Open AccessCladistic analysis and a revised classification of fossil and recent mysticetes
Author(s) -
STEEMAN METTE ELSTRUP
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
zoological journal of the linnean society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.148
H-Index - 83
eISSN - 1096-3642
pISSN - 0024-4082
DOI - 10.1111/j.1096-3642.2007.00313.x
Subject(s) - biology , monophyly , cladistics , clade , taxon , zoology , subfamily , sister group , phylogenetics , ecology , gene , biochemistry
A cladistic analysis that includes representatives of all recent genera of mysticetes and several fossil species that were previously referred to the family Cetotheriidae, with tooth‐bearing mysticetes and an archaeocete as an outgroup, is presented here. The result of this analysis forms the base of a revised classification of Mysticeti. Cetotheriidae is redefined as a monophyletic family, which includes the genera Cetotherium , Piscobalaena , and a new subfamily Herpetocetinae, including Herpetocetus , Nannocetus , Metopocetus , and Cephalotropis . Eschrichtiidae is the closest sister taxon to Cetotheriidae. A few species are referred to Eomysticetoidea, whereas the remaining species that were previously referred to Cetotheriidae appear in four clades that branch off from the lineage leading to Balaenopteridae. These are a Mauicetus clade and three clades that are named as new families Aglaocetidae, Pelocetidae, and Diorocetidae. © 2007 The Linnean Society of London, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society , 2007, 150 , 875–894.