Whippomorpha

Whippomorpha is the clade containing the Cetaceans (whales, dolphins, etc.) and their closest living relatives, the hippopotamuses, named by Waddell et al. (1999).[1] It is defined as a crown group, including all species that are descendants of the most recent common ancestor of Hippopotamus amphibius and Tursiops truncatus.[1] This would be a subgrouping of the Cetartiodactyla (which also includes pigs and ruminants). The genetic evidence is strong that the cetaceans arose from within the Artiodactyla, thus making the even-toed ungulate grouping a paraphyletic one.[2] How recently whales and hippos share a common ancestor is unclear.

Whippomorpha Temporal range: Early Eocene–present PreЄ Є O S D C P T J K Pg N
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Artiodactyla
Clade:	Cetancodontamorpha
Suborder:	Whippomorpha Waddell et al. 1999
Taxa
Hippopotamoidea †Anthracotheriidae Hippopotamidae †Dichobunoidea †Mixtotheriidae †Dichobunidae †Helohyidae †Cebochoeridae Cetaceomorpha †Raoellidae Cetacea

Cladogram showing Whippomorpha within Artiodactylamorpha: Whippomorpha consists of the clades labeled Hippopotamoidea and Cetaceamorpha.

Whippomorpha is a mixture of English (wh[ale] + hippo[potamus]) and Greek (μορφή, morphē = form). Attempts have been made to rename the clade Cetancodonta[3] but Whippomorpha maintains precedence.[4]