Megabalaena (meaning large Bowhead Whale) is an extinct genus of cetacean that lived in the Late Miocene of Japan. The type species is Megabalaena sapporoensis.
Discovery and Naming[]
The holotype (SMAC 2731) was discovered in October 2008 in Toyoma Formation by Kazuhisa Mori. The specimen were excavated and collected over the following years. In 2025, it was described as a new species by Tanaka and his colleagues. The generic name combines Mega, meaning large, and Balaena, a genus of whale, while the specific name is named after Sapporo, a Japanese city.
Description[]
It consists of partial skull, bones of hyoid apparatus, 32 vertebrae, many rib fragments, both scapulae, and much of left forelimb. It has a full body length of 12.7 meters (42 ft). It helped to fill a 9 million old 'ghost lineage'.
Classification[]
It is classified as a member of Balaenidae.
Gallery[]
