The list of extinct cetaceans features the extinct genera and species of the order Cetacea. The cetaceans (whales, dolphins and porpoises) are descendants of land-living mammals, the even-toed ungulates. The earliest cetaceans were still hoofed mammals. These early cetaceans became gradually better adapted for swimming than for walking on land, finally evolving into fully marine cetaceans.
This list currently includes fossil genera and species, and the baiji (or Chinese river dolphin, Lipotes vexillifer) was declared "functionally extinct" after an expedition in late 2006 failed to find any in the Yangtze River. Also, the Atlantic population of gray whales (Eschrichtius robustus) became extinct in the 18th century.
Suborder Archaeoceti Family Ambulocetidae (Eocene)
Ambulocetus Himalayacetus Gandakasia
Family Basilosauridae (Late Eocene) Tutcetus Perucetus
Basilosaurinae Basilosaurus Basiloterus Eocetus Pachycetinae Antaecetus Pachycetus Dorudontinae Ancalecetus Chrysocetus Cynthiacetus Dorudon Masracetus Ocucajea Saghacetus Supayacetus Zygorhiza Stromerius
Family Kalakocetidae (Early to Middle Eocene) Kalakocetus
Family Kekenodontidae (Oligocene) Kekenodon Tohoraonepu
Family Pakicetidae (Early to Middle Eocene)
Pakicetus Nalacetus Ichthyolestes
Family Protocetidae (Eocene)
Georgiacetinae Aegicetus Babiacetus Carolinacetus Georgiacetus Natchitochia Pappocetus Pontobasileus Tupelocetus Makaracetinae Makaracetus Protocetinae Aegyptocetus Artiocetus Crenatocetus Dhedacetus Gaviacetus Indocetus Kharodacetus Maiacetus Peregocetus Protocetus Qaisracetus Rodhocetus Takracetus Togocetus
Family Remingtonocetidae (Eocene) Andrewsiphius Attockicetus Dalanistes Kutchicetus Rayanistes Remingtonocetus
Suborder Mysticeti
Family Llanocetidae (Late Eocene-Early Oligocene) Llanocetus Mystacodon
Family Mammalodontidae (jr synonym Janjucetidae)
(Late Oligocene) Janjucetus Mammalodon
Family incertae sedis Borealodon Coronodon
Clade Kinetomenta
Family Aetiocetidae
(Oligocene)
Aetiocetus Ashorocetus Chonecetus Fucaia Morawanocetus Niparajacetus Salishicetus Willungacetus
Clade Chaeomysticeti Atlanticetus
Family incertae sedis Horopeta Maiabalaena Sitsqwayk Tlaxcallicetus Toipahautea Whakakai
Superfamily Eomysticetoidea
Family Cetotheriopsidae (Oligocene to Miocene) Cetotheriopsis
Family Eomysticetidae (Oligocene to early Miocene) Echericetus Eomysticetus Matapanui Micromysticetus Tohoraata Tokarahia Waharoa Yamatocetus
Family Aglaocetidae (Miocene) Aglaocetus
Superfamily Balaenoidea
Family Balaenidae (Miocene to Recent) Antwerpibalaena Archaeobalaena Balaena Balaena affinis Balaena arcuata Balaena larteti Balaena macrocephalus Balaena montalionis Balaena ricei Balaenella Balaenotus Balaenula Charadrobalaena Eubalaena (extant) Eubalaena ianitrix Eubalaena shinshuensis Idiocetus Megabalaena Notiocetus Peripolocetus Protobalaena
Family incertae sedis Morenocetus
Clade Thalassotherii Cetotheriomorphus Heterocetus Imerocetus Isocetus Otradnocetus Palaeobalaena Rhegnopsis
Family Cetotheriidae (Miocene - Pliocene)
Classification follows Steeman (2007) unless otherwise noted.
