Table 1.

Divergence dates of major mysticete clades. Mean (Z) refers to the analysis calibrated using Zygorhiza sp., mean (B) that using B. wardii (Material and methods). Nodes in bold contain extant members in both descendant lineages and are hence directly comparable to purely molecular divergence date estimates. All dates are reported in Ma. HPD, highest posterior density; A, Balaenoptera acutorostrata + B. bonaerensis; B, Balaenoptera (except B. acutorostrata and B. bonaerensis) + Megaptera + Eschrichtius; C, B. musculus + B. borealis + B. omurai; D, B. borealis + B. omurai; E, B. physalus + Megaptera + Eschrichtius; F, B. physalus + Megaptera.

	this study				McGowen et al. [21]
node	mean (Z)	95% HPD	mean (B)	95% HPD	mean	95% HPD
Neoceti	38.80	42.26–35.02	39.38	43.31–36.00	36.36	40.14–34.24
Mysticeti	38.42	41.72–34.90	39.00	42.68–35.86	—	—
Aetiocetidae	35.35	38.27–33.02	35.69	38.62–33.19	—	—
Chaeomysticeti	35.51	38.97–32.41	35.90	39.30–32.63	—	—
crown Mysticeti	30.35	34.13–26.50	30.59	33.98–26.98	28.79	30.07–28.03
Balaenidae	23.08	27.12–19.53	23.16	27.21–19.64	—	—
crown Balaenidae	9.82	13.08–7.21	9.85	13.27–7.31	5.38	9.60–2.06
Plicogulae	28.96	32.63–25.76	29.22	32.92–26.13	22.59	28.64–15.35
Cetotheriidae	25.24	29.34–21.42	25.51	29.71–21.75	—	—
Balaenopteroidea	28.18	31.57–25.40	28.48	31.97–25.59	—	—
Balaenopteridae	22.23	26.58–18.15	22.44	26.54–18.13	—	—
crown Balaenopteridae	19.45	23.78–15.66	19.63	23.65–15.65	13.80	19.32–8.99
A	6.82	10.96–3.53	4.86	9.63–1.80	4.92	8.83–1.72
B	17.42	21.73–14.06	17.55	20.94–14.14	10.21	13.89–6.82
C	11.22	15.67–7.35	11.74	16.99–7.22	8.74	11.99–5.50
D	9.13	14.61–5.88	9.75	13.65–3.66	6.99	10.06–4.29
E	15.99	19.96–12.98	16.08	19.21–13.04	9.04	12.69–5.30
F	10.55	14.77–6.68	10.70	15.00–6.86	7.06	10.90–3.49