Lipotidae

Family of river dolphins

Lipotidae Temporal range: Miocene–Recent PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N

Lipotes vexillifer
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Artiodactyla
Infraorder:	Cetacea
Parvorder:	Odontoceti
Clade:	Delphinida
Superfamily:	Lipotoidea
Family:	Lipotidae Zhou, Qian & Li, 1978
Genera
See text

Lipotidae is a family of river dolphins containing the possibly extinct baiji of China and the fossil genus Parapontoporia from the Late Miocene and Pliocene of the Pacific coast of North America.^[1]^[2] The genus Prolipotes, which is based on a mandible fragment from Neogene coastal deposits in Guangxi, China,^[3] has been classified as an extinct relative of the baiji, but is dubious.^[4] The oldest known member of the family is Eolipotes from the Late Miocene of Japan.^[5]

The only species of the Lipotidae family that has flourished until recent times is the Lipotes vexillifer, which lives in the Yangtze River system, but its population has declined drastically since the second half of the 20th century due to the severe aggression of industrial and fishing activities in China, and is thought to have become extinct in the early 21st century.^[6]

The putative kentriodontid "Lophocetus" pappus is a possible relative of Lipotidae.^[7]

Genera and Species

†(?) Lipotes
- †(?) Lipotes vexillifer
†Parapontoporia
- †P. pacifica
- †P. sternbergi
- †P. wilsoni
†Prolipotes
- †P. yujiangensis
†Eolipotes
- †E. japonicus

References

^ Barnes, L.G., 1984. Fossil odontocetes (Mammalia: Cetacea) from the Almejas Formation, Isla Cedros, Mexico. PaleoBios 42:1-46
^ L. G. Barnes. 1985. Fossil pontoporiid dolphins (Mammalia: Cetacea) from the Pacific Coast of North America. Contributions in Science 363:1-34.
^ K. Zhou, M. Zhou, and Z. Zhao. 1984. First discovery of a Tertiary platanistoid fossil from Asia. Scientific Reports of the Whales Research Institute 35:173-181.
^ N. D. Pyenson. 2009. Requiem for Lipotes: An evolutionary perspective on marine mammal extinction. Marine Mammal Evolution 25(3):714-724
^ Kimura, T.; Hasegawa, Y. (2024). "New Fossil Lipotid (Cetacea, Delphinida) from the Upper Miocene of Japan". Paleontological Research. 28 (4): 1–23. doi:10.2517/PR220027.
^ United States, National Marine Fisheries Service, Office of Protected Resources; Baiji/Chinese River Dolphin/Yangtze River dolphin (Lipotes vexillifer) 5-year review : summary and evaluation; 2017 https://repository.library.noaa.gov/view/noaa/16394
^ Olivier Lambert, Giovanni Bianucci, Mario Urbina, Jonathan H. Geisler; A new inioid (Cetacea, Odontoceti, Delphinida) from the Miocene of Peru and the origin of modern dolphin and porpoise families. Zool J Linn Soc 2017; 179 (4): 919-946. doi: 10.1111/zoj.12479. https://academic.oup.com/zoolinnean/article/179/4/919/3076080/A-new-inioid-Cetacea-Odontoceti-Delphinida-from?guestAccessKey=3b956b95-d215-488a-8d90-1cff59554290#63703008

https://nhpbs.org/wild/lipotidae.asp

Extant Cetacea species

Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Chordata
Class Mammalia
Infraclass Eutheria
Superorder Laurasiatheria
Order Artiodactyla
Suborder Whippomorpha

Parvorder Mysticeti (Baleen whales)

Balaenidae

Balaena	Bowhead whale (B. mysticetus)
Eubalaena (Right whales)	Southern right whale (E. australis) North Atlantic right whale (E. glacialis) North Pacific right whale (E. japonica)

Balaenopteridae
(Rorquals)

Balaenoptera	Common minke whale (B. acutorostrata) Antarctic minke whale (B. bonaerensis) Sei whale (B. borealis) Bryde's whale (B. brydei) Pygmy Bryde's whale (B. edeni) Blue whale (B. musculus) Omura's whale (B. omurai) Fin whale (B. physalus) Rice's whale (B. ricei)
Eschrichtius	Gray whale (E. robustus)
Megaptera	Humpback whale (M. novaeangliae)

Cetotheriidae

Caperea	Pygmy right whale (C. marginata)

Parvorder Odontoceti (Toothed whales)

Delphinidae
(Oceanic dolphins)

