PBDB Taxon

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Morphology	Ecology and taphonomy	External Literature Search	Age range and collections

Megaptera novaeangliae (humpback whale)

Mammalia - Cetacea - Balaenopteridae

Taxonomy

Balaena novaeangliae was named by Brisson (1762) [Hershkovitz (1966) attributes this name to Borowski (1781) but Brisson (1762) clearly uses this name properly. No type specimen, not type locality other than "Coast of New England" (Hershkovitz, 1966).]. It is extant.

It was recombined as Megaptera novaeangliae by Kellogg (1932), Scheffer and Rice (1963), Hershkovitz (1966), Barnes (1977), Vidal (1991), Rice (1998), Bergqvist et al. (1999), Clapham and Mead (1999), Mead and Brownell (2005), Bouetel and Muizon (2006), Agnarsson and May-Collado (2008), Uhen et al. (2008), Marx (2011), Geisler et al. (2011), Tsai et al. (2014), Marx and Fordyce (2015).

Synonyms

Megaptera novaezelandiae was named by Gray (1864). It is extant.

It was recombined as Megaptera nodosa novaezelandiae by Trouessart (1904); it was synonymized subjectively with Megaptera novaeangliae by Hershkovitz (1966), Clapham and Mead (1999).
Megaptera americana was named by Gray (1846). It is extant.

It was considered a nomen dubium by Cope (1865); it was synonymized subjectively with Megaptera novaeangliae by Hershkovitz (1966), Clapham and Mead (1999).
Megaptera kuzira was named by Gray (1850). It is extant.

It was synonymized subjectively with Megaptera novaeangliae by Hershkovitz (1966), Clapham and Mead (1999).
Balaena lalandii was named by Fischer (1829). It is extant.

It was synonymized subjectively with Megaptera novaeangliae by Clapham and Mead (1999).
Balaenoptera capensis was named by Smith (1835). It is extant.

It was synonymized subjectively with Megaptera novaeangliae by Hershkovitz (1966), Clapham and Mead (1999).
Balaenoptera leucopteron was named by Lesson (1842). It is extant.

It was synonymized subjectively with Megaptera novaeangliae by Clapham and Mead (1999).
Balaena allamack was named by Gray (1846). It is extant.

It was synonymized subjectively with Megaptera novaeangliae by Clapham and Mead (1999).
Balaenoptera astrolabae was named by Pucheran (1853). It is extant.

It was synonymized subjectively with Megaptera novaeangliae by Clapham and Mead (1999).
Balaenoptera syncondylus was named by Muller (1863). It is extant.

It was synonymized subjectively with Megaptera novaeangliae by Clapham and Mead (1999).
Megaptera gigas was named by Cope (1865). It is extant.

It was synonymized subjectively with Megaptera novaeangliae by Clapham and Mead (1999).
Megaptera osphyia was named by Cope (1865) [type specimen is in the "museum at Niagara Falls, in Canada"]. It is extant.

It was recombined as Megaptera nodosa osphyia by Trouessart (1904); it was synonymized subjectively with Megaptera novaeangliae by Clapham and Mead (1999), Mead and Brownell (2005).
Megaptera braziliensis was named by Cope (1867). It is extant.

It was synonymized subjectively with Megaptera novaeangliae by Clapham and Mead (1999), Mead and Brownell (2005).
Megaptera bellicosa was named by Cope (1871). It is extant. Its type specimen is USNM 301636, a skeleton.

It was recombined as Megaptera nodosa bellicosa by Trouessart (1904); it was synonymized subjectively with Megaptera novaeangliae by Hershkovitz (1966), Clapham and Mead (1999).
Megaptera indica was named by Gervais (1883). It is extant.

It was synonymized subjectively with Megaptera novaeangliae by Clapham and Mead (1999), Mead and Brownell (2005).
Balaena atlanticus was named by Hurdis (1897). It is extant.

It was synonymized subjectively with Megaptera novaeangliae by Clapham and Mead (1999).
Megaptera burmeisteri was named by Gray (1866). It is extant.

