Denebola brachycephala
| Denebola brachycephala Temporal range: | |
|---|---|
| D. brachycephala and Praekogia | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Artiodactyla |
| Suborder: | Whippomorpha |
| Infraorder: | Cetacea |
| Family: | Monodontidae |
| Genus: | †Denebola Barnes, 1984 |
| Species: | †D. brachycephala |
| Binomial name | |
| †Denebola brachycephala Barnes, 1984 | |
Denebola is an extinct genus of whale belonging to the family Monodontidae. It contains a single known species, Denebola brachycephala. It is the earliest known ancestor of the beluga, Delphinapterus leucas, and dates from the Upper Miocene period. A fossil was found in the Baja California peninsula, indicating that the family once existed in warmer waters.