Monodontidae

Family of mammals

Monodontidae Temporal range: Late Miocene–Recent PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N

Beluga whale
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Artiodactyla
Infraorder:	Cetacea
Superfamily:	Delphinoidea
Family:	Monodontidae J. E. Gray, 1821
Type genus
Monodon C. Linnaeus, 1758
Extant genera
Monodon Delphinapterus

The cetacean family Monodontidae comprises two living whale species, the narwhal and the beluga whale and at least four extinct species, known from the fossil record. Beluga and Narwhal are native to coastal regions and pack ice around the Arctic Ocean. Both species are relatively small whales, between three and five metres in length, with a forehead melon, and a short or absent snout. Premaxillary teeth are absent.^[1] They do not have a true dorsal fin, but do have a narrow ridge running along the back, which is much more pronounced in the narwhal. They are highly vocal animals, communicating with a wide range of sounds. Like other whales, they also use echolocation to navigate.^[2] Belugas can be found in the far north of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans; the distribution of narwhals is restricted to the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans.

Monodontids have a wide-ranging carnivorous diet, feeding on fish, molluscs, and small crustaceans. They have reduced teeth, with the beluga having numerous simple teeth, and the narwhal having only two teeth, one of which forms the tusks in males. Gestation lasts 14–15 months in both species, and almost always results in a single calf. The young are not weaned for a full two years, and do not reach sexual maturity until they are five to eight years of age. Family groups travel as part of herds, or 'pods', which may contain several hundred individuals.^[2]

Taxonomy

The monodontids, oceanic dolphins (Delphinidae) and porpoises (Phocoenidae) together comprise the Delphinoidea superfamily. Genetic evidence suggests the porpoises are more closely related to the white whales, and these two families constitute a separate clade which diverged from the Delphinidae within the past 11 million years.^[3]^[4]

Suborder Odontoceti
- Superfamily Delphinoidea
  - Family Monodontidae
    - Genus †Haborodelphis
      - Haborodelphis japonicus
    - Genus † Denebola
      - Denebola brachycephala
  - Subfamily Delphinapterinae
    - Genus Delphinapterus
      - Delphinapterus leucas, beluga
    - Genus †Casatia
      - Casatia thermophila
  - Subfamily Monodontinae
    - Genus † Bohaskaia^[5]
      - Bohaskaia monodontoides
    - Genus Monodon
      - Monodon monoceros, narwhal

References

^ Bohaskaia monodontoides, a New Monodontid (Cetacea, Odontoceti, Delphinoidea) from the Pliocene of the Western North Atlantic Ocean
^ ^a ^b Brodie, Paul (1984). Macdonald, D. (ed.). The Encyclopedia of Mammals. New York: Facts on File. pp. 200–203. ISBN 978-0-87196-871-5.
^ Waddell, V.G.; Milinkovitch, M.C.; Bérubé, M. & Stanhope, M.J. (2000). "Molecular Phylogenetic Examination of the Delphinoidea Trichotomy: Congruent Evidence from Three Nuclear Loci Indicates That Porpoises (Phocoenidae) Share a More Recent Common Ancestry with White Whales (Monodontidae) Than They Do with True Dolphins (Delphinidae)". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 15 (2): 314–318. doi:10.1006/mpev.1999.0751. PMID 10837160.
^ Bianucci; Pesci; Collareta & Tinelli (2019). "A new Monodontidae (Cetacea, Delphinoidea) from the lower Pliocene of Italy supports a warm-water origin for narwhals and white whales". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 39 (3): e1645148. Bibcode:2019JVPal..39E5148B. doi:10.1080/02724634.2019.1645148. hdl:11568/1022436. S2CID 202018525.
^ Jorge Vélez-Juarbe & Nicholas D. Pyenson (2012). "Bohaskaia monodontoides, a new monodontid (Cetacea, Odontoceti, Delphinoidea) from the Pliocene of the western North Atlantic Ocean". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 32 (2): 476–484. Bibcode:2012JVPal..32..476V. doi:10.1080/02724634.2012.641705. S2CID 55606151.

