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Indian river dolphins were historically classified as a single species, known as ''Platanista gangetica'', with the populations in the Ganges and Indus Rivers recognised as subspecies (''P. g. gangetica'' and ''P. g. minor'', respectively). In 1801, Heinrich Julius Lebeck named the Ganges river dolphin ''Delphinus gangeticus'', while Johann Georg Wagler introduced the genus name ''Platanista'' in 1830. This Latin term is believed to be derived from the Greek "platanistēs", potentially linked to the Greek words platē (meaning "oar") or platē (meaning "flat" or "broad"). The name was originally attributed to the Ganges dolphin by Pliny the Elder in his work Naturalis Historia around 77 CE. Later, in 1853, Richard Owen examined a specimen from the Indus and identified it as the same species as the Ganges river dolphin, albeit a smaller variant. | Indian river dolphins were historically classified as a single species, known as ''Platanista gangetica'', with the populations in the Ganges and Indus Rivers recognised as subspecies (''P. g. gangetica'' and ''P. g. minor'', respectively). In 1801, Heinrich Julius Lebeck named the Ganges river dolphin ''Delphinus gangeticus'', while Johann Georg Wagler introduced the genus name ''Platanista'' in 1830. This Latin term is believed to be derived from the Greek "platanistēs", potentially linked to the Greek words platē (meaning "oar") or platē (meaning "flat" or "broad"). The name was originally attributed to the Ganges dolphin by Pliny the Elder in his work Naturalis Historia around 77 CE. Later, in 1853, Richard Owen examined a specimen from the Indus and identified it as the same species as the Ganges river dolphin, albeit a smaller variant. | ||
In the 1970s, scientists classified Indian river dolphins as separate species based on variations in skull and vertebral structures, as well as differences in blood proteins and lipids. However, these findings faced criticism due to limited sample sizes and a lack of statistical analysis. By the late 1990s, the two populations were once again regarded as subspecies of a single species. A mitochondrial DNA study conducted in 2014 indicated that there were not enough differences to justify their separation as distinct species. Nevertheless, a study in 2021 reassessed the two populations and identified significant genetic divergence along with considerable differences in skull morphology, ultimately confirming that they are indeed separate species. | |||
==References== | ==References== | ||