Baleen Whale - Taxonomic Classification

Taxonomic Classification

The "†"'s denote extinct families and genera.

Suborder Mysticeti: Baleen whales

  • Family †Aetiocetidae
    • Aetiocetus
    • Ashorocetus
    • Chonecetus
    • Morawanocetus
    • Willungacetus
  • Family †Aglaocetidae
    • Aglaocetus
    • Isanacetus
    • Pinocetus
  • Family Balaenidae: Right whales and bowhead whale
    • Balaena Bowhead whales
    • Balaenella
    • Balaenotus
    • Balaenula
    • Eubalaena Right whales
    • Eucetites
    • Morenocetus
  • Family Balaenopteridae: Rorquals
    • Archaebalaenoptera
    • Balaenoptera
    • Cetotheriophanes
    • Diunatans
    • Mauicetus
    • Megaptera
    • Notiocetus
    • Parabalaenoptera
    • Plesiobalaenoptera
    • Praemegaptera
    • Protororqualus
  • †Family Cetotheriidae
    • Cephalotropis
    • Cetotherium
    • Herpetocetus
    • Hibacetus
    • Joumocetus
    • Metopocetus
    • Mixocetus
    • Nannocetus
    • Palaeobalaena
    • Piscobalaena
    • Plesiocetopsis
    • Titanocetus
  • †Family Cetotheriopsidae
    • Cetotheriopsis
    • Micromysticetus
  • †Family Diorocetidae
    • Amphicetus
    • Diorocetus
    • Plesiocetus
    • Thinocetus
    • Uranocetus
  • †Family Eomysticetidae
    • Eomysticetus
  • Family Eschrichtiidae
    • Archaeschrichtius
    • Eschrichtioides
    • Eschrichtius Gray whales
    • Gricetoides
    • Megapteropsis
  • †Family Llanocetidae
    • Llanocetus
  • †Family Mammalodontidae
    • Janjucetus
    • Mammalodon
  • Family Neobalaenidae: Pygmy right whale
    • Caperea, Pygmy right whale
  • †Family Pelocetidae
    • Cophocetus
    • Halicetus
    • Parietobalaena
    • Pelocetus
    • Eobalaenoptera
  • Family incertae sedis
    • Amphitera
    • Burtinopsis
    • Idiocetus
    • Imerocetus
    • Isocetus
    • Mesocetus
    • Mioceta
    • Otradnocetus
    • Peripolocetus
    • Piscocetus
    • Siphonocetus
    • Tiphyocetus
    • Tretulias
    • Ulias

The earliest known baleen whale is Llanocetus, discovered on Seymour Island, Antarctica, by E.D. Mitchell in 1989. The species lived during the Latest Eocene/Earliest Oligocene, about 35 mya.

Read more about this topic:  Baleen Whale