External links

Media related to Monodontidae at Wikimedia Commons
Data related to Monodontidae at Wikispecies

Extant Cetacea species

Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Chordata
Class Mammalia
Infraclass Eutheria
Superorder Laurasiatheria
Order Artiodactyla
Suborder Whippomorpha

Parvorder Mysticeti (Baleen whales)

Balaenidae

Balaena	Bowhead whale (B. mysticetus)
Eubalaena (Right whales)	Southern right whale (E. australis) North Atlantic right whale (E. glacialis) North Pacific right whale (E. japonica)

Balaenopteridae
(Rorquals)

Balaenoptera	Common minke whale (B. acutorostrata) Antarctic minke whale (B. bonaerensis) Sei whale (B. borealis) Bryde's whale (B. brydei) Pygmy Bryde's whale (B. edeni) Blue whale (B. musculus) Omura's whale (B. omurai) Fin whale (B. physalus) Rice's whale (B. ricei)
Eschrichtius	Gray whale (E. robustus)
Megaptera	Humpback whale (M. novaeangliae)

Cetotheriidae

Caperea	Pygmy right whale (C. marginata)

Parvorder Odontoceti (Toothed whales)

Delphinidae
(Oceanic dolphins)

Cephalorhynchus	Commerson's dolphin (C. commersonii) Chilean dolphin (C. eutropia) Heaviside's dolphin (C. heavisidii) Hector's dolphin (C. hectori)
Delphinus	Common dolphin (D. delphis)
Feresa	Pygmy killer whale (F. attenuata)
Globicephala (Pilot whales)	Short-finned pilot whale (G. macrorhynchus) Long-finned pilot whale (G. melas)
Grampus	Risso's dolphin (G. griseus)
Lagenodelphis	Fraser's dolphin (L. hosei)
Lagenorhynchus	White-beaked dolphin (L. albirostris) Atlantic white-sided dolphin (L. acutus) Peale's dolphin (L. australis) Hourglass dolphin (L. cruciger) Pacific white-sided dolphin (L. obliquidens) Dusky dolphin (L. obscurus)
Lissodelphis (Right whale dolphins)	Northern right whale dolphin (L. borealis) Southern right whale dolphin (L. peronii)
Orcaella	Irrawaddy dolphin (O. brevirostris) Australian snubfin dolphin (O. heinsohni)
Orcinus	Orca or killer whale (O. orca)
Peponocephala	Melon-headed whale (P. electra)
Pseudorca	False killer whale (P. crassidens)
Sotalia	Tucuxi (S. fluviatilis) Guiana dolphin (S. guianensis)
Sousa (Humpback dolphins)	Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin (S. chinensis) Indian Ocean humpback dolphin (S. plumbea) Australian humpback dolphin (S. sahulensis) Atlantic humpback dolphin (S. teuszii)
Stenella	Pantropical spotted dolphin (S. attenuata) Clymene dolphin (S. clymene) Striped dolphin (S. coeruleoalba) Atlantic spotted dolphin (S. frontalis) Spinner dolphin (S. longirostris)
Steno	Rough-toothed dolphin (S. bredanensis)
Tursiops (Bottlenose dolphins)	Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin (T. aduncus) Burrunan dolphin (T. australis) Tamanend's bottlenose dolphin (T. erebennus) Common bottlenose dolphin (T. truncatus)

Monodontidae

Delphinapterus	Beluga whale (D. leucas)
Monodon	Narwhal (M. monoceros)

Phocoenidae
(Porpoises)

