Classification
Monodon
monoceros
"one tooth" "one horn"
· Domain...........................................................................................Eukarya
o The domain Eukarya is one of the
three described domains. It consists of organisms that have a true
nucleus. Narwhals have cells containing nuclei. Another example of
an organism that is in this domain is
Plasmodium (Encyclopedia of Life
2013).
· Kingdom............................................................................................Animalia
o The kingdom Animalia is a diverse
kingdom. It is one of the three multicellular kingdoms. Narwhals are
classified in the Kingdom Animalia because they are multicellular
and lack cell walls like all animal cells. Another example of an
organism that is in this Kingdom is the
Bald-faced Hornet (Encyclopedia of Life
2013).
· Phylum..............................................................................................Chordata
o The Phylum Chordata is a diverse
group whose members have a notochord (or backbone), nerve cord, and
longitudinally differentiated bodies. Narwhals have these
characteristics. Another example of an organism that is in this
Phylum is the
Wild Turkey (Encyclopedia of Life 2013).
· Class................................................................................................Mammalia
o The members of the Class Mammalia
produce milk using mammary glands and have hair at some point in
their life. Narwhals belong in this class, even though they have
very little hair. Another example of an organism in this class is
the
Siberian Tiger (Encyclopedia of Life 2013).
· Order.................................................................................................Cetacea
o The Order Cetacea consists of the
whales, including dolphins and purpoises. Narwhals are included in
this order because they share many physical characteristics and
genetic lineage with whales. Another example of an organism that is
in this order is the
Blue Whale (Encyclopedia of Life 2013).
· Family................................................................................................Monodontidae
o The Family Monodontidae contains only
two species, the narwhal and
Beluga whale. Both are arctic dwellers that
lack dorsal fins and have dome shaped heads. (Encyclopedia of Life
2013).
· Genus................................................................................................Monodon
o Only one species, the narwhal is a
member of the Genus Monodon, meaning “one tooth” (Encyclopedia of
Life 2013).
· species................................................................................................monoceros
Figure
Credit: Graphodatsky et al.
This
phylogenetic tree shows the narwhal Order of Cetacea in relation to
the other orders within the Class Mammalia. This tree was developed
based on years of genetic data.
Figure Credit: Simon & Schuster
This phylogenetic tree shows the narwhal Family of Monodontidea
within the Order Cetacea. This tree was developed based off of
genetic marker data.