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Vanbreenia

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Vanbreenia
A hypothetical reconstruction of the skull of V. trigonia.
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Artiodactyla
Suborder: Whippomorpha
Infraorder: Cetacea
Family: Eurhinodelphinidae
Genus: Vanbreenia
Bianucci & Landini, 2002[2]
Species:
V. trigonia
Binomial name
Vanbreenia trigonia
Bianucci & Landini, 2002[1]

Vanbreenia is an extinct genus of toothed whale from the Miocene epoch, containing only the species Vanbreenia trigonia.[1] Its fossils have been found in the Miste area of Winterswijk in the Netherlands.[3]

Etymology

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Vanbreenia was named after Dr. P.J.H. van Bree from the Zoological Museum Amsterdam. Its grammatical gender (in Latin) is feminine.[4]

Description

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V. trigonia is small compared to other odontocete genera, and has a shorter rostrum as well, with a length of 90 millimeters, and a width and height of 95 and 47 millimeters and its base, respectively. Its shorter rostrum likely gave it swimming maneuverability to avoid predators and capture prey.[4]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Vanbreenia trigonia ". Mindat. Hudson Institute of Mineralogy. Retrieved 3 July 2025.
  2. ^ Rees, Tony. "Vanbreenia Bianucci & Landini, 2002 †". Interim Register of Marine and Nonmarine Genera. Retrieved 3 July 2025.
  3. ^ "Vanbreenia Bianucci and Landini 2002 (toothed whale)". Paleobiology Database. Retrieved 3 July 2025.
  4. ^ a b Bianucci, Giovanni; Landini, Walter (19 December 2002). "A new short-rostrum odontocete (Mammalia: Cetacea) from the middle Miocene of the Eastern Netherlands" (PDF). Beaufortia. 52 (11). Naturalis Biodiversity Center: 187–196. Retrieved 3 July 2025.