Cetacea
/sɪˈteɪʃə
/plural noun Zoology
An order of marine mammals that comprises the whales, dolphins, and porpoises. These have a streamlined hairless body, no hindlimbs, a horizontal tail fin, and a blowhole on top of the head for breathing. See also Mysticeti, Odontoceti.The order Sirenia is composed of manatees and dugongs, and the order Cetacea includes whales, dolphins, and porpoises....
- However, in a phylogenetic analysis of the complete mitochondrial genome of the Jamaican fruit bat it appeared more closely related to cetferungulates, a clade including Cetacea, Artiodactyla, Perissodactyla, and Carnivora.
- The order Cetacea comprises two extant sub-orders and one extinct sub-order.
Origin
Modern Latin (plural), from Latin cetus, from Greek kētos 'whale'.