacea). All other Artiodactyla are relatives of these two groups. δO18 values and osteosclerotic bones indicate that the raccoon-like Indohyus was habitually aquatic. However, it is still unclear if Indohyus primarily fed on land or in water. It is hypothesized that Cetaceans evolved from ancestors similar to Indohyus and later fully adapted to aquatic life.

Taxonomy

  • Raoella
    • Raoella dograi
  • Haqueina
    • Haqueina haquei
  • Indohyus
    • Indohyus indirae
    • Indohyus major
  • Kunmunella
    • Kunmunella kalakotensis
    • Kunmunella transversa
  • Metkatius
    • Metkatius kashmiriensis
  • Khirtharia
    • Khirtharia aurea
    • Khirtharia dayi
    • Khirtharia inflatus

This page was last updated at 2024-03-26 09:34 UTC. Update now. View original page.

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