Denebola is an extinct genus of whale belonging to the family Monodontidae. It contains a single known species, Denebola brachycephala. It is the earliest known ancestor of the beluga, Delphinapterus leucas, and dates from the Upper Miocene period.[2] A fossil was found in the Baja California peninsula, indicating that the family once existed in warmer waters.[3]
Denebola brachycephala Temporal range:
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D. brachycephala and Praekogia | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Mammalia |
Order: | Artiodactyla |
Infraorder: | Cetacea |
Family: | Monodontidae |
Genus: | †Denebola Barnes, 1984 |
Species: | †D. brachycephala
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Binomial name | |
†Denebola brachycephala Barnes, 1984[1]
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