Idiocetus

Idiocetus Temporal range: Tortonian–Piacenzian PreЄ Є O S D C P T J K Pg N
Atlas of I. guicciardinii, from Italy
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Artiodactyla
Infraorder:	Cetacea
Family:	Balaenidae
Genus:	†Idiocetus Capellini 1876
Species
I. guicciardinii Capellini 1876

Idiocetus ("unique whale") is a genus of extinct cetaceans of the family Balaenidae.

Fossils belonging to this genus have been found for the first time in Piacenzian (Upper Pliocene) strata near Montopoli in Val d'Arno, a town in Tuscany (central Italy). The Italian paleontologist Giovanni Capellini described the whale in 1876 and attributed it to a new genus and species, establishing the type species Idiocetus guicciardinii.
Some decades later, in 1926, other fossil remains possibly belonging to the genus Idiocetus were discovered from the Tortonian (Upper Miocene) of Japan.

Capellini, G., 1905. "Balene fossili toscane. III. Idiocetus guicciardinii". Memorie della Regia accademia delle Scienze dell’Istituto di Bologna 6: 71–80.