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Balaenopteridae (rorqual)

Mammalia - Cetacea - Balaenopteridae

Taxonomy

Balaenopteridae was named by Gray (1864). It is extant.

It was synonymized subjectively with Balaenidae by Hay (1902).

It was assigned to Balaenoidea by Flower (1865); to Balaenopteroidea by Gray (1871); to Mysticete by Gray (1866), Gill (1871) and Gill (1872); to Mysticete by Gray (1864) and Gill (1873); to Anodontocete by Scott (1873); to Balaenoidorum by Brandt (1874); to Balaenodea by Brandt (1874); to Balaenoidae by Hay (1930); to Mystacoceti by Flower (1867), Flores (1895), Weber (1904), Jaekel (1911), Turner (1912), Abel (1914), Abel (1919), Zittel (1925), Weber (1928), Van Deinse (1931) and Riabinin (1934); to Cetacea by Nowak (1991); to Mysticeti by Miller (1923), Kellogg (1928), Dal Piaz (1929), Simpson (1945), Ellerman and Morrisson-Scott (1951), Fraser and Purves (1960), Scheffer and Rice (1963), Gondar (1966), Baird and Horner (1979), Whitmore (1984), Barnes et al. (1985), Deméré (1986), Carroll (1988), Vidal (1991), Benton (1993), Fordyce and Barnes (1994), Fordyce et al. (1995), McKenna and Bell (1997), Bergqvist et al. (1999), Clapham and Mead (1999), Fordyce and de Muizon (2001), Rice (2002), Fordyce (2003), Mead and Brownell (2005), Bisconti (2007), Whitmore and Kaltenbach (2008), Uhen et al. (2008) and Fordyce and Roberts (2009); to Mysticeti by Bouetel and Muizon (2006) and Bosselaers and Post (2010); to Chaeomysticeti by Rice (1998) and Boessenecker and Fordyce (2015); to Balaenopteroidea by Gray (1868), Mitchell (1989), Sanders and Barnes (2002), Geisler and Sanders (2003), Gingerich (2005), Bianucci and Landini (2007), Steeman (2007), Rice (2009), Steeman (2010), Geisler et al. (2011), Ekdale et al. (2011), Bisconti (2014), Bisconti and Bosselaers (2016) and Marx et al. (2016); to Balaenopteroidea by Marx and Kohno (2016) and Berta (2017); to Mysticeti by Agnarsson and May-Collado (2008), Canto et al. (2010) and Tanaka and Watanabe (2019); and to Thalassotherii by Bisconti et al. (2013), Bisconti et al. (2019), Bisconti and Bosselaers (2020), Bisconti et al. (2020) and Bisconti et al. (2022).

Subtaxa

Archaebalaenoptera, Balaena affinis, Balaena definata, Balaena emarginata, Balaena gibbosa, Balaenoptera (syn. Pterobalaena, Swinhoia, Physalus, Stenobalaena, Cuvierius, Sibbaldus, Mysticetus, Rorqualus, Physalis, Benedenia, Rudolphius), Balaenoptera borealina, Balaenoptera musculoides, Balaenoptera portisii, Balaenoptera rostratella, Balaenoptera sibbaldina, Balaenoptera taiwanica, Balaenopterinae (syn. Physalina), Cetotheriophanes, Delphinus brachyspondylus (syn. Macrochirifer vindobonensis), Diunatans, Eobalaenoptera, Eschrichtiinae, Fragilicetus, Hadrosaurus tripos, Incakujira, Marzanoptera, Megaptera (syn. Kyphobalaena, Poescopia, Perqualus, Cyphobalaena), Megaptera affinis, Megapterinae, Megapteropsis robusta, Miobalaenoptera, Nehalaennia, Notiocetus, Parabalaenopterinae, Plesiobalaenoptera, Praemegaptera, Praemegapterinae, Protororqualus

Synonyms

Balaena gibbosa was named by Owen (1843). It is a 3D body fossil. Its type locality is Felixstow, which is in a Gelasian foreshore horizon in the Red Crag Formation of the United Kingdom.

It was synonymized subjectively with Balaenoptera rostratella by Lydekker (1887); it was considered an invalid subgroup of Balaenopteridae by Deméré (1986); it was considered a nomen dubium by Deméré et al. (2005) and Bosselaers and Post (2010).
Delphinus brachyspondylus was named by Brandt (1873) [This specimen is purportedly in Vienna.]. It is a 3D body fossil. Its type locality is Hernals, which is in a Langhian marine sandstone in Austria.

