Balaenoptera is a genus of rorqual baleen whales containing eight living species, all but two of the extant species in the rorqual family, including the blue whale, fin whale, sei whale, Bryde's whale, Omura's whale, Rice's whale and the two minke whale species. The genus is known from the fossil record from the Neogene through the Quaternary, spanning roughly 13.65 million years to the present, and its species are found in every major ocean basin in both hemispheres. Genetic studies have shown the humpback and gray whales are phylogenetically nested within Balaenoptera despite being classified in separate genera, making the group as currently defined polyphyletic.
Facts
Taxonomic Rank Scientific Name Member Species/Taxa Count Defining CharacteristicsComprises all but two of the extant species in its family, the rorquals 2 Classification
Living or Extinct Sources
1. Wikidata (taxon extant/extinct status)
Wikimedia Foundation / Wikidata contributorsQ133320, descriptionView the Source 2. Balaenoptera - Wikipedia
Lead, first sentence
is a genus of rorquals containing eight extant species.
Lead, first sentence, name and etymology
Balaenoptera (from Latin balaena 'whale' and Ancient Greek πτερά (pterá) 'fin') is a genus of rorquals containing eight extant species.
Lead, first sentence, species count clause
containing eight extant species
Lead, second sentence
comprises all but two of the extant species in its family
View the SourceWikidata: Balaenoptera
Wikidata Q133320, class allow-list match (w-wdresolver-0926)View the Source Reader Challenges (0)
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