Adicetus Brandtocetus Cephalotropis Cetotherium Ciuciulea Eucetotherium Halicetus Herentalia Herpetocetus Hibacetus Joumocetus Kurdalagonus Metopocetus Mithridatocetus Nannocetus Piscobalaena Thinocetus Titanocetus Tiucetus Vampalus Zygiocetus
Family Diorocetidae (Miocene to Pliocene) Amphicetus Diorocetus Plesiocetopsis Uranocetus
Family Neobalaenidae (Miocene to Recent) Miocaperea
Family Pelocetidae (Miocene) Cophocetus Parietobalaena Pelocetus
Family incertae sedis Isanacetus Pinocetus Mauicetus Taikicetus Tiphyocetus
Superfamily Balaenopteroidea
Eobalaenoptera
Family Balaenopteridae (Miocene to Recent) Archaebalaenoptera Balaenoptera (extant) Balaenoptera bertae Balaenoptera cephalus Balaenoptera colcloughi Balaenoptera davidsonii Balaenoptera siberi Balaenoptera sursiplana Balaenoptera taiwanica "Balaenoptera" cortesii "Balaenoptera" portisi "Balaenoptera" ryani Burtinopsis Cetotheriophanes Fragilicetus Incakujira Marzanoptera Miobalaenoptera Norrisanima Nehalaennia Parabalaenoptera Plesiobalaenoptera Plesiocetus Praemegaptera Protororqualus
Family Eschrichtiidae (Miocene to Recent) Archaeschrichtius Eschrichtioides Gricetoides Megapteropsis
Family Tranatocetidae Mesocetus Mixocetus Tranatocetus
Family incertae sedis Mioceta (nomen dubium) Piscocetus Siphonocetus (nomen dubium) Tretulias (nomen dubium) Ulias (nomen dubium)
Suborder Odontoceti
Basal forms
Family Agorophiidae (Early Oligocene) Agorophius
Family Ashleycetidae (Early Oligocene) Ashleycetus
Family Patriocetidae (Oligocene to Early Miocene) Patriocetus
Family Simocetidae (Early Oligocene) Simocetus
Family Xenorophidae (Late Oligocene) Albertocetus Archaeodelphis Cotylocara Echovenator Inermorostrum Mirocetus Xenorophus
Family Inticetidae Inticetus Phococetus
Family Microzeuglodontidae Microzeuglodon
Family Squaloziphiidae (Late Oligocene to Early Miocene) Squaloziphius Yaquinacetus
Family incertae sedis Ankylorhiza Agriocetus Atropatenocetus Ediscetus Olympicetus Saurocetus
Superfamily Squalodontoidea
Family Dalpiazinidae (Late Oligocene to Miocene) Dalpiazina
Family Prosqualodontidae (Late Oligocene-Middle Miocene) Parasqualodon Prosqualodon
Superfamily Physeteroidea
Family Kogiidae (Miocene to recent) Aprixokogia Kogia (extant) Kogia pusilla Kogia danomurai Kogiopsis Koristocetus Nanokogia Platyscaphokogia Pliokogia Praekogia Scaphokogia Thalassocetus
Family Physeteridae Cozzuoliphyseter Eophyseter Ferecetotherium Idiophyseter Idiorophus Orycterocetus Physeterula Placoziphius Preaulophyseter Scaldicetus
Family incertae sedis Acrophyseter Albicetus Aulophyseter Brygmophyseter Diaphorocetus Eudelphis Hoplocetus (nomen dubium) Livyatan Miokogia (nomen dubium) Paleophoca (nomen dubium) Prophyseter (nomen dubium) Rhaphicetus Zygophyseter
Superfamily "Eurhinodelphinoidea"
Family Argyrocetidae (Late Oligocene to Early Miocene) Argyrocetus Chilcacetus Macrodelphinus
Family Eoplatanistidae (Miocene) Eoplatanista
Family Eurhinodelphinidae (Late Oligocene to Late Miocene)
Ceterhinops Eurhinodelphis Iniopsis Mycteriacetus Phocaenopsis Schizodelphis Vanbreenia Xiphiacetus Ziphiodelphis
Superfamily Platanistoidea Aondelphis Awamokoa Dolgopolis Ensidelphis Perditicetus Urkudelphis
Family Allodelphinidae (Late Oligocene to Middle Miocene) Allodelphis Arktocara Goedertius Ninjadelphis Zarhinocetus
Family Platanistidae (Early Miocene to Recent) Araeodelphis Dilophodelphis Pachyacanthus Pomatodelphis Prepomatodelphis Zarhachis
Family Squalodelphinidae (Late Oligocene to Middle Miocene) Furcacetus Furcadelphis Huaridelphis Macrosqualodelphis Medocinia Notocetus Phocageneus Squalodelphis
