Orcas: Killer Beauties

Scientific Classification

The order Cetacea

Before we begin talking about the scientific classification of Orcas, you must first understand that they belong to the scientific order Cetacea. The scientific order Cetacea includes all whales and dolphins.  This order is so great that it is also divided into three sub-groups:

 

• The toothed whales or Odontoceti (Killer Whale, Dolphins, Porpoises, Belugas and the Sperm Whale).

• The Un-toothed  Whales or Mysticeti (Blue Whale, Humpback Whale, Gray Whale)

• And the Archaeoceti (Which are now extinct).

The dolphins and their nearest relatives are included in the scientific family Delphinidae. Bottle Nose Dolphins, Common Dolphins, and the Pacific Spotted Dolphin. All of these are Delphinids. The Killer Whale (Orca) is the greatest dolphin of all.

Orca Classification Table.

Kingdom	Animal
Phylum	Chordate
Subphylum	Vertebrata
Class	Mammalians	Mammals
Order	Cetacea
Sub-order	Odontoceti	Toothed Cetaceans
Family	Delphinidae	Dolphins and porpoises
Sub-family	Orcininae or Globicephalinae
Genus	Orcinus
Species	orca

 

Fossil Registry.

The modern forms of both Odontoceti and Mysticeti appear in the fossil registry five to seven million years ago. The scientists think that the first whales (Archaeoceti) appeared 55 to 65 millions years ago, now extinct, from some of the oldest terrestrial mammals who ventured into the sea.

 

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