Family Balaenidae Gray 1821 (right whale)

Mammalia - Cetacea - Balaenidae

Full reference: J. E. Gray. 1821. On the natural arrangement of vertebrose animals. The London Medical Repository Monthly Journal and Review 15:296-310

Parent taxon: Chaeomysticeti according to Y. Tanaka et al. 2025

Sister taxa: Balaenomorpha, Cetotheriidae, Cetotheriopsidae, Cetotheriopsis, Cetotherium incertum, Cetotherium klinderi, Cetotherium pusillum, Eomysticetidae, Eomysticetoidea, Halicetus, Jobancetus, Megapteropsis, Piscocetus, Plicogulae, Sitsqwayk, Tlaxcallicetus

Subtaxa: none

Type: Balaena

Ecology: aquatic suspension feeder

Distribution:

• Quaternary of Antarctica (1 collection), Argentina (2), Brazil (3), Canada (272: Labrador, Newfoundland, Newfoundland and Labrador, Niunavut, Northwest Territories, Nunavut, Ontario, Quebec, Yukon), Chile (1), Denmark (21), France (1), Germany (5), Greenland (12), Indian Ocean (1), Italy (1), Japan (3), Morocco (1), the Netherlands (2), New Zealand (2), Norway (30), Portugal (1), the Russian Federation (2), South Africa (1), Spain (2), Svalbard and Jan Mayen (1), Sweden (8), Taiwan (1), Ukraine (1), the United Kingdom (19), United States (11: Alaska, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, South Carolina)

• Villafranchian of Italy (1)

• Blancan of United States (1: California)

• Pliocene to Pleistocene of Australia (1), New Zealand (1)

• Pliocene of Antarctica (1), Australia (2), Belgium (9), Holy See (Vatican City State) (1), Iceland (1), Italy (26), Japan (9), the Netherlands (1), South Africa (1), Spain (1), United States (7: California, Florida, North Carolina, Virginia)

• Hemphillian of United States (1: California)

• Miocene to Pleistocene of the Netherlands (1)

• Miocene to Pliocene of Belgium (1), Chile (1), South Africa (1)

• Neogene of South Pacific (1)

• Miocene of Argentina (3), Australia (4), Chile (2), France (2), Germany (1), Italy (1), Japan (5), the Netherlands (2), United States (6: California, Virginia)

• Oligocene of New Zealand (1)

Total: 501 collections including 540 occurrences

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