Squalodelphinid Fossil Data for a New Species from the Lower Miocene of New Zealand

A paleontological dataset describes the discovery of a new genus and species of extinct dolphin, *Fordycetus taitonga*, from the Early Miocene of New Zealand. The dataset includes morphological details of the holotype specimen, which is estimated to be 2.7 meters long, and its phylogenetic placement within the Squalodelphinidae family. The data was authored by Yoshihiro Tanaka and last updated in April 2026.

Use Cases

• Phylogenetic analysis of squalodelphinids based on morphological character data.
• Comparative anatomical studies of supraorbital crest evolution in odontocetes.
• Biogeographic modeling of early dolphin dispersal patterns in the Pacific Ocean.
• Morphometric analysis of fossil cetacean body size and skeletal features.

Strengths

• Dataset is licensed under CC-BY-4.0, allowing for open sharing and reuse.
• Describes a holotype specimen with specific estimated body length (2.7 meters) and geological age (21.7–15.9 Ma).
• Includes data on a new genus and species, expanding the known geographic range of the Squalodelphinidae family.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment for statistical analysis.
• Data may reflect geographic bias inherent to a single fossil site in North Otago, New Zealand.

Provenance

Source

figshare

Collection Method

Likely contains morphological character matrices and descriptive data from fossil specimen analysis.

Time Range

Early Miocene, approximately 21.7 to 15.9 million years ago.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-04-23 07:38:21; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Mount Harris Formation, North Otago, New Zealand.