Neophocoena (Finless porpoises)	Indo-Pacific finless porpoise (N. phocaenoides) Yangtze finless porpoise (N. asiaeorientalis)
Phocoena	Spectacled porpoise (P. dioptrica) Harbour porpoise (P. phocoena) Vaquita (P. sinus) Burmeister's porpoise (P. spinipinnis)
Phocoenoides	Dall's porpoise (P. dalli)

Physeteridae

Physeter	Sperm whale (P. macrocephalus)

Kogiidae

Kogia	Pygmy sperm whale (K. breviceps) Dwarf sperm whale (K. simus)

Iniidae

Inia	Araguaian river dolphin (I. araguaiaensis) Bolivian river dolphin (I. boliviensis) Amazon river dolphin (I. geoffrensis)

Lipotidae

Lipotes	Baiji (L. vexillifer)

Platanistidae

Platanista	Ganges river dolphin (P. gangetica) Indus river dolphin (P. minor)

Pontoporiidae

Pontoporia	La Plata dolphin (P. blainvillei)

Ziphiidae
(Beaked whales)

Berardius	Arnoux's beaked whale (B. arnuxii) Baird's beaked whale (B. bairdii) Sato's beaked whale (B. minimus)
Hyperoodon (Bottlenose whales)	Northern bottlenose whale (H. ampullatus) Southern bottlenose whale (H. planifrons)
Indopacetus	Tropical bottlenose whale (I. pacificus)
Mesoplodon (Mesoplodont whales)	Sowerby's beaked whale (M. bidens) Andrews' beaked whale (M. bowdoini) Hubbs' beaked whale (M. carlhubbsi) Blainville's beaked whale (M. densirostris) Ramari's beaked whale (M. eueu) Gervais's beaked whale (M. europaeus) Ginkgo-toothed beaked whale (M. ginkgodens) Gray's beaked whale (M. grayi) Hector's beaked whale (M. hectori) Deraniyagala's beaked whale (M. hotaula) Strap-toothed whale (M. layardii) True's beaked whale (M. mirus) Perrin's beaked whale (M. perrini) Pygmy beaked whale (M. peruvianus) Stejneger's beaked whale (M. stejnegeri) Spade-toothed whale (M. traversii)
Tasmacetus	Shepherd's beaked whale (T. shepherdi)
Ziphius	Cuvier's beaked whale (Z. cavirostris)

Odontocete genera

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Artiodactyla
Infraorder: Cetacea

Odontoceti

†Agorophius †Ankylorhiza †Archaeodelphis †Argyrocetus †Ashleycetus †Caolodelphis †Chilcacetus †Enigmatocetus †Eoplatanista †Inticetus †Macrodelphinus †Microcetus †Mirocetus †Neosqualodon †Olympicetus †Papahu †Patriocetus †Phoberodon †Phococetus †Prosqualodon †Sachalinocetus †Simocetus †Sulakocetus †Tangaroasaurus
†Xenorophidae	Albertocetus Cotylocara Echovenator Inermorostrum Xenorophus
†Waipatiidae	Awamokoa Ediscetus Nihohae Nihoroa Otekaikea Urkudelphis Waipatia
†Squalodontidae	Eosqualodon Squalodon
†Squaloziphiidae	Crisocetus? Squaloziphius Yaquinacetus
†Eurhinodelphinidae	Ceterhinops Eurhinodelphis Iniopsis Mycteriacetus Phocaenopsis Schizodelphis Vanbreenia Xiphiacetus Ziphiodelphis
Crown-Odontoceti	see below↓

Crown-Odontoceti

Physeteroidea

†Acrophyseter †Albicetus †Brygmophyseter †Eudelphis †Hoplocetus †Livyatan †Miophyseter †Rhaphicetus †Scaldicetus †Zygophyseter
Kogiidae	†Aprixokogia Kogia †Koristocetus †Nanokogia †Platyscaphokogia †Pliokogia †Praekogia †Scaphokogia †Thalassocetus?
Physeteridae	†Aulophyseter †Cozzuoliphyseter †Diaphorocetus †Idiophyseter †Idiorophus †Orycterocetus Physeter †Physeterula †Placoziphius †Thalassocetus?

