Cetacea

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

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.

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

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

Wikispecies has information on: Cetacea.