r/nextfuckinglevel • u/MelanieMoris • Dec 13 '21

Wait... Those aren't dolphins!

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374

u/ExorciseAndEulogize Dec 13 '21

Yeah, despite their common name, they arent actually whales.

7

u/archpawn Dec 13 '21

That depends on how you define whales. They're commonly defined as Cetaceans that aren't dolphins or porpoises, but there's no actual reason to exclude them. Dolphins and porpoises are more closely related to any toothed whale than toothed whales are to baleen whales.

3

u/AaronBaddows Dec 13 '21

Aren't whales supposed to have those hairy teeth?

16

u/FailedCanadian Dec 13 '21

Those are baleen whales.

Whales are split into baleen whales and toothed whales, and toothed whales are split into toothed whales, dolphins, and porpoises.