Middle Miocene whale (Cetacea: Mysticeti) humeri from the Danitzpuszta sand pit, near Pécs

Abstract

As a result of specimen-gathering in a single locality over the past twenty years, a large number of whale humeri have been collected. These humeri were found in a sand pit at Danitpuszta (near the city of Pecs), in Pannonian sand beds. They appear to have their origins in the Middle Miocene (Sarmatian, Badenian?).

Altogether 19 fossil humeri from the locality have been studied. All of them, except 2 bones, are at present kept in museum collections. They can be classified into three taxa: cf. Cetotherium priscum (EICHWALD 1840); “Cetotherium” aff. maicopicum (SPASSKI 1951), and Cetotheriidae indet.

Fossil humeri have also been found at Pécs-Vasas, Samobor (Croatia), and the Vienna Basin (three specimens). These specimens belong to the same taxon as the humeri of those collected in Danitzpuszta and have been classified into cf. C. priscum.

Humeri classified into the whale species cf. Cetotherium priscum (EICHWALD 1840) are the most frequent amongst the finds at Danitzpuszta (as they are in the Carpathian region); these remains have greatly expanded our knowledge of the size and morphological variations of the species.

Although the fossil humeri of “Cetotherium” aff. maicopicum (SPASSKI 1951) are smaller in size than those of the “Cetotherium” maicopicum (SPASSKI 1951) described from the Eastern Paratethys, they show morphological similarities with the latter; therefore, they are likely to be the representatives of a new species belonging to this genus.

Considering morphological and metric characteristics, the author could not find similarities between the small-sized humerus classified as Cetotheriidae indet. and that of other, known taxa; therefore, it is likely to represent a new taxon.