It was recombined as Macrochirifer brachyspondylus by Zittel (1894); it was recombined as Mesocetus brachyspondylus by Pia (1937); it was considered an invalid subgroup of Balaenopteridae by Pia (1937).
Megapteropsis robusta was named by Van Beneden (1872) [no type specimen listed in Van Beneden (1872) ]. It is a 3D body fossil. Its type locality is Louvain, which is in a Pliocene marine horizon in Belgium.

It was replaced with Megaptera affinis by Van Beneden (1882) and Lydekker (1887); it was recombined as Megaptera robusta by Trouessart (1898); it was considered a nomen dubium by Bosselaers and Post (2010).
Hadrosaurus tripos was named by Cope (1869). Its type specimen is USNM 7190, 7093-7095, a set of vertebrae (caudal vertebra), and it is a 3D body fossil. Its type locality is W. J. Thompson marl pit, which is in a Pliocene transition zone/lower shoreface marl in the Duplin Formation of North Carolina.

It was recombined as Trachodon tripos by Hay (1902), Huene (1927) and Richards (1950); it was considered a nomen nudum by Lull and Wright (1942) and Langston (1960); it was considered a nomen dubium by Miller (1967), Baird and Horner (1979), Weishampel (2006), Lund and Gates (2006) and Prieto-Márquez et al. (2006).
Plesiocetus garopii was named by Van Beneden (1859) [no type specimen is listed in Van Beneden (1872); syntypes after Steeman (2010) ]. Its type specimen is syntype IRScNB CtM 752/Reg. 936 and is a 3D body fossil. Its type locality is Sable Superieur d'Anvers, which is in a Zanclean offshore shelf sandstone in the Kattendijk Formation of Belgium.

It was synonymized objectively with Balaenoptera musculoides by Van Beneden (1880), Van Beneden (1882) and Roger (1887); it was recombined as Balaenoptera goropi by Lydekker (1887); it was recombined as Balaenoptera (Plesiocetus) goropi by Newton (1891); it was recombined as Balaenoptera goropii by Trouessart (1904); it was recombined as Balaenoptera garopii by Deméré (1986); it was misspelled as Plesiocetus goropii by Flores (1895), Trouessart (1898), Kellogg (1931), Gondar (1966), Deméré et al. (2005) and Uhen et al. (2008); it was considered a nomen dubium by Bosselaers and Post (2010).
Macrochirifer vindobonensis was named by Brandt (1874) [no type specimen is listed in Brant 1874].

It was synonymized objectively with Delphinus brachyspondylus by Palmer (1904).
Palaeocetidae was named by Seeley (1865).

It was synonymized subjectively with Balaenopteridae by McKenna and Bell (1997).

It was assigned to Mysticeti by Seeley (1865).
Balaena emarginata was named by Owen (1843). It is a 3D body fossil.

It was recombined as Balaenodon emarginatus by Brandt (1874); it was recombined as Balaenoptera emarginata by Lydekker (1887), Newton (1891), Trouessart (1898) and Trouessart (1904); it was synonymized subjectively with Balaenoptera rostratella by Lydekker (1887); it was considered an invalid subgroup of Balaenopteridae by Deméré (1986); it was considered a nomen dubium by McLeod et al. (1993), Deméré et al. (2005) and Bosselaers and Post (2010).
Balaenoptera rostratella was named by Van Beneden (1880) [See Demere et al. (2005), p. 114 for discussion.]. Its type specimen is none designated, a partial skeleton, and it is a 3D body fossil. Its type locality is Sable Superieur d'Anvers, which is in a Zanclean offshore shelf sandstone in the Kattendijk Formation of Belgium.

It was recombined as Balaenoptera emarginata rostratella by Trouessart (1904); it was considered a nomen dubium by Bosselaers and Post (2010).
Megaptera affinis was named by Van Beneden (1880). It is not extant. Its type locality is Sablesmoyens d'Anvers, which is in a Tortonian lagoonal sandstone in the Diest Formation of Belgium.

