Whakakai facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Whakakai Temporal range: Late Oligocene, 27–25Ma PreЄ Є O S D C P T J K Pg N ↓
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Artiodactyla
Infraorder:	Cetacea
Parvorder:	Mysticeti
Genus:	†Whakakai Tsai and Fordyce, 2016
Type species
Whakakai waipata Tsai and Fordyce, 2016

Imagine a super old type of whale! Whakakai was a genus (which is like a group of closely related species) of baleen whale. These ancient whales lived about 27 to 25 million years ago during a time called the Late Oligocene period. Their fossils have been found in a special rock layer known as the Kokoamu Greensand in New Zealand.

Whakakai's Family Tree

Scientists study how different animals are related to each other. This is called phylogenetic analysis. Through this study, they found that Whakakai was a close relative of another ancient whale called Horopeta. They both lived before the types of baleen whales we see today, like humpbacks or blue whales.

Whakakai's Ancient Home

Fossils of Whakakai have been discovered in the same rock layers as many other amazing ancient sea creatures. This tells us they all lived in the same ocean at the same time! Some of these neighbors included:

• Early toothed whales like Awamokoa, Austrosqualodon, Otekaikea, and Waipatia.
• Other ancient baleen whales, known as eomysticetids, such as Matapanui, Tohoraata, Tokarahia, and Waharoa.
• And other types of ancient whales called balaenomorphs, including Mauicetus and Horopeta.