Superregnum: Eukaryota
Regnum: Animalia
Subregnum: Eumetazoa
Cladus: Bilateria
Cladus: Nephrozoa
Superphylum: Deuterostomia
Phylum: Chordata
Cladus: Craniata
Subphylum: Vertebrata
Infraphylum: Gnathostomata
Superclassis: Tetrapoda
Cladus: Reptiliomorpha
Cladus: Amniota
Cladus: Synapsida
Cladus: Eupelycosauria
Cladus: Sphenacodontia
Cladus: Sphenacodontoidea
OrdoTherapsida
Cladus: Theriodontia
Subordo: Cynodontia
Cladus: Mammaliaformes
Classis: Mammalia
Subclassis: Trechnotheria
Infraclassis: Zatheria
Supercohort: Theria
Cohort: Eutheria
Cohort: Placentalia
Cladus: Boreoeutheria
Superordo: Laurasiatheria
Ordo: Artiodactyla
Subordo: Whippomorpha
Infraordo: Cetacea
Cladus: †Archaeoceti
Familia: †Protocetidae
Subfamilia: †Protocetinae
Genus: Togocetus
Species (1): T. traversei
Name
Togocetus Gingerich & Cappetta, 2014
References
Gingerich, P.D.; Cappetta, H. 2014: A new archaeocete and other marine mammals (Cetacea and Sirenia) from Lower Middle Eocene phosphate deposits of Togo. Journal of paleontology, 88(1): 109–129. DOI: 10.1666/13-040 Reference page.
Togocetus (“Togo whale”) is a genus of extinct cetacean from the Lutetian (lower Eocene) of Togo, known from a fossilized skeleton discovered few kilometers north-east of Lomé.
Discovery and description
The skeleton was found in a phosphate mining area, Kpogamé-Hahotoé, which is located just north of Lake Togo. It was embedded in a phospharenite bonebed dating back to 46 – 44 million years ago, and overlying an older rock unit, the Tabligbo Group.[3] The remains were described in 2014 by Philip D. Gingerich and Henri Cappetta, who established for it the new monotypic genus Togocetus and the new species T. traversei, dedicated to Michel Traverse.[1]
According to the two authors, Togocetus was a semiaquatic animal which must have weighed around 300–400 kilograms (660–880 lb). It was a protocetid with rather primitive traits such as a still quite long neck, a digitigrade manus and a swim-specialized pes.[4] It shared many similarities with the protocetid genera Protocetus and Pappocetus, the main differences being a smaller mandibular canal, the loss of the fovea capitis femoris (hence of the ligament of head of femur) and some traits related to the molar trigonids.[5] Later analysis of ear structure evidence originally attributed to Togocetus raised some question regarding established understanding of protocetid evolution[6]. The original analysis revealed a contradiction in assumed relationship between ear ossicle structure and mandibular canal size; later research and additional evidence revealed multiple places where more modern, specialized traits were blended unexpectedly with archaic ones, causing some controversy. Despite the fragmentary nature of the fossil record and the subtleties differentiating protocetids, T. traversei has consistently been shown to have unique features defining it, including a completely novel entoglenoid shape and several fossae otherwise not seen in contemporary cetaceans[7].
References
Wikispecies has information related to Togocetus.
Gingerich & Cappetta 2014, pp. 111-112
Togocetus on Fossilworks.org
Gingerich & Cappetta 2014, pp. 109-110
Gingerich & Cappetta 2014, p. 109
Gingerich & Cappetta 2014, p. 112
Mourlam, Mickaël J.; Orliac, Maeva J. (2018-06-21). "Protocetid (Cetacea, Artiodactyla) bullae and petrosals from the middle Eocene locality of Kpogamé, Togo: new insights into the early history of cetacean hearing". Journal of Systematic Palaeontology. 16 (8): 621–644. doi:10.1080/14772019.2017.1328378. ISSN 1477-2019.
Kassegne, Koffi Evenyon; Mourlam, Mickaël J.; Guinot, Guillaume; Amoudji, Yawovi Zikpi; Martin, Jeremy E.; Togbe, Kodjo Adika; Johnson, Ampah Kodjo; Hautier, Lionel (2021-04-01). "First partial cranium of Togocetus from Kpogamé (Togo) and the protocetid diversity in the Togolese phosphate basin". Annales de Paléontologie. 107 (2): 102488. doi:10.1016/j.annpal.2021.102488. ISSN 0753-3969.
Bibliography
Gingerich, P. D.; Cappetta, H. (2014). "A new archaeocete and other marine mammals (Cetacea and Sirenia) from lower middle Eocene phosphate deposits of Togo". Journal of Paleontology. 88 (1): 109–129. doi:10.1666/13-040.
MKassegne, K. E (June 11 2021). "First partial cranium of Togocetus from Kpogamé (Togo) and the protocetid diversity in the Togolese phosphate basin". Annales de Paléontologie. 107 – via Elsevier Science Direct. Check date values in: |date= (help)
Mourlam, M.J.; Orliac, M.J. (2017). "Protocetid (cetacea, artiodactyla) bullae and petrosals from the Middle Eocene locality of KPOGAMÉ, Togo: New insights into the early history of cetacean hearing". Journal of Systematic Palaeontology. 16: 621–644 – via EBSCO.
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