In dolphins, centrum shape is one of the features that allows determination of stable and flexible regions in the vertebral column. The Commerson's ( Cephalorhynchus commersonii ; n = 37), Peale's ( Lagenorhynchus australis ; n = 24), dusky ( Lagenorhynchus obscurus ; n = 29), and hourglass dolphins ( Lagenorhynchus cruciger ; n = 10) are closely related species inhabiting the Southern Hemisphere that have diverse prey and hab...

Prior studies of phylogenetic relationships among phocoenids based on morphology and molecular sequence data conflict and yield unresolved relationships among species. This study evaluates a comprehensive set of cranial, postcranial, and soft anatomical characters to infer interrelationships among extant species and several well‐known fossil phocoenids, using two different methods to analyze polymorphic data: polymorphic codin...