Even-toed ungulates
The even-toed ungulates have two weight-bearing toes on each foot, and may have lost the other toes entirely (as in antelope), or have another two much smaller toes (as in pigs). Hippopotamuses, camels and giraffes are all Artiodactyls.
Family
Camels, llamas and allies (Camelidae)This family of mammals consists of the camels, llamas and related animals like the vicuna. Some species are found today only as domesticated animals.
Cattle, antelopes and allies (Bovidae)The Bovidae is the mammal family that contains all the cattle, goats, sheep, antelopes and gazelles. All male bovines have horns, though some hornless breeds of domestic cattle have been bred by man.
Deer (Cervidae)The deer family (Cervidae) has 44 living species, including the moose, muntjac and caribou. The males of all species of deer except the Chinese water deer have antlers.
Giraffes and okapis (Giraffidae)Giraffes and okapis are the only living members of the giraffidae family. Both have long, almost prehensile tongues which they use to grab vegetation, and small horns on their heads.
Hippopotamidae
Hippopotamus (species)
About
The even-toed ungulates form the mammal order Artiodactyla (artios even + daktulos toe), the group that contains the pigs, peccaries, hippopotamuses, camels, chevrotains (mouse deer), deer, giraffes, pronghorn, antelopes, sheep, goats, and cattle. They are ungulates whose weight is borne about equally by the third and fourth toes, rather than mostly or entirely by the third as in odd-toed ungulates (perissodactyls). Another key distinguishing feature is the shape of the astragalus, a bone in the ankle joint, which has a double-pulley structure. This gives the foot greater flexibility. DNA sequence data indicate that this group is paraphyletic because whales are excluded. The more phylogenetically accurate group is Cetartiodactyla.
There are about 220 artiodactyl species, including many that are of great nutritional, economic and cultural importance to humans.
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Scientific Classification
Order: Even-toed ungulate (Artiodactyla)
Other Mammalia
- Anteaters and sloths (Pilosa)
- Bats (Chiroptera)
- Carnivora
- Dasyuromorphia (family: Dasyurid marsupials)
- Dugongs and manatees (Sirenia)
- Hares, rabbits and pikas (Lagomorpha)
- Kangaroos, possums and allies (Diprotodontia)
- Monotremata (species: Platypus)
- Perissodactyla (family: Rhinoceroses)
- Primates
- Rodents (Rodentia)
- Whales, dolphins and porpoises (Cetacea)
Elsewhere on the web
- Artiodactyla (animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu)
- Even-toed ungulate (wikipedia.org)
Site links
BBC links
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