In this article, the topic of Kentriodontidae will be addressed, with the aim of providing an exhaustive analysis of this issue. Kentriodontidae is a topic of relevance today and its study is of utmost importance in various areas. Through this writing, we aim to offer a comprehensive vision of Kentriodontidae, exploring its different facets, implications and possible solutions. Various points of view will be addressed and different approaches will be analyzed to fully understand the complexity surrounding Kentriodontidae. This article aims to generate a debate around Kentriodontidae, promoting reflection and the exchange of ideas among readers.
Kentriodontidae Temporal range:
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Rudicetus squalodontoides skull | |
Scientific classification ![]() | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Mammalia |
Order: | Artiodactyla |
Suborder: | Whippomorpha |
Infraorder: | Cetacea |
Clade: | Delphinida |
Superfamily: | Delphinoidea |
Family: | †Kentriodontidae Slijper, 1936 |
Genera | |
See text |
Kentriodontidae is an extinct family of odontocete whales related to modern dolphins. The Kentriodontidae lived from the Oligocene to the Pliocene before going extinct.[1]
Kentriodontids have been variously divided into three or four subfamilies: Kampholophinae, Kentriodontinae, Lophocetinae, and Pithanodelphinae.[1] However, some cladistic studies have recovered Kentriodontidae as paraphyletic[2][3][4][5][6] while others have recovered the family as monophyletic.[7][8]
For instance, Miminiacetus may be a close relative of Lipotidae, Brevirostrodelpis is basal to other delphinidans,[6] Incacetus is probably a member of Inioidea,[5] and Atocetus and Lophocetus have been recovered as a pontoporiid and ziphiid sister taxon respectively, while Hadrodelphis, Kampholophos, Macrokentriodon, and Miminiacetus are recovered in a clade phylogenetically intermediate between Kentriodon and derived delphinidans ((Inioidea+Lipotidae)+Delphinoidea).[9] Peredo et al. (2018) restrict Kentriodon to Kampholophos, Kentriodon, Rudicetus, and Wimahl, and remove Pithanodelphininae and its putative constituent genera (Leptodelphis, Pithanodelphis, Sarmatodelphis, Sophianacetus, and Tagicetus) as well as Microphocaena from Kentriodontidae.[10]