{"product_id":"platalearostrum-hoekmani","title":"Platalearostrum hoekmani","description":"\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePlatalearostrum hoekmani\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cem\u003e \u003c\/em\u003ewas an extinct odontocete belonging to the family Delphinidae, described in 2010 from a fragmentary rostrum recovered by bottom trawling in the North Sea, approximately 110 km west of Rotterdam. The specimen, housed at the Natuurhistorisch Museum Rotterdam, represents the holotype of the species and is distinguished by an exceptionally short, broad and robust cranial anatomy. Its generic name refers directly to the spatulate shape of the snout.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBecause the fossil was recovered outside its original stratigraphic context, its geological age cannot be determined with complete precision. It is generally considered to have lived between the Middle Pliocene and the Early Pleistocene, approximately 3.5 to 1.8 million years ago, although this chronology remains tentative.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe known material consists of part of the left maxilla, the premaxilla and the vomer. The preserved fragment measures 221 mm in length, with a maximum rostral width of 156 mm and a premaxilla reaching up to 117 mm in width. The preserved tooth row is approximately 111 mm long and contains six alveoli, indicating a reduced dentition compared with other long-snouted delphinids.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eIts most distinctive feature is the extreme lateral expansion of the premaxilla, which gave the rostrum a short, blunt and spatulate shape. This structure, together with the concave and rugose dorsal surface, suggests the presence of a highly developed melon, possibly comparable to that of modern pilot whales. For this reason, it has been interpreted as a delphinid with globicephaline affinities, although its exact phylogenetic position remains uncertain because the remainder of the skull and the postcranial skeleton are unknown.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe reduced dentition and broad rostrum may have been associated with suction feeding, probably targeting fish and cephalopods. However, this hypothesis is based on comparisons with living delphinids rather than on direct evidence of diet.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eIts total body length cannot be calculated with precision, but it is estimated to have reached approximately 4–6 metres. A conservative reconstruction would depict it as a robust cetacean measuring around 4.5–5 metres in length, with a high, bulbous forehead, an extremely short rostrum and a streamlined body broadly comparable to that of large modern delphinids.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePlatalearostrum hoekmani\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e is one of the most unusual fossil cetaceans known from the North Sea. Its distinctive rostral morphology reflects an extreme specialisation, possibly related to echolocation and suction feeding, and makes this species a notable example of the evolutionary diversity of Plio-Pleistocene delphinids.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"isSelectedEnd\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eApproximate Platalearostrum Replica Dimensions\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e1:35 Scale — Complete Model\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eLength: 170 mm\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eHeight: 48 mm\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWidth: 45 mm\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSnout-to-tail length: 175 mm\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Miniature Museum","offers":[{"title":"1:35 \/ Sin imprimar","offer_id":54883372925196,"sku":"DC-1492-135-SINI","price":48.6,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true},{"title":"1:35 \/ Imprimado","offer_id":54883372957964,"sku":"DC-1492-135-IMPRI","price":57.6,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true},{"title":"1:35 \/ Pintado a mano","offer_id":54883372990732,"sku":"DC-1492-135-PINTA","price":170.3,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0672\/1106\/7660\/files\/Platalearostrum_3.png?v=1785164724","url":"https:\/\/dinosauriacreatures.com\/en\/products\/platalearostrum-hoekmani","provider":"Dinosauria Creatures","version":"1.0","type":"link"}