Cephalorhynchus	Commerson's dolphin (C. commersonii) Chilean dolphin (C. eutropia) Heaviside's dolphin (C. heavisidii) Hector's dolphin (C. hectori)
Delphinus	Common dolphin (D. delphis)
Feresa	Pygmy killer whale (F. attenuata)
Globicephala (Pilot whales)	Short-finned pilot whale (G. macrorhynchus) Long-finned pilot whale (G. melas)
Grampus	Risso's dolphin (G. griseus)
Lagenodelphis	Fraser's dolphin (L. hosei)
Lagenorhynchus	White-beaked dolphin (L. albirostris) Atlantic white-sided dolphin (L. acutus) Peale's dolphin (L. australis) Hourglass dolphin (L. cruciger) Pacific white-sided dolphin (L. obliquidens) Dusky dolphin (L. obscurus)
Lissodelphis (Right whale dolphins)	Northern right whale dolphin (L. borealis) Southern right whale dolphin (L. peronii)
Orcaella	Irrawaddy dolphin (O. brevirostris) Australian snubfin dolphin (O. heinsohni)
Orcinus	Orca or killer whale (O. orca)
Peponocephala	Melon-headed whale (P. electra)
Pseudorca	False killer whale (P. crassidens)
Sotalia	Tucuxi (S. fluviatilis) Guiana dolphin (S. guianensis)
Sousa (Humpback dolphins)	Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin (S. chinensis) Indian Ocean humpback dolphin (S. plumbea) Australian humpback dolphin (S. sahulensis) Atlantic humpback dolphin (S. teuszii)
Stenella	Pantropical spotted dolphin (S. attenuata) Clymene dolphin (S. clymene) Striped dolphin (S. coeruleoalba) Atlantic spotted dolphin (S. frontalis) Spinner dolphin (S. longirostris)
Steno	Rough-toothed dolphin (S. bredanensis)
Tursiops (Bottlenose dolphins)	Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin (T. aduncus) Burrunan dolphin (T. australis) Tamanend's bottlenose dolphin (T. erebennus) Common bottlenose dolphin (T. truncatus)

Monodontidae

Delphinapterus	Beluga whale (D. leucas)
Monodon	Narwhal (M. monoceros)

Phocoenidae
(Porpoises)

Neophocoena (Finless porpoises)	Indo-Pacific finless porpoise (N. phocaenoides) Yangtze finless porpoise (N. asiaeorientalis)
Phocoena	Spectacled porpoise (P. dioptrica) Harbour porpoise (P. phocoena) Vaquita (P. sinus) Burmeister's porpoise (P. spinipinnis)
Phocoenoides	Dall's porpoise (P. dalli)

Physeteridae

Physeter	Sperm whale (P. macrocephalus)

Kogiidae

Kogia	Pygmy sperm whale (K. breviceps) Dwarf sperm whale (K. simus)

Iniidae

Inia	Araguaian river dolphin (I. araguaiaensis) Bolivian river dolphin (I. boliviensis) Amazon river dolphin (I. geoffrensis)

Lipotidae

Lipotes	Baiji (L. vexillifer)

Platanistidae

Platanista	Ganges river dolphin (P. gangetica) Indus river dolphin (P. minor)

Pontoporiidae

Pontoporia	La Plata dolphin (P. blainvillei)

Ziphiidae
(Beaked whales)

Berardius	Arnoux's beaked whale (B. arnuxii) Baird's beaked whale (B. bairdii) Sato's beaked whale (B. minimus)
Hyperoodon (Bottlenose whales)	Northern bottlenose whale (H. ampullatus) Southern bottlenose whale (H. planifrons)
Indopacetus	Tropical bottlenose whale (I. pacificus)
Mesoplodon (Mesoplodont whales)	Sowerby's beaked whale (M. bidens) Andrews' beaked whale (M. bowdoini) Hubbs' beaked whale (M. carlhubbsi) Blainville's beaked whale (M. densirostris) Ramari's beaked whale (M. eueu) Gervais's beaked whale (M. europaeus) Ginkgo-toothed beaked whale (M. ginkgodens) Gray's beaked whale (M. grayi) Hector's beaked whale (M. hectori) Deraniyagala's beaked whale (M. hotaula) Strap-toothed whale (M. layardii) True's beaked whale (M. mirus) Perrin's beaked whale (M. perrini) Pygmy beaked whale (M. peruvianus) Stejneger's beaked whale (M. stejnegeri) Spade-toothed whale (M. traversii)
Tasmacetus	Shepherd's beaked whale (T. shepherdi)
Ziphius	Cuvier's beaked whale (Z. cavirostris)

Odontocete genera

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Artiodactyla
Infraorder: Cetacea