It was synonymized subjectively with Megapteropsis robusta by Deméré et al. (2005); it was considered a nomen dubium by Bosselaers and Post (2010).
Balaenoptera sibbaldina was named by Van Beneden (1880) [See Demere et al. (2005) p. 115 for discussion.]. Its type specimen is none designated, a partial skeleton (petrosal and scattered postcrania), and it is a 3D body fossil. Its type locality is Sable Superieur d'Anvers, which is in a Zanclean offshore shelf sandstone in the Kattendijk Formation of Belgium.

It was synonymized subjectively with Balaenoptera definata by Lydekker (1887); it was recombined as Balaenoptera definata sibbaldina by Trouessart (1904); it was considered a nomen dubium by Bosselaers and Post (2010).
Balaenoptera musculoides was named by Van Beneden (1880). It is a 3D body fossil. Its type locality is Winterswijk-Miste, which is in a Langhian coastal sandstone in the Breda Formation of the Netherlands.

It was synonymized subjectively with Balaenoptera garopii by Deméré (1986) and Deméré et al. (2005); it was considered a nomen dubium by Bosselaers and Post (2010); it was synonymized subjectively with Plesiocetus garopii by Steeman (2010).
Balaenoptera borealina was named by Van Beneden (1880) [See Demere et al (2005) p. 112 for discussion.]. Its type specimen is none designated and is a 3D body fossil. Its type locality is Sable Superieur d'Anvers, which is in a Zanclean offshore shelf sandstone in the Kattendijk Formation of Belgium.

It was considered a nomen dubium by Bosselaers and Post (2010); it was considered an invalid subgroup of Balaenoptera by Govender (2019).
Balaena affinis was named by Owen (1843). It is a 3D body fossil. Its type locality is Felixstow, which is in a Gelasian foreshore horizon in the Red Crag Formation of the United Kingdom.

It was considered an invalid subgroup of Balaenopteridae by Deméré (1986).
Balaena definata was named by Owen (1843). It is a 3D body fossil.

It was recombined as Balaenoptera definita by Lydekker (1887), Newton (1891) and Trouessart (1898); it was considered an invalid subgroup of Balaenopteridae by Deméré (1986); it was considered a nomen dubium by McLeod et al. (1993), Deméré et al. (2005) and Bosselaers and Post (2010); it was recombined as Balaenoptera definata by Lydekker (1887), Trouessart (1904) and Gutierrez et al. (2010).
Balaenoptera taiwanica was named by Huang (1966) [Specimen is in the Palaeontological Laboratory, Geological Department, Chinese Petroleum Corporation, Miaoli, Taiwan]. It is a 3D body fossil. Its type locality is Chutung, which is in a Zanclean estuary/bay mudstone/sandstone in the Cholan Formation of Taiwan.

It was considered an invalid subgroup of Balaenopteridae by Tsai and Boessenecker (2017).
Balaenoptera cortesii portisii was named by Sacco (1890) [Collection 76978 is the type locality for Balenoptera cortesii var. portisii.].

It was considered an invalid subgroup of Mysticeti by Bosselaers and Post (2010); it was considered an invalid subgroup of Balaenopteridae by Deméré et al. (2005) and Marx and Fordyce (2015).