Family Squalodontidae (Late Oligocene to Middle Miocene) Austrosqualodon Eosqualodon Macrophoca Neosqualodon Pachyodon Phoberodon Squalodon (syn. Kelloggia, Rhizoprion, Crenidelphinus, Arionius, Phocodon) Smilocamptus Tangaroasaurus
Family Waipatiidae (Late Oligocene to Early Miocene) ?Microcetus Otekaikea Papahu Sachalinocetus Waipatia
Superfamily Ziphioidea Family Ziphiidae (Miocene to Recent)
Basal forms Aporotus Beneziphius Chavinziphius Chimuziphius Choneziphius Dagonodum Globicetus Imocetus Messapicetus Ninoziphius Notoziphius Tusciziphius Ziphirostrum Subfamily Berardiinae Archaeoziphius Microberardius Subfamily Hyperoodontinae Africanacetus Belemnoziphius Ihlengesi Khoikhoicetus Mesoplodon (extant) Mesoplodon posti Mesoplodon slangkopiG. Bianucci, O. Lambert, and K. Post. 2007. A high diversity in fossil beaked whales (Mammalia, Odontoceti, Ziphiidae) recovered by trawling from the sea floor off South Africa. Geodiversitas 29(4):561-618 Mesoplodon tumidirostrisMiyazaki, N.; Hasegawa, Y. 1992: A new species of fossil beaked whale, Mesoplodon tumidirostris sp. nov. (Cetacea, Ziphiidae) from the Central North Pacific. Bulletin of the National Science Museum (A), 18: 167–174. Nenga Pterocetus Xhosacetus Subfamily Ziphiinae Caviziphius Izikoziphius Nazcacetus Subfamily incertae sedis Anoplonassa Cetorhynchus Eboroziphius Pelycorhamphus
Clade Delphinida
Family incertae sedis Anacharsis Belonodelphis Delphinavus Graamocetus Hadrodelphis Lamprolithax Leptodelphis Liolithax Lophocetus Loxolithax Macrokentriodon Microphocaena Miodelphis Nannolithax Oedolithax Oligodelphis Palaeophocaena Pithanodelphis Platylithax Prionodelphis Protodelphinus Sarmatodelphis Sophianacetus Tagicetus
Superfamily Delphinoidea
Family Albireonidae (Miocene to Pliocene) Albireo
Family Delphinidae
(Oligocene to Recent) Arimidelphis Astadelphis Australodelphis Delphinus (extant) Delphinus domeykoi Eodelphinus Etruridelphis Hemisyntrachelus Lagenorhynchus (extant) Lagenorhynchus harmatuki Norisdelphis Globicephala (extant) Globicephala baereckeii Globicephala etruriae Orcinus (extant) Orcinus citoniensis Orcinus meyeri Orcinus paleorca Platalearostrum Protoglobicephala Pseudorca (extant) Pseudorca yokoyamai Pseudorca yuanliensis Septidelphis Sinanodelphis Stenella (extant) Stenella rayi Tursiops (extant) Tursiops miocaenus Tursiops osennae
Family Kentriodontidae (Oligocene to Pliocene)
Belonodelphis? Kampholophos Kentriodon Liolithax? Mesokentriodon Rudicetus Sophianaecetus Wimahl
Family Monodontidae (Miocene to Recent) Bohaskaia Casatia Denebola Haborodelphis
Family Odobenocetopsidae (Late Miocene to Early Pliocene)
Odobenocetops
Family Phocoenidae (Miocene to Recent) Archaeophocaena Australithax Brabocetus Harborophocoena Lomacetus Miophocaena Numataphocoena Piscolithax Pterophocaena Salumiphocaena Semirostrum Septemtriocetus
Superfamily Inioidea Awadelphis Brujadelphis Incacetus Meherrinia
Family Iniidae (Miocene to Recent) Goniodelphis Hesperoinia Ischyrorhynchus Isthminia Kwanzacetus Saurocetes
Family Pontoporiidae (Middle Miocene to Recent) Atocetus Auroracetus Brachydelphis Pliopontos Pontistes Protophocaena Samaydelphis Scaldiporia Stenasodelphis
Superfamily Lipotoidea
Family Lipotidae (Late Miocene to Recent) Eolipotes Lipotes (likely extinct) Parapontoporia
Superfamily incertae sedis Delphinodon Heterodelphis
Family incertae sedis Acrodelphis Champsodelphis Hesperocetus Imerodelphis (Miocene) Kharthlidelphis Lonchodelphis Macrochirifer Microsqualodon Pelodelphis Rhabdosteus (nomen dubium) Sulakocetus
See also
Evolution of cetaceans List of cetaceans List of prehistoric mammals Lists of extinct species
References