It was synonymized subjectively with Megaptera novaeangliae by Hershkovitz (1966), Mead and Brownell (2005).
Megaptera poeskop was named by Gray (1846). It is extant.

It was synonymized subjectively with Megaptera lalandii by Van Beneden and Gervais (1880); it was synonymized subjectively with Megaptera novaeangliae by Hershkovitz (1966), Clapham and Mead (1999).
Balaena longimana was named by Rudolphi (1832). It is extant.

It was recombined as Megaptera longimana by Gray (1846), Gray (1850), Gray (1864), Flower (1865), Gray (1866), Gray (1868), Gray (1871), Hay (1902); it was synonymized subjectively with Megaptera boops by Van Beneden and Gervais (1880); it was synonymized subjectively with Megaptera nodosa by Trouessart (1904); it was synonymized subjectively with Megaptera novaeangliae by Hershkovitz (1966), Clapham and Mead (1999), Mead and Brownell (2005).
Balaenoptera antarctica was named by Temminck (1841). It is extant.

It was recombined as Megaptera antarctica by Gray (1846); it was recombined as Physalus antarcticus by Gray (1850), Gray (1866), Scott (1873); it was synonymized subjectively with Megaptera novaeangliae by Hershkovitz (1966).
Megaptera versabilis was named by Scammon and Cope (1869) [Genus name assigned to Cope only.]. It is extant.

It was synonymized subjectively with Megaptera novaeangliae by Hershkovitz (1966), Clapham and Mead (1999), Mead and Brownell (2005).
Balaena nodosa was named by Bonnaterre (1789). It is extant.

It was recombined as Megaptera nodosa by Gray (1846), Trouessart (1904), Oliver (1922), Hay (1930), Sherman (1952); it was synonymized subjectively with Megaptera boops by Van Beneden and Gervais (1880); it was synonymized subjectively with Megaptera novaeangliae by Hershkovitz (1966), Clapham and Mead (1999), Mead and Brownell (2005).
Balaena boops was named by Fabricius (1780). It is extant.

It was recombined as Megaptera boops by Scott (1873), Van Beneden and Gervais (1880), Hay (1902), Turner (1912); it was synonymized subjectively with Megaptera nodosa by Trouessart (1904); it was synonymized subjectively with Megaptera novaeangliae by Hershkovitz (1966), Clapham and Mead (1999).
Kyphobalaena keporkak was named by Van Beneden (1868) [Van Beneden and Gervais (1880) attribute this taxon to Eschricht, but Hershkovitz (1966) attributes it to Van Beneden (1868).]. It is extant.

It was synonymized subjectively with Megaptera boops by Van Beneden and Gervais (1868); it was synonymized subjectively with Megaptera novaeangliae by Hershkovitz (1966), Clapham and Mead (1999).
Megaptera lalandii was named by Gray (1864). It is extant.

It was synonymized subjectively with Megaptera novaeangliae by Hershkovitz (1966), Mead and Brownell (2005).
Rorqualus antarcticus was named by Cuvier (1836). It is extant.

It was synonymized subjectively with Megaptera lalandii by Van Beneden and Gervais (1880); it was synonymized subjectively with Megaptera novaeangliae by Hershkovitz (1966), Clapham and Mead (1999).
Poescopia lalandii was named by Gray (1866). It is extant.

It was synonymized subjectively with Megaptera lalandii by Van Beneden and Gervais (1880); it was synonymized subjectively with Megaptera novaeangliae by Hershkovitz (1966).
Balaena longipinna was named by Gray (1846). It is extant.

It was recombined as Megaptera longipinna by Gray (1846), Gondar (1966); it was synonymized objectively with Megaptera novaeangliae by Hershkovitz (1966), Clapham and Mead (1999), Mead and Brownell (2005).

