Zygiocetus fossil map
Where fossils of Zygiocetus have been found, shown on the Earth as it looked about 5 million years ago and on today’s map.
Dots are fossil collections recorded in the Paleobiology Database. The “then” view moves today’s fossil sites back to their positions 5 million years ago (the time slice nearest the median age of the fossils) using the Merdith et al. (2021) plate model; positions are approximate. Open on the timeline map →
| Group | Early mammals |
|---|---|
| Lived | 11.63–5.333 million years ago (Tortonian to Messinian) |
| Periods | Neogene |
| Family | Cetotheriidae |
| Named by | Tarasenko 2014 |
| Fossil records | 4 occurrences at 2 locations (PBDB) |
| Found in | Russia, Ukraine |
| Rock formations | Krasnooktyabr’sk, txn:66751 |
About Zygiocetus
Zygiocetus is an extinct genus of cetotheriid mysticete in the subfamily Cetotheriinae. The type and only species is Zygiocetus nartorum, known from the Late Miocene (Messinian) of Adygea in the Russian Caucasus.
Zygiocetus nartorum is distinguished from other cetotheriines in having slightly arched lambdoid crests, and it is distinct from Cetotherium and Kurdalagonus in having a wide supraoccipital that is shaped like an extended isosceles triangle with arched lateral sides.
Text in “About” is quoted from the Wikipedia article Zygiocetus (revision 1255787467), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0; introduction excerpted verbatim, formatting removed. Ages, family, authority and fossil records: Paleobiology Database, accessed 23 October 2026. Ages are those of the rock layers the fossils were found in. Wikidata: Q48966250.