Platanistoidea

†Aondelphis †Dolgopolis †Ensidelphis †Perditicetus †Eurhinodelphinidae? †Squalodontidae? †Waipatiidae?
†Allodelphinidae?	Allodelphis Arktocara Goedertius Ninjadelphis Zarhinocetus
†Squalodelphinidae?	Furcacetus Huaridelphis Macrosqualodelphis Medocinia Notocetus Phocageneus Squalodelphis
Platanistidae	†Araeodelphis †Dilophodelphis †Grimadelphis †Pachyacanthus? †Pebanista Platanista †Pomatodelphis †Prepomatodelphis †Zarhachis?

Ziphiidae

†Aporotus †Beneziphius †Caviziphius †Chavinziphius †Chimuziphius †Choneziphius †Dagonodum †Globicetus †Imocetus †Messapicetus †Nazcacetus †Nenga †Ninoziphius †Notoziphius †Pterocetus Tasmacetus †Tusciziphius †Xhosacetus †Ziphirostrum
Berardiinae	†Archaeoziphius Berardius †Microberardius
Ziphiinae	†Izikoziphius Ziphius
Hyperoodontinae	†Africanacetus Hyperoodon †Ihlengesi Indopacetus Mesoplodon

Delphinida	see below↓

Delphinida

†Albireo †Atocetus †Brevirostrodelphis †Cammackacetus †Delphinodon †Hadrodelphis †Herbeinodelphis †Liolithax †Lophocetus †Macrokentriodon †Miminiacetus †Odobenocetops †Pictodelphis †Pithanodelphis †Tagicetus †Westmorelandelphis
†Kentriodontidae	Belonodelphis? Kampholophos Kentriodon Platysvercus Sophianacetus Rudicetus Wimahl
Lipotidae	Lipotes †Parapontoporia †Prolipotes

Inioidea

†Awadelphis
Iniidae	†Brujadelphis †Goniodelphis Inia †Ischyrorhynchus †Isoninia? †Isthminia †Kwanzacetus †Meherrinia †Plicodontinia †Saurocetes
Pontoporiidae	†Atocetus? †Auroracetus †Brachydelphis †Piscorhynchus †Pliopontos †Pontistes †Protophocaena †Samaydelphis †Scaldiporia †Stenasodelphis Pontoporia

Delphinoidea

Monodontidae	†Bohaskaia †Casatia Delphinapterus †Denebola †Haborodelphis Monodon
Phocoenidae	†Archaeophocaena †Australithax †Haborophocoena †Lomacetus †Miophocaena Neophocaena †Numataphocoena Phocoena Phocoenoides †Piscolithax †Pterophocaena? †Semirostrum †Septemtriocetus

Delphinidae

†Arimidelphis †Australodelphis †Eodelphinus †Etruridelphis †Hemisyntrachelus Lagenorhynchus †Norisdelphis Orcinus †Platalearostrum †Pliodelphis †Pterophocaena?
Lissodelphininae	Cephalorhynchus Lissodelphis
Delphininae	Delphinus Lagenodelphis Sotalia Sousa Stenella Tursiops
Globicephalinae	Feresa Globicephala Grampus Orcaella Peponocephala Pseudorca Steno

Taxon identifiers
Monodontidae	Wikidata: Q219419 Wikispecies: Monodontidae ADW: Monodontidae BOLD: 1013 CoL: CWJ EoL: 7655 EPPO: 1MNODF GBIF: 5445 iNaturalist: 41457 IRMNG: 104559 ITIS: 180481 MSW: 14300103 NBN: NHMSYS0000376174 NCBI: 9747 Open Tree of Life: 851307 Paleobiology Database: 42963 WoRMS: 136983 ZooBank: 8CACADF3-FA9C-4DBD-8014-742B196D3B74