Whalevolution

Hmmm seems a bit of a big error for so called experts to refer to the Killer Whale as a whale, and to confirm it by saying it eats other whales.


Whales belong to the Cetacea family, whereas Killer Whales belong to the Delphinidae family and are dolphin.

Phocoenidae would be the third grouping and is made up of the various porpoise.


The three types are related, but are all distinctive from the other.


Would be like saying that an Allosaurus and a T Rex are of the same family rather than from the Allosauridae and Tyrannosauridae families.



Making such a basic error immediately casts doubts for me over anything else they say.

Galvasean wrote: »

But isn't the ceteca family considered the 'whale family' including dolphins, porpoises etc.?, much like the way we use the word theropod to include T. rex, Allosaurus etc.?

Technically you are right, but generally there is a distinction made between whales and the different families within the sub orders in the sub orders.


A killer whale is an oceanic dolphin and as such falls under the family title of Delphinidae. It is quite unusual for a marine biologist to refer to a killer whale as an actual whale, let alone a professor of ecology and evolutionary biology as was done in the article.


Of course the other side of the coin is that there is the risk of people becoming overly pedantic with what belongs in what family, especially amongst enthusiastic amatuers. Something I have probably just proven.