| Whippomorpha | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Subphylum: | Vertebrata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Artiodactyla |
| Suborder: | Cetruminantia |
| Infraorder: | Whippomorpha |
| Families | |
|
†Anthracotheriidae |
|
Whippomorpha[1] is a proposed clade containing the Cetacea (whales, dolphins, etc.) and their closest living relatives, the hippopotamuses defined by Waddell et al. (1999). It is defined as a node-based taxon, including all species that are descendants of the most recent common ancestor of Hippopotamus amphibius and Tursiops truncatus.[1] This would be a sub-grouping of the Cetartiodactyla (which also includes pigs and ruminants), but it is not clear how recently the whales and hippos share a common ancestor, though the genetic evidence is strong that the cetaceans arose from within the Artiodactyla, thus making the even-toed ungulate grouping a paraphyletic one.[2]
Whippomorpha is a mixture of English (wh[ale] + hippo[potamus]) and Greek (morphe = form). Attempts have been made to rename the clade Cetancodonta but Whippomorpha maintains precedent.[3][4]
| Cetartiodactyla |
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