
Specimen image via iDigBio
Physeter
Sign in to savePhyseter is a genus of toothed whales. There is only one living species in this genus: the sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus). Some extremely poorly known fossil species have also been assigned to the same genus including Physeter antiquus (5.3–2.6 mya) from the Pliocene of France, and Physeter vetus (2.6 mya – 12 ka) from the Quaternary of the U.S. state of Georgia. Physeter vetus is very likely an invalid species, as the few teeth that were used to identify this species appear to be identical to those of another toothed whale, Orycterocetus quadratidens.
Species
GENUS
- KingdomAnimalia
- PhylumChordata
- ClassMammalia
- OrderCetacea
- FamilyPhyseteridae
Habitatmarine
Observations recorded131,838
via GBIF
Museum specimens
- Specimen records
- 48
- With media
- 1
- Family
- Physeteridae
- Collections
- USNM, ROM, UF, HSU, UCM, UOMNH
- Recorded in
- United States, Canada, Yemen; Aden