Synonymy list

Year	Name and author
1843	Balaena gibbosa Owen p. 283
1843	Balaena affinis Owen p. 285 figs. unnumbered text figure
1843	Balaena definata Owen p. 285
1843	Balaena emarginata Owen p. 286
1844	Balaena definata Owen
1859	Plesiocetus garopii Van Beneden
1864	Balaenopteridae Gray
1865	Balaenopteridae Flower p. 391
1865	Palaeocetidae Seeley p. 57
1866	Balaenopteridae Gray p. 61
1867	Balaenopteridae Flower p. 115
1868	Balaenopteridae Gray p. 3
1869	Hadrosaurus tripos Cope p. 192
1870	Hadrosaurus tripos Cope
1870	Hadrosaurus tripos Leidy p. 68
1871	Hadrosaurus tripos Cope pp. 50-51
1871	Balaenopteridae Gill p. 124
1871	Balaenopteridae Gray p. 56
1872	Balaenopteridae Gill p. 97
1872	Megapteropsis robusta Van Beneden p. 15
1872	Plesiocetus garopii Van Beneden p. 415
1873	Delphinus brachyspondylus Brandt p. 258
1873	Balaenopteridae Gill p. 27
1873	Balaenopteridae Scott p. 120
1874	Balaenopteridae Brandt p. I
1874	Balaenodon emarginatus Brandt p. 11
1874	Macrochirifer vindobonensis Brandt p. 27
1874	Balaenopteridae Brandt p. 42
1874	Megapteropsis robusta Vanden Broeck p. 198
1875	Hadrosaurus tripos Cope p. 40
1878	Hadrosaurus tripos Cope p. 129
1880	Balaenoptera rostratella Van Beneden
1880	Balaenoptera sibbaldina Van Beneden p. 14
1880	Balaenoptera borealina Van Beneden pp. 15-16
1880	Balaenoptera musculoides Van Beneden p. 15
1880	Balaenoptera rostratella Van Beneden p. 16
1880	Megaptera affinis Van Beneden p. 3913
1882	Megaptera affinis Van Beneden p. 39 figs. Plates 40 & 48
1882	Balaenoptera sibbaldina Van Beneden p. 63
1882	Balaenoptera musculoides Van Beneden p. 65
1882	Balaenoptera borealina Van Beneden p. 71
1887	Balaenoptera definita Lydekker p. 11 figs. Plate 2, Fig. 3a
1887	Balaenoptera rostratella Lydekker p. 12
1887	Balaena affinis Lydekker p. 16
1887	Balaenoptera definata Lydekker p. 34
1887	Balaenoptera goropi Lydekker p. 36
1887	Balaenoptera borealina Lydekker p. 39
1887	Balaenoptera emarginata Lydekker p. 40
1890	Balaenoptera cortesii portisii Sacco p. 8
1891	Balaena affinis Newton p. 58
1891	Megaptera affinis Newton p. 60
1891	Balaenoptera definita Newton p. 61
1891	Balaenoptera (Plesiocetus) goropi Newton p. 62
1891	Balaenoptera borealina Newton p. 62
1891	Balaenoptera emarginata Newton p. 62
1894	Macrochirifer brachyspondylus Zittel p. 173
1895	Balaenopteridae Flores p. 13
1895	Plesiocetus goropii Flores p. 13
1895	Balaenoptera musculoides Flores p. 14
1898	Macrochirifer vindobonensis Trouessart p. 1021
1898	Plesiocetus garopii Trouessart p. 1073
1898	Balaenoptera emarginata Trouessart p. 1077
1898	Balaenoptera musculoides Trouessart p. 1080
1898	Balaenoptera definita Trouessart p. 1082
1898	Megaptera affinis Trouessart p. 1084
1898	Megaptera robusta Trouessart p. 1084
1898	Balaena affinis Trouessart p. 1092
1900	Hadrosaurus tripos Nopcsa p. 557
1901	Megapteropsis robusta Abel p. 42
1901	Hadrosaurus tripos Nopcsa p. 212
1902	Trachodon tripos Hay p. 504
1902	Balaena affinis Hay p. 601
1904	Balaena affinis Case p. 55
1904	Macrochirifer vindobonensis Trouessart p. 760
1904	Balaenoptera emarginata Trouessart p. 782
1904	Balaenoptera emarginata rostratella Trouessart p. 782
1904	Balaenoptera goropii Trouessart p. 782
1904	Balaenoptera definata Trouessart p. 784
1904	Balaenoptera definata sibbaldina Trouessart p. 784
1904	Balaenoptera musculoides Trouessart p. 784
1904	Megaptera affinis Trouessart p. 785
1904	Balaena affinis Trouessart p. 787
1904	Balaenopteridae Weber p. 575
1911	Balaenopteridae Jaekel p. 232
1912	Balaenopteridae Turner p. 31
1914	Balaenopteridae Abel p. 221
1919	Balaenopteridae Abel p. 753
1923	Balaenopteridae Miller p. 40
1925	Balaenopteridae Zittel p. 87
