Whakakai

Extinct genus of whales

Whakakai

Temporal range: Late Oligocene, 27–25 Ma

PreꞒ

Scientific classification
Domain:  | Eukaryota
Kingdom:  | Animalia
Phylum:  | Chordata
Class:  | Mammalia
Order:  | Artiodactyla
Infraorder:  | Cetacea
Parvorder:  | Mysticeti
Genus:  | †Whakakai
Tsai and Fordyce, 2016
Type species
Whakakai waipata

Tsai and Fordyce, 2016

Whakakai is a genus of baleen whale from the Late Oligocene (Chattian) Kokoamu Greensand of New Zealand.

## Classification

[edit]

Phylogenetic analysis recovers Whakakai outside crown Mysticeti as the sister taxon of Horopeta.[1]

## Paleobiology

[edit]

Whakakai has been recovered in the same deposits that have also yielded the primitive odontocetes Awamokoa, Austrosqualodon, Otekaikea, and Waipatia, the eomysticetids Matapanui, Tohoraata, Tokarahia, and Waharoa, and the balaenomorphs Mauicetus and Horopeta.

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Tsai, C.H., Fordyce R.E., 2016. Archaic baleen whale from the Kokoamu Greensand: earbones distinguish a new late Oligocene mysticete (Cetacea: Mysticeti) from New Zealand. Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand. doi:10.1080/03036758.2016.1156552

* v
* t
* e

Genera of baleen whales and their extinct allies

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

Mysticeti

Mysticeti

* †Borealodon
* †Coronodon
* †Imerocetus
* †Mioceta?
* †Piscocetus
* †Siphonocetus?
* †Tretulias?
* †Ulias?

†Aetiocetidae|

* Aetiocetus
* Ashorocetus
* Chonecetus
* Fucaia
* Morawanocetus
* Willungacetus

†Llanocetidae|

* Llanocetus
* Mystacodon

†Mammalodontidae|

* Janjucetus
* Mammalodon

Chaeomysticeti|

* Horopeta
* Sitsqwayk
* Whakakai

†Eomysticetoidea|

* Cetotheriopsis

†Eomysticetidae|

* Eomysticetus
* Micromysticetus
* Tohoraata
* Tokarahia
* Waharoa
* Yamatocetus

Balaenomorpha|

| Balaenidae|

* †Antwerpibalaena
* †Archaeobalaena
* Balaena
* †Balaenella
* †Balaenula
* †Balaenotus
* Eubalaena
* †Idiocetus
* †Mesoteras
* †Morenocetus
* †Peripolocetus
* †Protobalaena

Thalassotherii|

* †Hibacetus
* †Isanacetus
* †Isocetus
* †Mauicetus
* †Pinocetus
* †Taikicetus
* †Tiphyocetus
* †Uranocetus

†Aglaocetidae|

* Aglaocetus

†Diorocetidae|

* Amphicetus
* Diorocetus
* Plesiocetopsis
* Thinocetus

†Pelocetidae|

* Cophocetus
* Halicetus
* Parietobalaena
* Pelocetus

†Tranatocetidae|

* Mesocetus
* Mixocetus
* Tranatocetus

Cetotheriidae|

* †Cephalotropis
* †Journocetus
* †Otradnocetus
* †Palaeobalaena?
* †Titanocetus?
* †Tiucetus

†Cetotheriinae|

* Brandtocetus
* Cetotherium
* Ciuciulea
* Eucetotherium
* Kurdalagonus
* Mithridatocetus
* Vampalus
* Zygiocetus

Herpetocetinae|

* Caperea
* †Herentalia
* †Herpetocetus
* †Metopocetus
* †Miocaperea
* †Nannocetus
* †Piscobalaena

Balaenopteroidea|

* †Eobalaenoptera

Balaenopteridae|

* †Archaebalaenoptera
* †Archaeschrichtius
* Balaenoptera
* †Burtinopsis?
* †Cetoteriophanes
* †Diunatans
* †Eschrichtioides
* Eschrichtius
* †Gricetoides
* †Incakujira
* Megaptera
* †Megapteropsis?
* †Miobalaenoptera
* †Nehalaennia
* †Notiocetus
* †Parabalaenoptera
* †Plesiobalaenoptera
* †Plesiocetus
* †Praemegaptera
* †Protororqualus

Taxon identifiers

Whakakai|

* Wikidata: Q48773706
* Paleobiology Database: 341675

*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template
*[†]: Extinct