Whippomorpha

Whippomorpha
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Subphylum: Vertebrata Class: Mammalia Order: Cetartiodactyla Suborder: Cetruminantia (unranked): Whippomorpha
Families
†Anthracotheriidae  †Raoellidae  Hippopotamidae  †Pakicetidae  †Ambulocetidae  †Remingtonocetidae  †Protocetidae  †Basilosauridae  †Llanocetidae  †Mammalodontidae  †Kekenodontidae  †Janjucetidae  †Aetiocetidae  †Cetotheriidae  Balaenidae  Balaenopteridae  Eschrichtiidae  Neobalaenidae  †Simocetidae  †Agorophiidae  Physeteridae  Kogiidae  Ziphiidae  †Dalpiazinidae  †Waipatiidae  †Squalodelphinidae  Platanistidae  Pontoporiidae  Lipotidae  Iniidae  †Kentriodontidae  Delphinidae  †Odobenocetopsidae  Monodontidae  Phocoenidae  †Squalodontidae  †Eurhinodelphinidae  †Eoplatanistidae

Whippomorpha (also known as Cetancodonta) is a whimsical name for the clade containing the Cetacea (whales, dolphins, etc.) and their closest living relatives, the Hippopotamuses. This would be a sub-grouping of the Cetartiodactyla, which also includes pigs and ruminants. 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 classification a phenetic one.^[1]

References

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