Synonymy list

Year	Name and author
1762	Balaena novaeangliae Brisson p. 221
1780	Balaena boops Fabricius p. 36
1780	Balaena boops Fabricuius p. 36
1781	Balaena novaeangliae Borowski p. 21
1789	Balaena nodosa Bonnaterre p. 5
1829	Balaena lalandii Fischer p. 525
1832	Balaena longimana Rudolphi p. 133
1835	Balaenoptera capensis Smith p. 130
1836	Rorqualus antarcticus Cuvier p. 347
1841	Balaenoptera antarctica Temminck
1842	Balaenoptera leucopteron Lesson
1846	Megaptera nodosa Gray p. 16
1846	Balaena allamack Gray p. 17
1846	Megaptera americana Gray p. 17
1846	Megaptera antarctica Gray p. 17
1846	Megaptera longimana Gray p. 17
1846	Megaptera poeskop Gray p. 17
1846	Balaena longipinna Gray p. 83
1846	Megaptera longipinna Gray p. 83
1847	Balaena boops Nilsson p. 639
1850	Megaptera longimana Gray p. 26
1850	Megaptera americana Gray p. 28
1850	Megaptera poeskop Gray p. 29
1850	Megaptera kuzira Gray p. 30
1850	Physalus antarcticus Gray p. 43
1853	Balaenoptera astrolabae Pucheran p. 42
1863	Balaenoptera syncondylus Muller p. 38
1864	Megaptera lalandii Gray p. 207
1864	Megaptera longimana Gray p. 207
1864	Megaptera novaezelandiae Gray p. 207
1865	Megaptera osphyia Cope p. 180
1865	Megaptera gigas Cope p. 1979
1865	Megaptera longimana Flower p. 391
1866	Megaptera longimana Gray p. 119
1866	Poescopia lalandii Gray p. 126
1866	Megaptera americana Gray p. 129
1866	Megaptera burmeisteri Gray p. 129
1866	Megaptera kuzira Gray p. 130
1866	Physalus antarcticus Gray p. 164
1867	Megaptera braziliensis Cope p. 32
1868	Megaptera longimana Gray p. 2
1868	Megaptera novaezelandiae Gray p. 2
1868	Poescopia lalandii Gray p. 2
1868	Kyphobalaena keporkak Van Beneden p. 109
1869	Megaptera versabilis Cope p. 15
1869	Megaptera versabilis Scammon and Cope p. 15
1871	Megaptera bellicosa Cope p. 103
1871	Megaptera americana Gray p. 50
1871	Megaptera burmeisteri Gray p. 50
1871	Megaptera kuzira Gray p. 50
1871	Megaptera longimana Gray p. 50
1871	Megaptera novaezelandiae Gray p. 50
1871	Megaptera osphyia Gray p. 51
1871	Megaptera versabilis Gray p. 51
1871	Poescopia lalandii Gray p. 51
1873	Megaptera novaezelandiae Gray p. 144
1873	Physalus antarcticus Scott p. 123
1873	Megaptera boops Scott p. 127
1873	Megaptera lalandii Scott p. 128
1873	Megaptera americana Scott p. 129
1875	Megaptera novaezealandiae Hector p. 255
1880	Megaptera boops Van Beneden and Gervais p. 121
1880	Megaptera lalandii Van Beneden and Gervais p. 130
1883	Megaptera indica Gervais p. 1566
1889	Balaenoptera antarctica Ameghino p. 889
1889	Megaptera burmeisteri Ameghino p. 890
1897	Balaena atlanticus Hurdis p. 330
1898	Megaptera burmeisteri Trouessart p. 1084
1902	Megaptera boops Hay p. 600
1902	Megaptera longimana Hay p. 600
1904	Balaenoptera antarctica Trouessart p. 783
1904	Megaptera burmeisteri Trouessart p. 785
1904	Megaptera indica Trouessart p. 785
1904	Megaptera kusira Trouessart p. 785
1904	Megaptera nodosa Trouessart p. 785
1904	Megaptera nodosa bellicosa Trouessart p. 785
1904	Megaptera nodosa novaezelandiae Trouessart p. 785
1904	Megaptera nodosa osphyia Trouessart p. 785
1904	Megaptera versabilis Trouessart p. 785
1912	Megaptera boops Turner p. 65
1922	Megaptera nodosa Oliver p. 564
1930	Megaptera nodosa Hay p. 575
1932	Megaptera novaeangliae Kellogg p. 148
1952	Megaptera nodosa Sherman p. 99
1963	Megaptera novaeangliae Scheffer and Rice p. 9
1966	Megaptera longipinna Gondar p. 144
1966	Megaptera novaeangliae Hershkovitz p. 177
1977	Megaptera novaeangliae Barnes p. 323 figs. Table 1
1991	Megaptera novaeangliae Vidal p. 6
1998	Megaptera novaeangliae Rice p. 67
1999	Megaptera novaeangliae Bergqvist et al. p. 31
1999	Megaptera novaeangliae Clapham and Mead p. 1
2005	Megaptera novaeangliae Mead and Brownell p. 725
2006	Megaptera novaeangliae Bouetel and Muizon p. 386
2008	Megaptera novaeangliae Agnarsson and May-Collado p. 981 figs. Fig. 5
2008	Megaptera novaeangliae Uhen et al. p. 620
2011	Megaptera novaeangliae Geisler et al. p. 6 figs. Table 1
2011	Megaptera novaeangliae Marx p. 83 figs. Figure 2
2014	Megaptera novaeangliae Tsai et al. p. 86
2015	Megaptera novaeangliae Marx and Fordyce p. 4 figs. Figure 2