1927	Trachodon tripos Huene p. 264
1928	Balaenopteridae Kellogg p. 35 figs. Table 1
1928	Balaenopteridae Weber p. 389
1929	Balaenopteridae Dal Piaz p. 86
1930	Hadrosaurus tripos Hay p. 209
1930	Balaenopteridae Hay p. 573
1930	Balaena affinis Hay p. 578
1931	Plesiocetus garopii Kellogg p. 312
1931	Balaenopteridae Van Deinse p. 33
1934	Balaenopteridae Riabinin p. 4
1935	Balaenoptera musculoides Van Deinse p. 298
1937	Mesocetus brachyspondylus Pia p. 396
1945	Balaenopteridae Simpson p. 105
1950	Trachodon tripos Richards p. 7
1951	Balaenopteridae Ellerman and Morrisson-Scott p. 714
1960	Balaenopteridae Fraser and Purves p. 112 figs. Figure 26
1963	Balaenopteridae Scheffer and Rice p. 9
1964	Hadrosaurus tripos Kuhn p. 20
1966	Balaenopteridae Gondar p. 142
1966	Plesiocetus garopii Gondar p. 143
1966	Balaenoptera taiwanica Huang
1979	Balaenopteridae Baird and Horner p. 19
1984	Balaenopteridae Whitmore p. 230
1985	Balaenopteridae Barnes et al. p. 26
1986	Balaenopteridae Deméré p. 280
1986	Balaenoptera borealina Deméré p. 290
1986	Balaenoptera garopii Deméré p. 290
1986	Balaenoptera rostratella Deméré p. 290
1988	Balaenopteridae Carroll
1989	Balaenopteridae Mitchell p. 2232
1991	Balaenopteridae Nowak
1991	Balaenopteridae Vidal p. 6
1993	Balaenopteridae Benton p. 762
1993	Balaena affinis McLeod et al. p. 55
1994	Balaenopteridae Fordyce and Barnes p. 428 figs. Table 1
1995	Balaenopteridae Fordyce et al. p. 379
1997	Balaenopteridae McKenna and Bell p. 377
1998	Balaenopteridae Rice
1999	Balaenopteridae Bergqvist et al. p. 31
1999	Balaenopteridae Clapham and Mead p. 1
2001	Balaenopteridae Fordyce and de Muizon p. 176
2002	Balaenopteridae Rice p. 231 figs. Table 1
2002	Balaenopteridae Sanders and Barnes p. 353
2003	Balaenopteridae Fordyce p. 156 figs. Figure 9.1
2003	Balaenopteridae Geisler and Sanders p. 27
2005	Balaenoptera borealina Deméré et al. p. 105 figs. Table II
2005	Balaenoptera rostratella Deméré et al. p. 105 figs. Table II
2005	Balaenoptera sibbaldina Deméré et al. p. 105 figs. Table II
2005	Megapteropsis robusta Deméré et al. p. 105 figs. Table II
2005	Plesiocetus garopii Deméré et al. p. 105 figs. Table II
2005	Balaenopteridae Gingerich p. 237 figs. Table 15.1
2005	Balaenopteridae Mead and Brownell p. 724
2006	Balaenopteridae Bouetel and Muizon p. 386
2007	Balaenopteridae Bianucci and Landini p. 45 figs. Table 2.1
2007	Balaenopteridae Bisconti p. 89
2007	Balaenopteridae Steeman p. 880
2008	Balaenopteridae Agnarsson and May-Collado p. 981 figs. FIg. 4.3
2008	Balaenoptera borealina Uhen et al. p. 619
2008	Balaenopteridae Uhen et al. p. 619
2008	Plesiocetus garopii Uhen et al. p. 620
2008	Balaenopteridae Whitmore and Kaltenbach p. 243
2008	Balaenoptera borealina Whitmore and Kaltenbach p. 244
2009	Balaenopteridae Fordyce and Roberts p. 553
2009	Balaenopteridae Rice p. 235 figs. Table 1
2010	Balaenopteridae Bosselaers and Post p. 335
2010	Balaenopteridae Canto et al. p. 21
2010	Balaenoptera definata Gutierrez et al. p. 37
2010	Balaenopteridae Steeman p. 69
2010	Plesiocetus garopii Steeman p. 69
2011	Balaenopteridae Ekdale et al. p. 39
2011	Balaenopteridae Geisler et al. pp. 6, 28 figs. Table 1
2013	Balaenopteridae Bisconti et al. p. 98
2014	Balaenopteridae Bisconti
2015	Balaenopteridae Boessenecker and Fordyce figs. Table 1
2016	Balaenopteridae Bisconti and Bosselaers p. 451
2016	Balaenopteridae Marx and Kohno p. 25 figs. Figure 16
2016	Balaenopteridae Marx et al. p. 113
2017	Balaenopteridae Berta p. 168
2019	Balaenopteridae Bisconti et al. p. 7
2019	Balaenopteridae Tanaka and Watanabe
2020	Balaenopteridae Bisconti and Bosselaers p. 9
2020	Balaenopteridae Bisconti et al. p. 6
2022	Balaenopteridae Bisconti et al.

