cetacean

noun

ce·ta·cean | \ si-ˈtā-shən

Definition of cetacean

: any of an order (Cetacea) of aquatic mostly marine mammals that includes the whales, dolphins, porpoises, and related forms and that have a torpedo-shaped nearly hairless body, paddle-shaped forelimbs but no hind limbs, one or two nares opening externally at the top of the head, and a horizontally flattened tail used for locomotion

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These recent, extreme adaptations raise a question of how cetaceans may continue to change. — Brian Switek, Smithsonian, "Today’s Whales Are Huge, But Why Aren’t They Huger?," 27 June 2018 The study showed cetaceans with the largest brain size relative to their body living in more complex groups or pods were more likely to show grief. — Jason Daley, Smithsonian, "Study Suggests Dolphins and Some Whales Grieve Their Dead," 20 June 2018 Similar results have been found in other families of mammals, like ungulates (deer, camels, and the like) and cetaceans (whales and dolphins). — Cathleen O'grady, Ars Technica, "The evolutionary mystery of gigantic human brains," 23 Aug. 2018 Indeed, there is evidence that many cetaceans—that is, whales, dolphins and porpoises—have strong and complicated family and social ties. — Alison Gopnik, WSJ, "Like Us, Whales May Be Smart Because They’re Social," 16 Aug. 2018 Among marine mammals, pinnipeds, such as seals, do—but cetaceans, such as whales and dolphins, do not. — Anna Diamond, Smithsonian, "Do Marine Mammals Yawn and More Questions From Our Readers," 28 June 2018 The North Atlantic right whale, for example, reaches over 50 feet in length and is one of the most endangered cetaceans on the planet. — Brian Switek, Smithsonian, "Today’s Whales Are Huge, But Why Aren’t They Huger?," 27 June 2018 One of the article’s authors, vertebrate biologist Nel Beaumont, wrote in an email that there were not enough older books about cetaceans in their sample to determine whether accuracy had improved over time. — Claire Eamer, Smithsonian, "How Children’s Books Reveal Our Evolving Relationship With Whales," 27 Mar. 2018 As Ruth Schuster at Haaretz reports, bones of both cetaceans were found near Gibraltar, indicating that the whales ranged much further afield, even using the Mediterranean Sea as a calving ground. — Jason Daley, Smithsonian, "Romans May Have Hunted Whales to Extinction in Their Home Waters," 11 July 2018

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