Marine Mammal Classification as of 6/2013
Kingdom	Animalia (Animals)
Phylum	Chordata (Animals with notochords)
Subphylum	Vertebrata (Vertebrates)
Class	Mammalia (Mammals)
Order**	Cetacea (Whales, Dolphins, Porpoises)				Pinnipedia		Sirenia		Marine Fissipeds
Suborder	Mysticeti (Baleen)		Odontoceti (Toothed)		(none)		(none)		(none)
	Balaenopteridae (Rorquals incl Humpback, Blue, Fin, Minke, Sei, Brydes)
Family			Physeteridae (Sperm Whales)		Phocidae (Seals)		Dugongidae (Dugongs)		Mustelidae (Sea Otters)
	Balaenidae (Right & Bowhead Whales)		Ziphiidae (Beaked Whales)		Otariidae (Sea Lions)		Trichechidae (Manatees)		Ursidae (Polar Bears)
	Eschrichtiidae (Gray Whales)		Delphinidae (Pilot Whales & Marine Dolphins incl Killer Whales, Common, Bottlenose, White-sided & Risso Dolphins)		Odobenidae (Walrusus)
	Neobalaenidae (Pygmy Right Whales)		Platanistidae (Freshwater Dolphins)
			Phocoenidae (Porpoises incl Dall’s)
			Monodontidae (Belugas & Narwhals)
** Some sources group Pinnipedia with Marine Fissipeds and some label the group Carnivora.  There is also disagreement with the number of Families and Species under the Order Cetacea.  “disagreement occurs at many points below the ordinal level.  Although there is no doubt that any recent cetacean is either toothed (suborder Odontoceti) or baleen (suborder Mysteciti), the realtionships of many genera are in doubt…It must be borne in mind that all classifications are, to an extent, artificial.  Over time one species merges with another, and some classification issues actually get more complex as the fossil record improves.” http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/103892/cetacean/51606/Classification

Last revised 26-Nov-19