Odontoceti

†Agorophius †Ankylorhiza †Archaeodelphis †Argyrocetus †Ashleycetus †Caolodelphis †Chilcacetus †Enigmatocetus †Eoplatanista †Inticetus †Macrodelphinus †Microcetus †Mirocetus †Neosqualodon †Olympicetus †Papahu †Patriocetus †Phoberodon †Phococetus †Prosqualodon †Sachalinocetus †Simocetus †Sulakocetus †Tangaroasaurus
†Xenorophidae	Albertocetus Cotylocara Echovenator Inermorostrum Xenorophus
†Waipatiidae	Awamokoa Ediscetus Nihohae Nihoroa Otekaikea Urkudelphis Waipatia
†Squalodontidae	Eosqualodon Squalodon
†Squaloziphiidae	Crisocetus? Squaloziphius Yaquinacetus
†Eurhinodelphinidae	Ceterhinops Eurhinodelphis Iniopsis Mycteriacetus Phocaenopsis Schizodelphis Vanbreenia Xiphiacetus Ziphiodelphis
Crown-Odontoceti	see below↓

Crown-Odontoceti

Physeteroidea

†Acrophyseter †Albicetus †Brygmophyseter †Eudelphis †Hoplocetus †Livyatan †Miophyseter †Rhaphicetus †Scaldicetus †Zygophyseter
Kogiidae	†Aprixokogia Kogia †Koristocetus †Nanokogia †Platyscaphokogia †Pliokogia †Praekogia †Scaphokogia †Thalassocetus?
Physeteridae	†Aulophyseter †Cozzuoliphyseter †Diaphorocetus †Idiophyseter †Idiorophus †Orycterocetus Physeter †Physeterula †Placoziphius †Thalassocetus?

Platanistoidea

†Aondelphis †Dolgopolis †Ensidelphis †Perditicetus †Eurhinodelphinidae? †Squalodontidae? †Waipatiidae?
†Allodelphinidae?	Allodelphis Arktocara Goedertius Ninjadelphis Zarhinocetus
†Squalodelphinidae?	Furcacetus Huaridelphis Macrosqualodelphis Medocinia Notocetus Phocageneus Squalodelphis
Platanistidae	†Araeodelphis †Dilophodelphis †Grimadelphis †Pachyacanthus? †Pebanista Platanista †Pomatodelphis †Prepomatodelphis †Zarhachis?

Ziphiidae

†Aporotus †Beneziphius †Caviziphius †Chavinziphius †Chimuziphius †Choneziphius †Dagonodum †Globicetus †Imocetus †Messapicetus †Nazcacetus †Nenga †Ninoziphius †Notoziphius †Pterocetus Tasmacetus †Tusciziphius †Xhosacetus †Ziphirostrum
Berardiinae	†Archaeoziphius Berardius †Microberardius
Ziphiinae	†Izikoziphius Ziphius
Hyperoodontinae	†Africanacetus Hyperoodon †Ihlengesi Indopacetus Mesoplodon

Delphinida	see below↓

Delphinida

†Albireo †Atocetus †Brevirostrodelphis †Cammackacetus †Delphinodon †Hadrodelphis †Herbeinodelphis †Liolithax †Lophocetus †Macrokentriodon †Miminiacetus †Odobenocetops †Pictodelphis †Pithanodelphis †Tagicetus †Westmorelandelphis
†Kentriodontidae	Belonodelphis? Kampholophos Kentriodon Platysvercus Sophianacetus Rudicetus Wimahl
Lipotidae	Lipotes †Parapontoporia †Prolipotes

Inioidea

†Awadelphis
Iniidae	†Brujadelphis †Goniodelphis Inia †Ischyrorhynchus †Isoninia? †Isthminia †Kwanzacetus †Meherrinia †Plicodontinia †Saurocetes
Pontoporiidae	†Atocetus? †Auroracetus †Brachydelphis †Piscorhynchus †Pliopontos †Pontistes †Protophocaena †Samaydelphis †Scaldiporia †Stenasodelphis Pontoporia

Delphinoidea

Monodontidae	†Bohaskaia †Casatia Delphinapterus †Denebola †Haborodelphis Monodon
Phocoenidae	†Archaeophocaena †Australithax †Haborophocoena †Lomacetus †Miophocaena Neophocaena †Numataphocoena Phocoena Phocoenoides †Piscolithax †Pterophocaena? †Semirostrum †Septemtriocetus

Delphinidae

†Arimidelphis †Australodelphis †Eodelphinus †Etruridelphis †Hemisyntrachelus Lagenorhynchus †Norisdelphis Orcinus †Platalearostrum †Pliodelphis †Pterophocaena?
Lissodelphininae	Cephalorhynchus Lissodelphis
Delphininae	Delphinus Lagenodelphis Sotalia Sousa Stenella Tursiops
Globicephalinae	Feresa Globicephala Grampus Orcaella Peponocephala Pseudorca Steno

Taxon identifiers
Lipotidae	Wikidata: Q3242241 Wikispecies: Lipotidae BioLib: 38243 CoL: C4J EoL: 46559408 GBIF: 3240260 IRMNG: 102425 ITIS: 612588 NCBI: 119500 Open Tree of Life: 606940 Paleobiology Database: 53267 WoRMS: 342634