Biology Encyclopedia	Cetacea Brisson, 1762 “translation of the latin”
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Common Names

Cetaceans include whales, dolphins, and porpoises.  The study of cetaceans is called cetology.  Cetacea is from the Greek ketos, meaning whale.

Latin Synonyms

Linnaean Rank

Order

Ancestral Phylogeny and Taxonomy

Explanation of phylogenetic trees

Lineage

Terrabiota, Cytota, Neomura, Eukaryota, Unikonta, Opisthokonta, Animalia, Metazoa, Eumetazoa, Bilateria, Deuterostomia, Cyrtotreta, Chordata, Notochordata, Vertebrata, Gnathostomata,, Teleostomi, Euteleostomi, Sarcopterygii, Tetrapodomorpha, Tetrapoda, Reptilomorpha, Cotylosauria, Amniota, Synapsida, Therapsida, Eutherapsida, Neotherapsida, Theriodontia, Cynodontia, Epicynodontia, Eucynodontia, Probainognathia, Mammaliaformes, Mammalia, Cladotheria, Zatheria, Theria, Eutheria, Placentalia, Boreoeutheria, Laurasiatheria, Ferungulata, Cetartiodactyla

Descendant Phylogeny and Taxonomy

Explanation of phylogenetic trees

Morphology

Monophyletic.

Distribution

Ecology

Almost all extant species are marine, except for about four species of river dolphin which inhabit freshwater rivers and estuaries.

Ethology

Evolution

Development

Ethnobiology

Population

Notes and Comments

References

Literature

Information on the Internet