MA Cloze Test 2
The new species was named Maiacetus inuus, which means “mother whale,” (1) in the family Protocetidae. Assignment to a new species was justified due to critical differences from other protocetid whales, such as solidly co-ossified left and right dentaries (lower jaws), (2) in the ankle, and significant disparity in hind limb elements. The fossils show (3) this new species’ length is unimpressive relative to some extant (living) whales, but still, Maiacetus inuus measures a respectable 2.6 meters.
