List of extinct cetaceans
The list of extinct cetaceans features the extinct genera and species of the order Cetacea. The cetaceans 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 only fossil genera and species. However, the Atlantic population of gray whales became extinct in the 18th century, and the baiji was declared "functionally extinct" after an expedition in late 2006 failed to find any in the Yangtze River.
Suborder Archaeoceti
Family Ambulocetidae
AmbulocetusHimalayacetus- ''Gandakasia''
Family Basilosauridae
- Basilosaurinae
- * Basilosaurus
- * Basiloterus
- * Eocetus
- Pachycetinae
- * Antaecetus
- * Pachycetus
- Dorudontinae
- * Ancalecetus
- * Chrysocetus
- * Cynthiacetus
- * Dorudon
- * Masracetus
- * Ocucajea
- * Saghacetus
- * Supayacetus
- * Zygorhiza
- * ''Stromerius''
Family Kekenodontidae
Kekenodon- ''Tohoraonepu''
Family Pakicetidae
PakicetusNalacetus- ''Ichthyolestes''
Family Protocetidae
- 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
Suborder Mysticeti
Family Llanocetidae
Llanocetus- ''Mystacodon''
Family Mammalodontidae
Janjucetus- ''Mammalodon''
Family ''incertae sedis''
Borealodon- ''Coronodon''
Family Aetiocetidae
AetiocetusAshorocetusChonecetusFucaiaMorawanocetusNiparajacetusSalishicetus- ''Willungacetus''
Clade Chaeomysticeti
- ''Atlanticetus''
Family ''incertae sedis''
HoropetaMaiabalaenaSitsqwaykTlaxcallicetusToipahautea - ''Whakakai''
Superfamily Eomysticetoidea
Family Cetotheriopsidae
- ''Cetotheriopsis''
Family Eomysticetidae
EchericetusEomysticetusMatapanuiMicromysticetusTohoraataTokarahiaWaharoa - ''Yamatocetus''
Family Aglaocetidae
- ''Aglaocetus''
Superfamily Balaenoidea
Family Balaenidae
AntwerpibalaenaArchaeobalaenaBalaena- * Balaena affinis
- * Balaena arcuata
- * Balaena larteti
- * Balaena macrocephalus
- * Balaena montalionis
- * Balaena riceiBalaenellaBalaenotusBalaenulaCharadrobalaenaEubalaena
- * Eubalaena ianitrix
- * Eubalaena shinshuensisIdiocetusMegabalaenaPeripolocetus
- ''Protobalaena''
Family ''incertae sedis''
- ''Morenocetus''
Clade Thalassotherii
CetotheriomorphusHeterocetusImerocetusIsocetusNotiocetusOtradnocetusPalaeobalaena- ''Rhegnopsis''
Family Cetotheriidae
- ''Zygiocetus''
Family Diorocetidae
AmphicetusDiorocetusPlesiocetopsis - ''Uranocetus''
Family Neobalaenidae
- ''Miocaperea''
Family Pelocetidae
CophocetusParietobalaena - ''Pelocetus''
Family ''incertae sedis''
IsanacetusPinocetusMauicetusTaikicetus - ''Tiphyocetus''
Superfamily Balaenopteroidea
- ''Eobalaenoptera''
Family Balaenopteridae
ArchaebalaenopteraBalaenoptera - * Balaenoptera bertae
- * Balaenoptera cephalus
- * Balaenoptera colcloughi
- * Balaenoptera davidsonii
- * Balaenoptera siberi
- * Balaenoptera sursiplana
- * Balaenoptera taiwanica"Balaenoptera" cortesii"Balaenoptera" portisi"Balaenoptera" ryaniBurtinopsisCetotheriophanesFragilicetusIncakujiraMarzanopteraMiobalaenopteraNorrisanimaNehalaenniaParabalaenopteraPlesiobalaenopteraPlesiocetusPraemegaptera
- ''Protororqualus''
Family Eschrichtiidae
ArchaeschrichtiusEschrichtioidesGricetoides - ''Megapteropsis''
Family Tranatocetidae
MesocetusMixocetus - ''Tranatocetus''
Family ''incertae sedis''
Mioceta PiscocetusSiphonocetus Tretulias - ''Ulias''
Suborder Odontoceti
Basal forms
Family Agorophiidae
- ''Agorophius''
Family Ashleycetidae
- ''Ashleycetus''
Family Patriocetidae
- ''Patriocetus''
Family Simocetidae
- ''Simocetus''
Family Xenorophidae
AlbertocetusArchaeodelphisCotylocaraEchovenatorInermorostrumMirocetus- ''Xenorophus''
Family Inticetidae
Inticetus- ''Phococetus''
Family Microzeuglodontidae
- ''Microzeuglodon''
Family Squaloziphiidae
Squaloziphius- ''Yaquinacetus''
Family ''incertae sedis''
AnkylorhizaAgriocetusAtropatenocetusEdiscetusOlympicetus- ''Saurocetus''
Superfamily Squalodontoidea
