PBDB Taxon

Basic info	Taxonomic history	Classification	Included Taxa
Morphology	Ecology and taphonomy	External Literature Search	Age range and collections

Tursiops truncatus (common bottlenose dolphin)

Osteichthyes - Cetacea - Delphinidae

Taxonomy

Tursio truncatus was named by Gray (1866) [Hershkovitz (1966) states that Delphinus nesarnack (Lacepede, 1804) represents the same species, but that no one has used the name since it's inception. Thus, he conserves Tursiops truncatus for this species.]. It is extant. Its type specimen is BMNH 353 h-62.7.18.15, a skull. Its type locality is Duncannon Pool, which is in a Holocene coastal horizon in the United Kingdom. It is the type species of Tursio.

It was recombined as Delphinus truncatus by Montagu (1821), Hassanin et al. (2012); it was synonymized subjectively with Delphinus tursio by Gray (1846), Gray (1846); it was synonymized subjectively with Tursiops tursio by Trouessart (1898), Trouessart (1904); it was recombined as Tursiops truncatus by True (1903), Sherman (1952), Scheffer and Rice (1963), Hershkovitz (1966), Barnes (1990), Vidal (1991), Mead and Potter (1995), Rice (1998), Mead and Brownell (2005), Agnarsson and May-Collado (2008), Uhen et al. (2008), Geisler et al. (2011), Perrin et al. (2013), Moura et al. (2013), Jefferson (2021).

Subspecies

T. gillii, T. truncatus (syn. Tursiops tursio obtusus), Tursiops tursio cymodoce, Tursiops tursio metis

Synonyms

Delphinus catalania was named by Gray (1844). It is extant.

It was recombined as Tursio catalania by Gray (1866), Gray (1866), Gray (1868), Gray (1871), Scott (1873); it was synonymized subjectively with Tursiops truncatus by Hershkovitz (1966).
Tursiops nuuanu was named by Andrews (1911). It is extant.

It was synonymized subjectively with Tursiops aduncus by Mead and Brownell (2005); it was synonymized subjectively with Tursiops truncatus by Jefferson (2021).
Tursiops ponticus was named by Barabash-Nikiforov (1940). It is extant.

It was synonymized subjectively with Tursiops truncatus by Mead and Brownell (2005).
Tursiops gephyreus was named by Lahille (1908) [Lectotype]. It is extant. Its type specimen is MACN 54.113.

It was synonymized subjectively with Tursiops truncatus by Mead and Brownell (2005), Jefferson (2021).
Tursiops maugeanus was named by Iredale and Troughton (1934) [QVMAG 1360 is the lectotype]. It is extant. Its type specimen is QVMAG 1360.

It was synonymized subjectively with Tursiops truncatus by Charlton-Robb et al. (2011), Jefferson (2021).
Delphinus erebennus was named by Cope (1865). It is extant.

It was synonymized subjectively with Tursiops truncatus by Jefferson (2021).
Delphinus tursio was named by Gunnerus (1768). It is extant. Its type locality is Great Yarmouth, which is in a Holocene coastal horizon in the United Kingdom.

It was synonymized subjectively with Tursiops truncatus by Jefferson (2021).
Tursiops dawsoni was named by Lydekker (1909). It is extant.

It was synonymized subjectively with Tursiops truncatus by Jefferson (2021).
Tursiops parvimanus was named by Van Beneden (1886) [No type specimen is listed in Van Beneden (1886) and the species is attributed to (Reinh.)]. It is not extant.

It was synonymized subjectively with Tursiops truncatus by Rice (1998); it was considered a nomen nudum by Jefferson (2021).
Tursiops tursio was named by Bonnaterre (1789) [Year of publication is a guess. This is very unclear in the literature.]. It is extant.

It was synonymized subjectively with Tursiops truncatus by Hershkovitz (1966).
Tursiops communis was named by Fitzing (1846). It is extant.

It was synonymized subjectively with Tursiops tursio by Trouessart (1898).
Tursiops eurynome was named by Gray (1846). It is extant.

It was synonymized subjectively with Tursiops tursio by Trouessart (1898).
Phocoena compressicauda was named by Lesson (1828). It is extant.

It was recombined as Delphinus compressicauda by Gray (1846), Gray (1850); it was recombined as Tursio compressicauda by Gray (1866); it was recombined as Delphinus compressicaudus by Scott (1873); it was recombined as Tursiops compressicauda by Trouessart (1898); it was synonymized subjectively with Tursiops truncatus by Hershkovitz (1966), Jefferson (2021).
Tursiops coerulescens was named by Giglioli (1889). It is extant.

It was synonymized subjectively with Tursiops tursio by Trouessart (1898).
Delphinus nesarnack was named by Lacépède (1804). It is extant. Its type locality is Duncannon Pool, which is in a Holocene coastal horizon in the United Kingdom.

It was synonymized subjectively with Tursiops truncatus by Hershkovitz (1966), Mead and Brownell (2005), Jefferson (2021).
Delphinus eurynome was named by Gray (1846). It is extant.

