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Cetaceans (pronounced sih-TAY-shuns) include whales, dolphins, and porpoises. Although ancient people believed they were fish, cetaceans are aquatic mammals that bear live young, produce milk to feed their offspring, and have a bit of hair. The study of cetaceans is called cetology.

Although they have a fishlike shape, cetaceans are descended from land animals and still retain some modified features of their ancestors. They have the remains of a pelvic girdle, and the bones beneath their forelimbs, which are now used as flippers for swimming,...