Family Dalpiazinidae
- ''Dalpiazina''
Family Prosqualodontidae
Parasqualodon- ''Prosqualodon''
Superfamily Physeteroidea
Family Kogiidae
AprixokogiaKogia- * Kogia pusilla
- * Kogia danomuraiKogiopsisKoristocetusNanokogiaPlatyscaphokogiaPliokogiaPraekogiaScaphokogia
- ''Thalassocetus''
Family Physeteridae
CozzuoliphyseterEophyseterFerecetotheriumIdiophyseterIdiorophusOrycterocetusPhyseterulaPlacoziphiusPreaulophyseter- ''Scaldicetus''
Family ''incertae sedis''
AcrophyseterAlbicetusAulophyseterBrygmophyseterDiaphorocetusEudelphisHoplocetus Livyatan Miokogia Paleophoca Prophyseter Rhaphicetus- ''Zygophyseter''
Superfamily "Eurhinodelphinoidea"
Family Argyrocetidae
ArgyrocetusChilcacetus- ''Macrodelphinus''
Family Eoplatanistidae
- ''Eoplatanista''
Family Eurhinodelphinidae
CeterhinopsEurhinodelphisIniopsisMycteriacetusPhocaenopsisSchizodelphisVanbreeniaXiphiacetus- ''Ziphiodelphis''
Superfamily Platanistoidea
AondelphisAwamokoaDolgopolisEnsidelphisPerditicetus- ''Urkudelphis''
Family Allodelphinidae
AllodelphisArktocaraGoedertiusNinjadelphis- ''Zarhinocetus''
Family Platanistidae
AraeodelphisDilophodelphisPachyacanthusPomatodelphisPrepomatodelphis- ''Zarhachis''
Family Squalodelphinidae
Furcacetus FurcadelphisHuaridelphisMacrosqualodelphisMedociniaNotocetusPhocageneus- ''Squalodelphis''
Family Squalodontidae
AustrosqualodonEosqualodonMacrophocaNeosqualodonPachyodonPhoberodonSqualodon Smilocamptus- ''Tangaroasaurus''
Family Waipatiidae
- ?MicrocetusOtekaikeaPapahuSachalinocetus
- ''Waipatia''
Superfamily Ziphioidea
Family Ziphiidae
- 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
- ** Mesoplodon posti
- ** Mesoplodon slangkopi
- ** Mesoplodon tumidirostris
- * Nenga
- * Pterocetus
- * Xhosacetus
- Subfamily Ziphiinae
- * Caviziphius
- * Izikoziphius
- * Nazcacetus
- Subfamily incertae sedis
- * Anoplonassa
- * Cetorhynchus
- * Eboroziphius
- * ''Pelycorhamphus''
Clade Delphinida
Family ''incertae sedis''
AnacharsisBelonodelphisDelphinavusGraamocetusHadrodelphisLamprolithaxLeptodelphisLiolithaxLophocetusLoxolithaxMacrokentriodonMicrophocaenaMiodelphisNannolithaxOedolithaxOligodelphisPalaeophocaenaPithanodelphisPlatylithaxPrionodelphisProtodelphinusSarmatodelphisSophianacetus- ''Tagicetus''
Superfamily Delphinoidea
Family Albireonidae
- ''Albireo''
Family Delphinidae
ArimidelphisAstadelphisAustralodelphisDelphinus - * Delphinus domeykoiEodelphinusEtruridelphisHemisyntrachelusLagenorhynchus
- * Lagenorhynchus harmatukiNorisdelphisGlobicephala
- * Globicephala baereckeii
- * Globicephala etruriaeOrcinus
- * Orcinus citoniensis
- * Orcinus meyeri
- * Orcinus paleorcaPlatalearostrumProtoglobicephalaPseudorca
- * Pseudorca yokoyamai
- * Pseudorca yuanliensisSeptidelphisSinanodelphisStenella
- * Stenella rayiTursiops
- * Tursiops miocaenus
- * ''Tursiops osennae''
Family Kentriodontidae
KampholophosKentriodonRudicetusSophianaecetusWimahlBelonodelphis?Liolithax?Family Monodontidae
BohaskaiaCasatiaDenebola - ''Haborodelphis''
Family Odobenocetopsidae
- ''Odobenocetops''
Family Phocoenidae
ArchaeophocaenaAustralithaxBrabocetusHarborophocoenaLomacetusMiophocaenaNumataphocoenaPiscolithaxPterophocaenaSalumiphocaenaSemirostrum - ''Septemtriocetus''
Superfamily Inioidea
AwadelphisBrujadelphisIncacetus- ''Meherrinia''
Family Iniidae
GoniodelphisHesperoiniaIschyrorhynchusIsthminiaKwanzacetus - ''Saurocetes''
Family Pontoporiidae
AtocetusAuroracetusBrachydelphisPliopontosPontistesProtophocaenaSamaydelphisScaldiporia - ''Stenasodelphis''
Superfamily Lipotoidea
Family Lipotidae
- ''Parapontoporia''
Superfamily ''incertae sedis''
Delphinodon- ''Heterodelphis''
Family ''incertae sedis''
AcrodelphisChampsodelphisHesperocetusImerodelphis KharthlidelphisLonchodelphisMacrochiriferMicrosqualodonPelodelphisRhabdosteus - ''Sulakocetus''