It was recombined as Tursio eurynome by Gray (1866), Gray (1866), Gray (1868), Gray (1871), Scott (1873); it was synonymized subjectively with Tursiops truncatus by Hershkovitz (1966), Jefferson (2021).
Delphinus metis was named by Gray (1846) [Gray (1846) names another specimen (BMNH 357a) Delphinus metis, which Hershkovitz (1966) places in Tursiops truncatus truncatus. This opinion stream tracks the first cited specimen in Gray (1846). Type locality unknown.]. It is extant. Its type specimen is BMNH 357a, a skull.

It was recombined as Tursio metis by Gray (1866), Gray (1866), Gray (1868), Gray (1871), Scott (1873); it was synonymized subjectively with Stenella clymene by Hershkovitz (1966), Jefferson and Curry (2003), Mead and Brownell (2005); it was synonymized subjectively with Tursiops truncatus by Jefferson (2021).
Delphinus cymodoce was named by Gray (1846). It is extant.

It was recombined as Tursio cymodoce by Gray (1866), Gray (1866), Gray (1868), Gray (1871), Scott (1873); it was synonymized subjectively with Tursiops truncatus by Hershkovitz (1966), Jefferson (2021).

Synonymy list

Year	Name and author
1768	Delphinus tursio Gunnerus
1789	Tursiops tursio Bonnaterre
1804	Delphinus nesarnack Lacépède p. 307
1821	Delphinus truncatus Montagu p. 75 figs. Plate 3
1828	Phocoena compressicauda Lesson p. 199
1844	Delphinus catalania Gray
1846	Tursiops communis Fitzing p. 75
1846	Delphinus compressicauda Gray p. 37
1846	Delphinus cymodoce Gray p. 38
1846	Delphinus eurynome Gray p. 38
1846	Delphinus metis Gray p. 38
1846	Tursiops eurynome Gray p. 38 figs. Pl. 17
1850	Delphinus compressicauda Gray p. 109
1850	Delphinus eurynome Gray p. 111
1850	Delphinus cymodoce Gray p. 113
1850	Delphinus metis Gray p. 115
1865	Delphinus erebennus Cope p. 281
1866	Tursio catalania Gray p. 215
1866	Tursio cymodoce Gray p. 215
1866	Tursio eurynome Gray p. 215
1866	Tursio metis Gray p. 215
1866	Tursio truncatus Gray p. 215
1866	Tursio metis Gray p. 256
1866	Tursio cymodoce Gray p. 257
1866	Tursio eurynome Gray p. 261
1866	Tursio catalania Gray p. 262
1866	Tursio compressicauda Gray p. 266
1868	Tursio catalania Gray p. 6
1868	Tursio cymodoce Gray p. 6
1868	Tursio eurynome Gray p. 6
1868	Tursio metis Gray p. 6
1868	Tursio truncatus Gray p. 6
1871	Tursio cymodoce Gray p. 74
1871	Tursio eurynome Gray p. 74
1871	Tursio metis Gray p. 74
1871	Tursio truncatus Gray p. 74
1871	Tursio catalania Gray p. 75
1873	Delphinus compressicaudus Scott p. 79
1873	Tursio metis Scott p. 81
1873	Tursio truncatus Scott p. 81
1873	Tursio catalania Scott p. 82
1873	Tursio cymodoce Scott p. 82
1873	Tursio eurynome Scott p. 82
1885	Tursiops tursio True p. 338
1886	Tursiops parvimanus Van Beneden p. 100
1887	Tursiops tursio Lydekker p. 81
1889	Tursiops coerulescens Giglioli
1891	Tursiops tursio Newton p. 80
1898	Tursiops compressicauda Trouessart p. 1030
1898	Tursiops parvimanus Trouessart p. 1031
1903	Tursiops truncatus True p. 314
1904	Tursiops parvimanus Trouessart p. 764
1904	Tursiops tursio Trouessart p. 764
1908	Tursiops gephyreus Lahille
1909	Tursiops dawsoni Lydekker
1911	Tursiops nuuanu Andrews
1912	Tursiops tursio Turner p. 135
1934	Tursiops maugeanus Iredale and Troughton
1940	Tursiops ponticus Barabash-Nikiforov
1952	Tursiops truncatus Sherman p. 99
1961	Delphinus nesarnack Hershkovitz p. 550
1963	Tursiops truncatus Scheffer and Rice p. 7
1966	Tursiops tursio Gondar p. 141
1966	Tursiops truncatus Hershkovitz p. 52
1990	Tursiops truncatus Barnes p. 11
1991	Tursiops truncatus Vidal p. 5
1995	Tursiops truncatus Mead and Potter p. 37
1998	Tursiops truncatus Rice p. 105
2005	Tursiops truncatus Mead and Brownell p. 734
2008	Tursiops truncatus Agnarsson and May-Collado p. 981 figs. Fig. 2
2008	Tursiops truncatus Uhen et al. p. 594
2011	Tursiops truncatus Geisler et al. p. 6 figs. Table 1
2012	Delphinus truncatus Hassanin et al. p. 43 figs. Fig. 1
2013	Tursiops truncatus Moura et al. p. 870 figs. Figure 2
2013	Tursiops truncatus Perrin et al. p. 571 figs. Table 1
2016	Tursiops gephyreus Wickert et al. p. 1729
2021	Tursiops truncatus Jefferson p. 29

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Rank	Name	Author
kingdom	Animalia	()
—	Bilateria
—	Eubilateria	Ax 1987
—	Deuterostomia
phylum	Chordata	Haeckel 1874
subphylum	Vertebrata
superclass	Gnathostomata
class	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	Odontoceti
infraorder	Delphinida
superfamily	Delphinoidea
family	Delphinidae
subfamily	Delphininae
genus	Tursiops
species	truncatus	()

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.

