Auroracetus

The nasal passages (the nose or "blowhole") as well as the back of the skull were preserved, however the rostrum and basicranium were not.

Classification as a new genus and species was based on the odd shape of its nasal bones, the lack of any ridge along the edges of the skull as seen in other river dolphins, and the width of the sutures, or spaces, between facial bones.

The specimen was collected from the Lee Creek Mine in Aurora, North Carolina.

[2] A second specimen was recovered by a team from Georgia Southern University and described alongside the holotype.

This specimen, a small fragment of the nasal area, was determined to be from an adult individual based on size and the more complete fusion of the bone material.