Ask the Chatbot Games & Quizzes History & Society Science & Tech Biographies Animals & Nature Geography & Travel Arts & Culture ProCon Money Videos
Orcinus citonensis
References
Britannica AI Icon

Orcinus citonensis

fossil whale
Written by
The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

The Information Architects maintain a master list of the topics included in the corpus of  Encyclopædia Britannica, and create and manage the relationships between them.
The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica
Last updated

Quick Summary

Orcinus citonensis was a small fossil whale from the Pliocene Epoch, dating back 5.3 to 2.6 million years ago. Discovered in Italy, this ancient mammal was approximately 4 meters (13.1 feet) long and possessed 14 teeth, resembling a typical dolphin more than modern killer whales.1

The genus Orcinus includes the modern killer whale (Orcinus orca), the largest member of the dolphin family. Killer whales are known for their distinctive black and white coloration and powerful carnivorous nature. They inhabit all oceans and prey on a variety of marine animals. The evolutionary history of Orcinus suggests divergence from other cetaceans during the Miocene Epoch.1

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
3 Britannica Sources
  1. killer whale
  2. Orcinus
  3. killer whale

Ask Britannica AI about this topic

Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.