Indian dolphin

Indian dolphin Temporal range: Template:Geological range
File:Platanista gangetica noaa.jpg
Ganges river dolphin leaping out of the water
Size compared to an average human
Conservation status
Endangered (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
:	[[Template:Taxonomy/Platanista]] Wagler, 1830
Species:	Template:Taxonomy/PlatanistaP. gangetica
Binomial name
Template:Taxonomy/PlatanistaPlatanista gangetica (Lebeck, 1801); (Roxburgh, 1801)
Subspecies
Platanista gangetica gangetica Platanista gangetica minor
Ranges of the Ganges river dolphin and of the Indus river dolphin

Indian dolphins, belonging to the genus Platanista, are toothed whales found in the waterways of the Indian subcontinent. Historically, they were regarded as a single species (P. gangetica), with the Ganges river dolphin and the Indus river dolphin considered subspecies (P. g. gangetica and P. g. minor respectively). However, due to genetic and morphological studies, they were reclassified as distinct species in 2021. It is estimated that the Ganges and Indus river dolphins diverged around 5,50,000 years ago. These dolphins are the sole surviving members of the family Platanistidae and the superfamily Platanistoidea. Fossils of their ancient ancestors have been traced back to the late Oligocene period.