Whose name is attached to the whale family that includes dolphins and porpoises?
Quick Answer
Whales in the order Cetacea are split into groups including odontocetes and mysticetes. The name traces back to the Greek kētos, meaning whale or sea monster, used in classical natural history rather than a single person.
The Full Story
Cetacea is the mammalian group that includes whales, dolphins, and porpoises. The name comes from the ancient Greek kētos, which referred to a large sea creature, and has been used in zoological classification since early modern biology. Cetaceans are mammals because they breathe air, nurse their young with milk, and are warm-blooded. Modern research has shown that they evolved from land mammals and are closely related to even-toed ungulates such as hippos.
Key Facts
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"The land mammal that became a whale"
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