| Kekenodontidae Temporal range:
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|---|---|
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| Teeth of Kekenodon onamata | |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Artiodactyla |
| Infraorder: | Cetacea |
| Family: | †Kekenodontidae Mitchell, 1989 |
| Genera | |
Kekenodontidae is an extinct family of non-neocete pelagicetes from the Late Oligocene (Chattian) epoch of New Zealand.[1]
Taxonomy
Although at times classified as basal mysticetes or basal odontocetes, recent cladistic analyses demonstrate that kekenodontids are phylogenetically intermediate between basilosaurids and neocetes.[1][2]
Palaeobiology
Palaeoecology
Isotopic study has found that the δ13C values of kekenodontids were unusually low, suggesting that they fed mainly on prey belonging to low trophic levels.[3]
References
- ^ a b Corrie, Joshua E.; Fordyce, Robert Ewan (2022). "A redescription and re-evaluation of Kekenodon onamata (Mammalia: Cetacea), a late-surviving archaeocete from the Late Oligocene of New Zealand". Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. 196 (4): 1637–1670. doi:10.1093/zoolinnean/zlac019.
- ^ Corrie, Joshua E.; Fordyce, Robert Ewan (31 January 2024). "A new genus and species of kekenodontid from the late Oligocene of New Zealand with comments on the evolution of tooth displacement in Cetacea". Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand: 1–16. doi:10.1080/03036758.2023.2297696. ISSN 0303-6758. PMC 11459822. Retrieved 21 December 2025 – via Taylor and Francis Online.
- ^ Clementz, Mark T.; Fordyce, Robert Ewan; Peek, Stephanie L.; Fox, David L. (15 April 2014). "Ancient marine isoscapes and isotopic evidence of bulk-feeding by Oligocene cetaceans". Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology. 400: 28–40. doi:10.1016/j.palaeo.2012.09.009. Retrieved 21 December 2025 – via Elsevier Science Direct.