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Rank	Name	Author
kingdom	Animalia	()
—	Bilateria
—	Eubilateria	Ax 1987
—	Deuterostomia
phylum	Chordata	Haeckel 1874
subphylum	Vertebrata
superclass	Gnathostomata
—	Osteichthyes	()
subclass	Sarcopterygii	()
subclass	Dipnotetrapodomorpha	(Nelson 2006)
subclass	Tetrapodomorpha	()
—	Tetrapoda
—	Reptiliomorpha
—	Anthracosauria
subclass	Amphibiosauria	Kuhn 1967
—	Cotylosauria	()
—	Amniota
subclass	Synapsida
—	Therapsida	()
infraorder	Cynodontia	()
—	Mammaliamorpha
—	Mammaliaformes
class	Mammalia

Rank	Name	Author
—	Cladotheria
—	Zatheria
subclass	Tribosphenida	()
subclass	Theria
—	Eutheria	()
—	Placentalia
—	Boreoeutheria
—	Laurasiatheria
—	Scrotifera
—	Euungulata
—	Artiodactylamorpha
—	Artiodactyla	()
—	Whippomorpha
order	Cetacea
—	Pelagiceti
—	Neoceti
suborder	Mysticeti
—	Chaeomysticeti	()
—	Balaenomorpha
superfamily	Thalassotherii
family	Balaenopteridae
family	Balaenopteridae

If no rank is listed, the taxon is considered an unranked clade in modern classifications. Ranks may be repeated or presented in the wrong order because authors working on different parts of the classification may disagree about how to rank taxa.

Fm. Balaenopteridae Gray 1864 [rorqual]

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G. †Archaebalaenoptera Bisconti 2007

†Archaebalaenoptera castriarquati Bisconti 2007

†Archaebalaenoptera eusebioi Bisconti et al. 2022

†Archaebalaenoptera liesselensis Bisconti et al. 2020

G. Balaenoptera Lacépède 1804 [rorqual]

Balaenoptera acutorostrata Lacépède 1804 [minke whale]

Invalid names: Balaena rostrata Fabricius 1780 [synonym], Pterobalaena minor Eschricht 1849 [synonym], Rorqualus boops Cuvier 1836 [synonym], Rorqualus minor Hamilton 1837 [synonym], Sibbaldius mondinii Capellini 1877 [synonym]

Balaenoptera bonaerensis Burmeister 1867

Invalid names: Balaenoptera huttoni Gray 1874 [synonym]

Balaenoptera borealis Lesson 1828 [sei whale]

Balaenoptera swinhoei alba Giglioli 1870

Invalid names: Balaenoptera iwasi Gray 1846 [synonym], Balaenoptera laticeps Gray 1864 [synonym], Balaenoptera schlegeli swinhoei Gray 1866 [synonym], Sibbaldius schlegelii Gray 1864 [synonym]

Balaenoptera brydei Olsen 1913 [Bryde's whale]

†Balaenoptera cephalus Cope 1867

†Balaenoptera davidsonii Cope 1872

Balaenoptera edeni Anderson 1879 [Eden's whale]

Balaenoptera musculus Linnaeus 1758 [blue whale]

Invalid names: Balaenoptera australis Gray 1846 [synonym], Balaenoptera brevicauda Ichihara 1966 [synonym], Balaenoptera indica Blyth 1842 [synonym], Balaenoptera intermedia Burmeister 1871 [synonym], Balaenoptera jubartes Lacépède 1804 [synonym], Balaenoptera sulfureus Cope 1869 [synonym], Cuvierius latirostris Flower 1864 [synonym], Physalus sibbaldii Gray 1847 [synonym], Sibbaldius antarcticus Burmeister 1865 [synonym], Sibbaldius sulfureus Scammon and Cope 1869 [synonym], Sibbaldus borealis Gray 1864 [synonym]

Balaenoptera omurai Wada 2003

Balaenoptera physalus Linnaeus 1758 [fin whale]

