Raoellidae

Raoellidae
Indohyus
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Cetartiodactyla
Suborder:	Cetancodonta
Family:	Raoellidae
Genera
Haqueina Indohyus Khirtharia Kunmunella Raoella Metkatius

Previously grouped with Helohyidae, Raoellidae is now a family in the Suborder Cetancodonta. It is found in Eocene of South and Southeast Asia.

A December 2007 article in Nature by Thewissen et al. used an exceptionally complete skeleton of Indohyus from Kashmir indicates that raoellids are the "missing link" sister group to whales (Cetacea). All other Artiodactyla are "cousins" of these two groups. δO¹⁸ values and osteosclerotic bones indicate that the racoon-like Indohyus was habitutually aquatic, but δC¹³ values suggest that it rarely fed in the water. The authors suggest this documents an intermediate step in the transition back to water completed by the whales.

Taxonomy

• Raoella
  • Raoella dograi
• Haqueina
  • Haqueina haquei
• Indohyus
  • Indohyus indirae
  • Indohyus major
• Kunmunella
  • Kunmunella kalakotensis
  • Kunmunella transversa
• Metkatius
  • Metkatius kashmiriensis
• Khirtharia
  • Khirtharia aurea
  • Khirtharia dayi
  • Khirtharia inflatus