Basilosaurinae is a
subfamily
In biological classification, a subfamily (Latin: ', plural ') is an auxiliary (intermediate) taxonomic rank, next below family but more inclusive than genus. Standard nomenclature rules end botanical subfamily names with "-oideae", and zo ...
of
cetacea
Cetacea (; , ) is an infraorder of aquatic mammals belonging to the order Artiodactyla that includes whales, dolphins and porpoises. Key characteristics are their fully aquatic lifestyle, streamlined body shape, often large size and exclusively c ...
ns
archaeocetes
Archaeoceti ("ancient whales"), or Zeuglodontes in older literature, is an obsolete paraphyletic group of primitive cetaceans that lived from the Early Eocene to the late Oligocene (). Representing the earliest cetacean radiation, they include th ...
containing two
genera
Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family as used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In binomial nomenclature, the genus name forms the first part of the binomial s ...
: ''
Basilosaurus
''Basilosaurus'' (meaning "king lizard") is a genus of large, predatory, prehistoric archaeocete whale from the late Eocene, approximately 41.3 to 33.9 million years ago (mya). First described in 1834, it was the first archaeocete and prehisto ...
'' and ''
Basiloterus''.
[. Retrieved July 2013.] They were characterized by elongated distal thoracic vertebrae, lumbar, and proximal sacrococcygeal. All known members of the subfamily are larger than their relatives of the
Dorudontinae
Dorudontinae are a group of extinct cetaceans that are related to ''Basilosaurus''.. Retrieved July 2013.
Classification
* Subfamily Dorudontinae
** Genus ''Ancalecetus''
*** ''Ancalecetus simonsi''
** Genus ''Chrysocetus''
*** ''Chrysocetus f ...
subfamily except ''
Cynthiacetus''.
Classification
* Subfamily Basilosaurinae
** Genus ''
Basilosaurus
''Basilosaurus'' (meaning "king lizard") is a genus of large, predatory, prehistoric archaeocete whale from the late Eocene, approximately 41.3 to 33.9 million years ago (mya). First described in 1834, it was the first archaeocete and prehisto ...
''
*** ''Basilosaurus cetoides''
*** ''Basilosaurus isis''
** Genus ''
Basiloterus''
*** ''Basiloterus hussaini''
Notes
References
*
*
Basilosauridae
Eocene first appearances
Eocene extinctions
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