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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
genus	Megaptera
species	novaeangliae	()

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.

Megaptera novaeangliae Brisson 1762 [humpback whale]

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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]

Diagnosis

No diagnoses are available

Measurements

part	N	mean

Composition:

hydroxyapatitesubo

Form:

roller-shapedo

Ontogeny:

modification of partso

Environment:

marinesubo

Locomotion:

actively mobileo

Life habit:

aquaticsubo

Depth habitat:

surfaceo

Diet:

suspension feederf

Reproduction:

viviparouso

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: base of the Late/Upper Pliocene to the top of the Holocene or 3.60000 to 0.00000 Ma

Collections (25 total)

Time interval	Ma	Country or state	Original ID and collection number
Neogene	23.04 - 2.58	South Pacific	Balaenoptera antarctica (99587)
Late/Upper Pliocene - Early/Lower Pleistocene	3.6 - 0.774	Taiwan	Megaptera novaeangliae (206745)
Middle Pleistocene	0.774 - 0.129	Japan (Chiba)	Megaptera novaeangliae (96893)
Late/Upper Pleistocene	0.129 - 0.0117	Taiwan	Megaptera novaeangliae (73686)
Late/Upper Pleistocene	0.129 - 0.0117	Canada (Quebec)	Megaptera novaeangliae (51021)
Late/Upper Pleistocene	0.129 - 0.0117	Brazil	Megaptera sp. (54181)
Late/Upper Pleistocene	0.129 - 0.0117	Canada (Ontario)	Megaptera boops (51020)
Late/Upper Pleistocene	0.129 - 0.0117	Denmark	Megaptera novaeangliae (76056 159731)
Holocene	0.0117 - 0.0	USA (Oregon)	Megaptera novaeangliae (167968 224273)
Holocene	0.0117 - 0.0	Antarctica	Megaptera novaeangliae (167971)
Holocene	0.0117 - 0.0	Brazil	Megaptera novaeangliae (167966)
Holocene	0.0117 - 0.0	USA (Maine)	Megaptera novaeangliae (167965)
Holocene	0.0117 - 0.0	New Caledonia	Megaptera novaeangliae (83481)
Holocene	0.0117 - 0.0	Peru	Megaptera novaeangliae (167969)
Holocene	0.0117 - 0.0	Angola	Megaptera novaeangliae (167967)
Holocene	0.0117 - 0.0	Japan	Megaptera novaeangliae (51310 82088)
Holocene	0.0117 - 0.0	United Arab Emirates (Abu Dhabi)	Megaptera novaeangliae (162177)
Holocene	0.0117 - 0.0	Norway	Megaptera novaeangliae (237893 237902)
Holocene	0.0117 - 0.0	Svalbard and Jan Mayen	Megaptera novaeangliae (167972)
Holocene	0.0117 - 0.0	Denmark	Megaptera novaeangliae (159712)
Holocene	0.0117 - 0.0	India	Megaptera novaeangliae (167970)