Basilosaurinae Temporal range: Middle Eocene – Late Eocene | |
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Basilosaurus skeleton | |
Scientific classification ![]() | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Mammalia |
Order: | Artiodactyla |
Suborder: | Whippomorpha |
Infraorder: | Cetacea |
Family: | † Basilosauridae |
Subfamily: | † Basilosaurinae Miller, 1923 |
Genera | |
Basilosaurinae is a subfamily of cetaceans archaeocetes containing two genera: Basilosaurus and Basiloterus . [1] They were characterized by elongated distal thoracic vertebrae, lumbar, and proximal sacrococcygeal. All known members of the subfamily are larger than their relatives of the Dorudontinae subfamily except Cynthiacetus . [2]