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Taxa

Phocoena

Mammal Genera

Phocoena is a genus of porpoises comprising four living species, the spectacled porpoise of sub-Antarctic and low Antarctic waters, the harbour porpoise of the cooler coastal North Atlantic, North Pacific and Black Sea, the vaquita of the northern Gulf of California, and Burmeister's porpoise of the South American coast. The genus was formally established by Cuvier in 1816 and its fossil record extends back to the Miocene.

Facts
Taxonomic Rank
Genus 2
Scientific Name
Phocoena 2
Member Species/Taxa Count
4 2
Member Count Band
Under 10 Species 3
Era First Appeared
Neogene 4
Partially Attested
Geographic Distribution
Cooler coastal waters of the North Atlantic, North Pacific and the Black Sea (harbour porpoise); circumpolar in cool sub-Antarctic and low Antarctic waters (spectacled porpoise) 2
Quote is the harbour porpoise entry of the species table; the spectacled porpoise entry of the same table reads circumpolar in cool sub-Antarctic and low Antarctic waters.
Classification
Living or Extinct
Yes 1
Sources
1. Wikidata (taxon extant/extinct status)
Wikimedia Foundation / Wikidata contributorsQ135955, descriptionView the Source
2. Phocoena - Wikipedia
  • Lead, first sentence
    Phocoena is a genus of porpoises with four extant species.
  • Lead, first sentence, bold genus name
    Phocoena is a genus of porpoises with four extant species.
  • Lead, species count clause
    Phocoena is a genus of porpoises with four extant species.
  • Species table, harbour porpoise range
    cooler coastal waters of the North Atlantic, North Pacific and the Black Sea
View the Source
3. Catalogue of Life (ChecklistBank): Taxon metrics for Phocoena
Catalogue of Life (ChecklistBank)Taxon metrics, speciesExtantCount
Quote, Taxon metrics, speciesExtantCount
"speciesExtantCount": 4
View the Source
4. Paleobiology Database: Taxon record for Phocoena
Paleobiology DatabaseTaxon record, first appearance (firstapp_max_ma, early_interval)
Quote, Taxon record, first appearance (firstapp_max_ma, early_interval)
"taxon_name": "Phocoena" ... "firstapp_max_ma": 5.333 ... "early_interval": "Zanclean"
View the Source
Wikidata: Phocoena
Wikidata Q135955, class allow-list match (w-wdresolver-0926)View the Source
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