Tursiops truncatus Gray 1866 [common bottlenose dolphin]

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Tursiops truncatus gillii Dall 1873

Tursiops truncatus truncatus Hershkovitz 1966

Invalid names: Delphinus compressicauda Lesson 1828 [synonym], Delphinus cymodoce Gray 1846 [synonym], Delphinus erebennus Cope 1865 [synonym], Delphinus eurynome Gray 1846 [synonym], Delphinus metis Gray 1846 [synonym], Delphinus nesarnack Lacépède 1804 [synonym], Delphinus tursio Gunnerus 1768 [synonym], Tursio catalania Gray 1844 [synonym], Tursiops dawsoni Lydekker 1909 [synonym], Tursiops gephyreus Lahille 1908 [synonym], Tursiops maugeanus Iredale and Troughton 1934 [synonym], Tursiops nuuanu Andrews 1911 [synonym], Tursiops parvimanus Van Beneden 1886 [synonym], Tursiops ponticus Barabash-Nikiforov 1940 [synonym], Tursiops tursio Bonnaterre 1789 [synonym], Tursiops tursio obtusus Schlegel 1862 [synonym]

Diagnosis

No diagnoses are available

Measurements

part	N	mean

Composition:

hydroxyapatitesubo

Form:

roller-shapedo

Ontogeny:

modification of partso

Environment:

marine, freshwatersubo

Locomotion:

actively mobileo

Life habit:

aquatico

Depth habitat:

surfaceo

Diet:

piscivoref

Diet 2:

carnivoref

Reproduction:

viviparoussubo

Created:

2005-06-08 10:11:09

Modified:

2005-06-08 12:11:09

Source: f = family, subo = suborder, o = order

References: Uhen 2004, Nowak 1991

Age range

Maximum range based only on fossils: base of the Calabrian to the top of the Holocene or 1.80000 to 0.00000 Ma
Minimum age of oldest fossil (stem group age): 0.774 Ma

Collections (30 total)

Time interval	Ma	Country or state	Original ID and collection number
Early/Lower Pleistocene	2.58 - 0.774	United Kingdom (England)	Tursiops tursio (77750)
Pleistocene	2.58 - 0.0117	United Kingdom (England)	Tursiops tursio (73730)
Pleistocene	2.58 - 0.0117	USA (South Carolina)	Tursiops truncatus (65405)
Calabrian	1.8 - 0.774	Netherlands	Tursiops truncatus (53897)
Late/Upper Pleistocene	0.129 - 0.0117	United Kingdom	Tursiops tursio (93820)
Late/Upper Pleistocene	0.129 - 0.0117	Spain	Tursiops truncatus (90036)
Late/Upper Pleistocene - Holocene	0.129 - 0.0	Spain	Tursiops truncatus (215723)
Holocene	0.0117 - 0.0	Argentina	Tursiops gephyreus (219057)
Holocene	0.0117 - 0.0	United Kingdom (England)	Delphinus truncatus (type locality: 86890) Tursiops truncatus (238946)
Holocene	0.0117 - 0.0	Chile	Tursiops truncatus (168096)
Holocene	0.0117 - 0.0	Denmark	Tursiops truncatus (159711)
Holocene	0.0117 - 0.0	Mexico (Baja California)	Tursiops truncatus (75142 201786)
Holocene	0.0117 - 0.0	Brazil	Tursiops truncatus (168094)
Holocene	0.0117 - 0.0	Australia (Tasmania)	Tursiops maugeanus (154229)
Holocene	0.0117 - 0.0	Bulgaria	Tursiops truncatus (232847)
Holocene	0.0117 - 0.0	Japan	Tursiops truncatus (54129)
Holocene	0.0117 - 0.0	India	Tursiops truncatus (168097)
Holocene	0.0117 - 0.0	USA (California)	Tursiops gilli (86891)
Holocene	0.0117 - 0.0	Panama	Tursiops truncatus (179577)
Holocene	0.0117 - 0.0	Türkiye	Tursiops truncatus (235083 235089)
Holocene	0.0117 - 0.0	Angola	Tursiops truncatus (168095)
Holocene	0.0117 - 0.0	USA (Virginia)	Tursiops truncatus (168093)
Holocene	0.0117 - 0.0	Netherlands	Tursiops truncatus (55533 190347 190348)
Holocene	0.0117 - 0.0	Italy	Tursiops truncatus (221525)
Holocene	0.0117 - 0.0	Ukraine	Tursiops truncatus (235085)