In order to better understand how La Plata river-dolphins are related to other whales and other animals, it is easiest to look at their taxonomic classifications.
Taxonomy is the way that scientists name animals.
The chart below shows the classification of La Plata river-dolphins. It should be noted that there is debate in the scientific community about how many river-dolphin taxonomic families should exist. The debate about whether all genera of river-dolphins represent four evolutionary departures from primitive dolphins and whether each deserves separate familial taxonomic status continues today. In the past, many authors grouped river-dolphins into one taxonomic family while others grouped them into three families. This issue is still unresolved.