Abstract
A new basal basilosaurid cetacean,Basilotritus uhenin. gen. n. sp., comes from the late middle Eocene (Bartonian) of Ukraine. It is the earliest dated record of a cetacean from Eastern Europe. The tympanic bulla ofBasilotritus uhenishares basilosaurid synapomorphies but possesses unusual traits inherited from protocetids. Cetaceans related toBasilotritus uheniand referred to asEocetusor“Eocetus”have been recorded from Africa, Europe, North America and South America.“Eocetus” wardiifrom North America is recombined asBasilotritus wardii.Platyosphys paulsoniiandPlatyosphys einorifrom Ukraine are considered as nomina dubia; specimens prior referred to asPlatyosphyssp. are similar or related toBasilotritus. Other records of the Eocene cetaceans from Ukraine and south Russia are identified asBasilotritusor related genera. Early basilosaurids are demonstrated to be a paraphyletic, morphologically and geographically diverse group of the genera that colonized the world ocean as late as in Bartonian age and were probably the ancestors of Neoceti, as well as of more derived basilosaurids.
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