What time period is associated with the estimated existence of the genus Rhincodon based on morphological fossil evidence?
Answer
The early Miocene epoch
Based on the morphological evidence derived from recovered fossil teeth attributed to the genus *Rhincodon*, paleontologists estimate that this genus has been present in the fossil record for a duration spanning at least 23 million years. This timeframe places the established existence of the genus specifically during the early Miocene epoch. It is important to distinguish this genus estimate from the potential age of the evolutionary branch leading to the modern species, which some research suggests might extend back 60 million years or more, near the start of the Cenozoic era, highlighting the patchy nature of the archive for this specific group.
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