Invalid names: Balaena antiquorum Fischer 1829 [synonym], Balaena sulcata Neill 1811 [synonym], Balaena sulcata arctica Schlegel 1841 [invalid subgroup], Balaenoptera antiquorum Gray 1846 [synonym], Balaenoptera blythi Anderson 1879 [synonym], Balaenoptera boops Linnaeus 1758 [synonym], Balaenoptera copei Elliot 1901 [synonym], Balaenoptera gibbar Lacépède 1804 [synonym], Balaenoptera patachonica Burmeister 1865 [objective synonym], Balaenoptera patachonicha tschudii Reichenbach 1846 [synonym], Balaenoptera quoyi Fisher 1829 [synonym], Balaenoptera rorqual Lacépède 1804 [synonym], Balaenoptera velifera Scammon and Cope 1869 [synonym], Benedenia knoxii Gray 1864 [synonym], Physalus brasiliensis Gray 1846 [synonym], Physalus duguidii Gray 1864 [synonym], Physalus fasciatus Gray 1850 [synonym], Physalus patachonicus Burmeister 1865 [synonym], Sibbaldius tectirostris Scammon and Cope 1869 [synonym], Sibbaldius tuberosus Scammon and Cope 1869 [synonym], Swinhoia chinensis Gray 1868 [synonym]

Balaenoptera ricei Rosel et al. 2021 [Rice's whale]

†Balaenoptera siberi Pilleri 1989

†Balaenoptera sursiplana Cope 1895

Invalid names: Balaenoptera andrejewi Anonymous 1888 [nomen nudum], Balaenoptera fasciata Gray 1846 [nomen dubium], Balaenoptera grimmi Anonymous 1888 [nomen nudum], Balaenoptera ryani Hanna and McLellan 1924 [invalid subgroup], Benedenia Gray 1864 [synonym], Cuvierius Gray 1866 [synonym], Mysticetus Wagler 1830 [synonym], Physalis Fleming 1822 [synonym], Physalus Gray 1821 [objective synonym], Pterobalaena Eschricht 1849 [synonym], Rorqualus Cuvier 1836 [synonym], Rudolphius Gray 1866 [synonym], Sibbaldus Flower 1865 [synonym], Swinhoia Gray 1868 [synonym]

Subfm. Balaenopterinae Flower 1865

Invalid names: Physalina Gray 1864 [synonym]

G. †Cetotheriophanes Brandt 1873

†Cetotheriophanes capellinii Brandt 1873

G. †Diunatans Bosselaers and Post 2010

†Diunatans luctoretemergo Bosselaers and Post 2010

G. †Eobalaenoptera Dooley et al. 2004

†Eobalaenoptera harrisoni Dooley et al. 2004

Subfm. Eschrichtiinae Ellerman and Morrisson-Scott 1951 [gray whale]

G. †Fragilicetus Bisconti and Bosselaers 2016

†Fragilicetus velponi Bisconti and Bosselaers 2016

G. †Incakujira Marx and Kohno 2016

†Incakujira anillodefuego Marx and Kohno 2016

†Incakujira fordycei Kimura and Hasegawa 2024

G. †Marzanoptera Bisconti et al. 2021

†Marzanoptera bertae Boessenecker 2013

†Marzanoptera tersillae Bisconti et al. 2021

G. Megaptera Gray 1846 [humpback whale]

Subg. Megaptera (Eschrichtius) Gray 1864 [gray whale]

†Megaptera brachychira Cope 1868

†Megaptera hubachi Dathe 1983

†Megaptera mysticetoides Emmons 1858

Megaptera novaeangliae Brisson 1762 [humpback whale]

