Miocaperea
{{Short description|Extinct genus of mammals}}
{{Italic title}}
{{Automatic Taxobox
| name = Miocaperea
| fossil_range = Late Miocene
~{{fossil range|11.608|7.246}}
| image =
| image_caption =
| taxon = Miocaperea
| authority = Bisconti, 2012
| subdivision_ranks = Species
| subdivision =
†M. pulchra Bisconti, 2012 (type)
}}
Miocaperea is an extinct genus of pygmy right whale from the Late Miocene Pisco Formation of Peru.[https://paleobiodb.org/classic/checkTaxonInfo?taxon_no=254039 Miocaperea] at Fossilworks.org Its type species is Miocaperea pulchra.Bisconti, M. 2012. Comparative osteology and phylogenetic relationships of Miocaperea pulchra, the first fossil pygmy right whale genus and species (Cetacea, Mysticeti, Neobalaenidae). Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 166: 876-911.
Evolution and significance
The discovery of Miocaperea is significant, because neobalaenines were previously unknown in the fossil record, except for an isolated petrosal (ear bone) from late Miocene-aged deposits in Australia.Fitzgerald, E.M.G. 2012. Possible neobalaenid from the Miocene of Australia implies a long evolutionary history for the pygmy right whale Caperea marginata (Cetacea, Mysticeti). Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 32:976-980. A previous study placed the divergence date of Neobalaeninae from other mysticetes at about 23 million years,Sasaki T, Nikaido M, Hamilton H et al. (2005) Mitochondrial phylogenetics and evolution of mysticete whales. Systematic Biology 54(1): 77–90. and the age of Miocaperea lends credence to the notion of an origin for Neobalaeninae deep in the early Miocene.
References
{{Portal|Cetaceans|Paleontology|Peru|Prehistoric mammals}}
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{{Mysticeti Genera|M.|state=collapsed}}
{{Taxonbar|from=Q15708539}}