Cetacea

Cetacea Temporal range: Early Eocene – Present
File:Humpback stellwagen edit.jpg
Humpback whale breaching
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Infraclass:	Eutheria
Superorder:	Laurasiatheria
Order:	Cetartiodactyla
Infraorder:	Cetacea
Suborders
Mysticeti Odontoceti †Archaeoceti

File:Cetacea.jpg

Some Cetacea: 1- Bowhead whale; 2- Orca; 3- Right whale; 4- Sperm whale; 5- Narwhal; 6- Blue whale; 7- Rorqual; 8- Beluga

The order Cetacea are marine mammals that live in oceans, seas and even a few rivers around the world. Whales, dolphins and porpoises are part of this group. These common names refer to size: whales are the largest, porpoises the smallest. How and what they eat is a better guide to their relationships. The study of cetaceans is called cetology.

Cetaceans are ocean creatures without toes, but are classified in the related order Cetartiodactyla because their ancestors were even toed ungulates.

Taxonomy

• Order Cetacea
  • Suborder Mysticeti: Baleen whales
    • Family Balaenidae: Right whales and Bowhead whale
      • Bowhead whale, Balaena mysticetus
      • Genus Eubalaena: Right whales
        • North Atlantic right whale, Eubalaena glacialis
        • North Pacific right whale, Eubalaena japonica
        • Southern right whale, Eubalaena australis
    • Family Balaenopteridae: Rorquals
      • Genus Balaenoptera
        • Blue whale, Balaenoptera musculus
        • Fin whale, Balaenoptera physalus
      • Humpback whale, Megaptera novaeangliae
    • Family Eschrichtiidae
      • Gray whale, Eschrichtius robustus
    • Family Neobalaenidae
      • Pygmy right whale, Caperea marginata
  • Suborder Odontoceti: Toothed whales
    • Family Delphinidae: Oceanic dolphins
    • Family Phocoenidae: Porpoises
    • Family Monodontidae
      • Beluga, Delphinapterus leucas
      • Narwhal, Monodon monoceros
    • Family Physeteridae: Sperm whales
      • Sperm whale, Physeter catodon
      • Dwarf sperm whale, Kogia sima
      • Pygmy sperm whale, Kogia breviceps
    • Family Ziphiidae
      • Cuvier's beaked whale, Ziphia cavirostris
    • Superfamily Platanistoidea: River dolphins