Invalid names: Balaena allamack Gray 1846 [synonym], Balaena atlanticus Hurdis 1897 [synonym], Balaena boops Fabricius 1780 [synonym], Balaena lalandii Fischer 1829 [synonym], Balaena longimana Rudolphi 1832 [synonym], Balaenoptera antarctica Temminck 1841 [synonym], Balaenoptera astrolabae Pucheran 1853 [synonym], Balaenoptera capensis Smith 1835 [synonym], Balaenoptera leucopteron Lesson 1842 [synonym], Balaenoptera syncondylus Muller 1863 [synonym], Kyphobalaena keporkak Van Beneden 1868 [synonym], Megaptera americana Gray 1846 [synonym], Megaptera bellicosa Cope 1871 [synonym], Megaptera braziliensis Cope 1867 [synonym], Megaptera burmeisteri Gray 1866 [synonym], Megaptera gigas Cope 1865 [synonym], Megaptera indica Gervais 1883 [synonym], Megaptera kuzira Gray 1850 [synonym], Megaptera lalandii Gray 1864 [synonym], Megaptera longipinna Gray 1846 [synonym], Megaptera nodosa Bonnaterre 1789 [synonym], Megaptera novaezelandiae Gray 1864 [synonym], Megaptera osphyia Cope 1865 [synonym], Megaptera poeskop Gray 1846 [synonym], Megaptera versabilis Scammon and Cope 1869 [synonym], Poescopia lalandii Gray 1866 [synonym], Rorqualus antarcticus Cuvier 1836 [synonym]

Invalid names: Cyphobalaena Marschall 1873 [synonym], Kyphobalaena Eschricht [synonym], Perqualus Gray 1846 [synonym], Poescopia Gray 1864 [synonym]

G. †Miobalaenoptera Tanaka and Watanabe 2019

†Miobalaenoptera numataensis Tanaka and Watanabe 2019

G. †Nehalaennia Bisconti et al. 2019

†Nehalaennia devossi Bisconti et al. 2019

G. †Notiocetus Ameghino 1891

†Notiocetus platensis Ameghino 1891

†Notiocetus romerianus Ameghino 1891

G. †Plesiobalaenoptera Bisconti 2010

†Plesiobalaenoptera quarantellii Bisconti 2010

G. †Praemegaptera Behrmann 1995

†Praemegaptera pampauensis Behrmann 1995

G. †Protororqualus Bisconti 2007

†Protororqualus cuvieri Fischer 1829

†Balaenoptera cuvieri portisi Sacco 1890

Invalid names: Cetotherium (Cetotheriophanes) cuvieri Brandt 1873 [synonym]

†Protororqualus dyticus Cabrera 1926

†Protororqualus wilfriedneesi Bisconti and Bosselaers 2020

Invalid names: Balaena affinis Owen 1843 [invalid subgroup], Balaena definata Owen 1843 [nomen dubium], Balaena emarginata Owen 1843 [nomen dubium], Balaena gibbosa Owen 1843 [nomen dubium], Balaenoptera borealina Van Beneden 1880 [nomen dubium], Balaenoptera garopii Van Beneden 1859 [nomen dubium], Balaenoptera musculoides Van Beneden 1880 [nomen dubium], Balaenoptera portisii Sacco 1890 [invalid subgroup], Balaenoptera rostratella Van Beneden 1880 [nomen dubium], Balaenoptera sibbaldina Van Beneden 1880 [nomen dubium], Balaenoptera taiwanica Huang 1966 [invalid subgroup], Delphinus brachyspondylus Brandt 1873 [invalid subgroup], Hadrosaurus tripos Cope 1869 [nomen dubium], Megaptera affinis Van Beneden 1880 [nomen dubium], Megapterinae Flower 1865 [empty], Megapteropsis robusta Van Beneden 1872 [nomen dubium], Palaeocetidae Seeley 1865 [synonym], Parabalaenopterinae Zeigler et al. 1997 [empty], Praemegapterinae Behrmann 1995 [empty]

Diagnosis

Reference	Diagnosis
Y. Tanaka and M. Watanabe 2019	Two synapomorphies of the Balaenopteridae were identified by the phylogenetic analysis in this study: an abruptly depressed supraorbital process of the frontal to a level noticeably below the vertex with the lateral skull wall above the supraorbital formed by both parietal and frontal in anterior view (character 45); and shape of anteroventral angle of anterior process of periotic in med- ial or lateral view, slender and tapering to a point (char- acter 147). The holotype of Miobalaenoptera numataensis only preserves the periotic character 147. Three periotic diagnostic characters have previously been reported: a narrow triangular anterior process of the peri- otic (Character 20 of Ekdale et al. 2011; Bisconti 2010b); well-defined fossa for the malleus (Ekdale et al. 2011, character 43) and transversely elongated pars cochlearis (Geisler & Luo 1996, character 12). These characters were stated as the Family Balaenopteridae excluding Eschrichtius robustus in these studies.