Neoceti – avoid this taxon, too.

Whale expert R Ewan Fordyce 2009 wrote,
“Neoceti is the taxonomic group comprising the two living clades of Cetacea, but excluding the extinct Archaeoceti.”

That definition was invalidated here in 2016 and confirmed with additional taxa ever since. Cetacea is no longer a monophyletic clade. Neither is Neoceti. Odontocetes and archaeocetes (= toothed whales) arose from a different clade of terrrestrial ancestors than the terrestrial ancestors of mysticetes (= baleen whales). This result is recovered whenever pertinent taxa are tested, as demonstrated earlier (in 2016) in the large reptile tree (LRT, 2172 taxa). To date no worker has published an analysis that includes the pertinent taxa.

The subject came up again due to
an overlooked SVP abstract (recently reviewed). Therein whale experts Boessenecker et al 2022) reported, “Baleen whales evolved from toothed, small-bodied ancestors during the latest Eocene and Oligocene. A toothed mysticete skull (CCNHM 6056; including petrosals), is one of the oldest known Aetiocetidae as it dates to 33.9 Ma (latest Eocene/earliest Oligocene).”

No members of the Aetiocetidae are in lineage of mysticetes. There is no such thing as a toothed mysticete. Mysticetes evolved from nearly toothless desmostylians (Fig 1) in the LRT. Aetiocetids are in the entirely separate lineage of odontocetes.

For reasons known only to themselves,
whale experts continue to exclude pertinent taxa, preferring to keep their blinders on while holding on to invalidated clades like ‘Neoceti.’ Perhaps they’ve published so many papers on ‘toothed mysticetes’ it might be embarrassing for them to change course now.

This is not an argument with two sides. This is a refusal of one side to be curious.

Strange how paleontologists seem to be devoid of curiosity.
Both as a group and individually paleontologists appear to be like the Addams Family in this classic cartoon (Fig 2), ready to dump a cauldron on any visitors at their door.

It’s funny because it’s true.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cetacea