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Cetaceans


Humpback Whale breeching
Scientific classification
Kingdom:Animalia
Phylum:Chordata
Class:Mammalia
Order:Cetacea
Suborders

Mysticeti
Odontoceti

(see text)

The order Cetacea includes whales, dolphins and porpoises. Cetus is Latin and is used in biological names to mean "whale"; its original meaning, "large sea animal," was more general, It comes from Greek ketos (" sea monster").

Cetaceans are the mammals most fully adapted to aquatic life. Their body is fusiform (spindle-shaped). The forelimbs are modified into flippers. The tiny hindlimbs are vestigial, they do not attach to the backbone and are hidden within the body. The tail has horizontal flukes. Cetaceans are nearly hairless, and are insulated by a thick layer of blubberBlubber is a thick layer of insulating fat found under the skin of cetaceans and various other animals living in extremely cold climates ( seals, walruses). Blubber forms an important part of the traditional eskimo diet because of its high energy value.. Cetacea contains ten families, and about 80 speciesThis article discusses biological species. Also see combinatorial species for the mathematical meaning of the term. Species is also a movie by Roger Donaldson. In English "species" is both singular and plural. The word " specie" is unrelated and is used t.

1 Taxonomical listing

The specification shown here closely follows that of "Marine Mammals of the World. Systematics and Distribution", by Dale W. Rice (1998). Published by the Society of Marine Mammalogy as Special Publication No. 4, the tract has become the standard taxonomy reference in the field. See the Society's website (here) for further details. Differences reflect usage of common names and further discoveries since the publication of that work.



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Topics: Cetacea, Taxonomical Listing, Evolution Of Cetaceans...
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