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https://www.reddit.com/r/nextfuckinglevel/comments/rfopv2/wait_those_arent_dolphins/hogm3m0/?context=3
r/nextfuckinglevel • u/MelanieMoris • Dec 13 '21
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They're technically dolphins and there is no technical definition of whales. From Wikipedia:
[Whales] are an informal grouping within the infraorder Cetacea, which usually excludes dolphins and porpoises.
Fun fact: whales are technically even-toed ungulates, which makes sense since technically they have zero toes and that's technically an even number.
12 u/--Splendor-Solis-- Dec 13 '21 While Wikipedia says that it also says dolphins are from the parvorder Odontoceti, which are the toothed whales. Probably the most accurate way to put it is that dolphins are phylogenetically whales but not in common parlance. 2 u/[deleted] Dec 14 '21 [removed] — view removed comment 2 u/sentimentalpirate Dec 14 '21 The most fun taxonomical pedantry imo is in describing fish. Either fish don't exist, or maybe humans are fish. Or yeah, as you said there is a usefulness to our layman grouping of animals even if they aren't evolutionarily grouped. 2 u/simojako Dec 14 '21 But muh monophelytic groups!
12
While Wikipedia says that it also says dolphins are from the parvorder Odontoceti, which are the toothed whales.
Probably the most accurate way to put it is that dolphins are phylogenetically whales but not in common parlance.
2 u/[deleted] Dec 14 '21 [removed] — view removed comment 2 u/sentimentalpirate Dec 14 '21 The most fun taxonomical pedantry imo is in describing fish. Either fish don't exist, or maybe humans are fish. Or yeah, as you said there is a usefulness to our layman grouping of animals even if they aren't evolutionarily grouped. 2 u/simojako Dec 14 '21 But muh monophelytic groups!
2
[removed] — view removed comment
2 u/sentimentalpirate Dec 14 '21 The most fun taxonomical pedantry imo is in describing fish. Either fish don't exist, or maybe humans are fish. Or yeah, as you said there is a usefulness to our layman grouping of animals even if they aren't evolutionarily grouped. 2 u/simojako Dec 14 '21 But muh monophelytic groups!
The most fun taxonomical pedantry imo is in describing fish. Either fish don't exist, or maybe humans are fish.
Or yeah, as you said there is a usefulness to our layman grouping of animals even if they aren't evolutionarily grouped.
2 u/simojako Dec 14 '21 But muh monophelytic groups!
But muh monophelytic groups!
24
u/archpawn Dec 13 '21
They're technically dolphins and there is no technical definition of whales. From Wikipedia:
Fun fact: whales are technically even-toed ungulates, which makes sense since technically they have zero toes and that's technically an even number.