Devinophoca claytoni Koretsky & Holec, 2002

Rahmat, S. J. & Koretsky, I. A., 2018, Mandibular Morphology Of The Mid-Miocene Seal Devinophoca Claytoni (Carnivora, Phocidae, Devinophocinae), Vestnik Zoologii 52 (6), pp. 509-520 : 511-512

Devinophoca claytoni Koretsky & Holec, 2002 ( figs 1–3 ; tables 1–2)

R e f e r r e d m a t e r i a l: SNMZ 25510, Incomplete left mandible missing ramus and most teeth.

Range: Badenian, early middle Miocene (16.3–12.8 Ma; Wagreich et al., 2014);

Central Paratethys, Vienna Basin of Western Slovakia.

A m e n d e d d i a g n o s i s: Body of mandible low in height (12 mm) and retromandibular (length ~ 19 mm) region flat (similar to D. emryi ), with long, wide and round alveoli; mental process not present as opposed to D. emryi , but located between p1 and p2; symphyseal part pronounced, symphysis reaches anterior alveolus of p2 (similar to D. emryi ); p3–m1 tooth row oriented parallel to mandibular axis (similar to D. emryi ); p4 alveoli wider and longer than those of m1 (similar to D. emryi ); m1 single rooted (as opposed to D. emryi , with fused double-rooted m1); p2 and canine oriented obliquely to mandibular axis (as opposed to D. emryi ); one lower incisor (as in D. emryi ); diastemata absent (similar to D. emryi ).

Figures

Fig. 1. Devinophoca claytoni A — incomplete skull with right M1and left P2-M1 (Z14532, holotype) and B — left mandible without ramus (SNMZ 25510; referred material) from the Museum of Natural History, Slovak National Museum, Bratislava, Slovak Republic).

Fig. 2. Mandibles of D. claytoni: A — labial; B — lingual; C — occlusal views. D. emryi: D — labial; E — lingual, F — occlusal views. Abbreviations: ap — angular process; con. p — condyloid process; cor. p — coronoid process; men. f — mental foramina; ms — mandibular symphysis.

Fig. 3. Mandibles representing different subfamilies of Phocidae (true seals). A — left mandible in lingual view (SNMZ 25510, referred material) of Devinophoca claytoni (subfamily Devinophocinae). B — left mandible in lingual view of Pliophoca etrusca (subfamily Monachinae; National Museum of National History, Washington D.C., NMNH 171221). C — left mandible in labial view of Leptophoca lenis (subfamily Phocinae; Calvert Marine Museum, Maryland, CMM-V2021). D — left mandible in labial view of Cystophora cristasta (subfamily Cystophorinae, National Museum of National History, Washington D.C., NMNH 188956, female). Abbreviations: ap — angular process; con. p — condyloid process; cor. p — coronoid process; mass. fossa — masseteric fossa; men. f — mental foramina; ms — mandibular symphysis.