Which mammals are divided into two broad groups, toothed and baleen?

• A. Whales
• B. Dolphins
• C. Seals
• D. Manatees

Answer: (A)

Mammals called whales are categorized into two broad feeding types: toothed and baleen. Toothed whales have teeth and hunt individual prey like fish or squid. Baleen whales lack teeth and instead have baleen plates that filter tiny organisms, such as krill, from seawater. This division describes the whale lineage as a whole, including creatures like the sperm whale on the toothed side and the blue whale on the baleen side. Dolphins are also toothed whales, so they fit within the toothed half of this split rather than defining the division itself. Seals and manatees are not whales, so they don’t fit into this tooth-versus-baleen distinction.