Order ARTIODACTYLA

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Learn more about artiodactyls from the

• University of Michigan Animal Diversity Web or
• University of California Museum of Paleontology
• Texas Artiodactyls
• The Hoofed Mammals by Christine Janis and Peter Jarman
• The Ultimate Ungulate

Traits

1. paraxonic limb structure--even-toed ungulates [Fig. 19.1D-G]
2. double-pulley astragalus [Fig. 19.1H]
3. 10 living families, 220 species of terrestrial artiodactyls [Fig. 19.11]
4. Molecular and fossil evidence shows that whales (Cetacea) are artiodactyls [Fig. 19.9].
5. perissodactyls and artiodactyls from Dr. Monte L.Thies, Sam Houston State University, with a good discussion of cursorial and feeding adaptations and African Grazing Succession.

Suborder Suina

Traits

1. unfused metapodials [Fig. 19.1D]
2. bunodont cheek teeth
3. tusk-like canines [Fig. 19.12]
4. simple, non-ruminating, 2-3 chambered stomach
   1. Suidae have a pouch near the cardiac orifice (the upper opening) of the stomach. In the Tayassuidae, the stomach is more complicated.  In the Hippopotamidae, the stomach is divided into four compartments, and have bacterial fermentation.  Hippopotamuses have lost the cecum. (Encyclopedia Brittanica)

Family Hippopotamidae--hippopotamus

1. Ethiopian
2. mouth very large
3. incisors large, tusk like (especially inner lower incisors)
4. canines large, tusk-like (lower canines much larger than upper)
5. amphibious: nostrils and eyes at top of skull [Fig. 19.13]
6. feed on terrestrial vegetation at night, aquatic in the day

	Hippopotamus: up to 4500 kg
	Hexaprotodon  200-250 kg. click on image to enlarge; ©2000 ZooNet/ Birmingham Zoo

SELENODONTIA

1. enlarged stomach divided into 3 or more chambers (fig 6.2)
2. ruminate
   • digestive anatomy in ruminants
   • Rumen Physiology and Rumination
3. cannon bone ( = fused metapodials) is present
4. selenodont cheek teeth
5. incisors reduced or missing

Suborder Tylopoda

Family Camelidae--camels [Camelus], llamas and guanacos [Lama], vicuñas [Vicugna]

1. Neotropical, Palearctic 
2. digitigrade
3. cannon bone present but not fused distally ['Y'-shaped]
4. broad cutaneous pad between the digits; provides support on soft substrates
5. no horns or antlers
6. three chambered stomach
7. camel physiology from Animal Physiology at Davidson College
   1. adaptations for heat and dehydration by Dale Graham

Suborder Ruminantia

1. fused cuboid and navicular bones
2. no upper incisors
3. incisiform lower canine

Taxa

Family Tragulidae--chevrotains (Hyemoschus) and mouse deer (Tragulus) [Fig. 19.14]

Tragulus napu: click on image to enlarge.  from Gerrit S. Miller  1909.  The mouse deer of the Rhio-Linga Archipelago.  Proceedings of the US National Museum.  37: 1-9.

1. Ethiopian, Oriental
2. no cranial appendages
3. large upper canines in males
4. 3-chambered, ruminating stomach
5. small, 2.5 - < 8 kg
6. solitary, nocturnal; ecological equivalent of Lepus
7. more information and pictures of  Tragulus from ultimateungulate

Infraorder Pecora

Characters

1. horns or antlers usually present in at least males
2. four chambered stomach

Family Moschidae

1. Oriental
2. four species of Moschus
3. no antlers
4. elongate upper canines, much larger in males [Fig. 19.18]
5. abdominal musk gland

Family Cervidae--deer, elk, moose [fig 19.19]

Holarctic, Neotropical, Oriental

1. 16 genera, 42 species
2. antlers [Fig. 19.7C] complex (forked); usually in males only
   1. present in female Rangifer
   2. absent in Hydropotes (Chinese water deer)-elongate upper canines present
   3. The extinct Irish Elk, Megaceros, from the late Pleistocene of Europe was the largest deer ever.  It was over 3 meters (10 ft) tall and had antlers 3.3 m (11 ft ) across. 
3. lacrimal depression present
4. usually 2 lacrimal foramina at edge or front of orbit
5. Texas cervids
   1. Axis Deer, Cervus axis, an exotic from India.  Considered  to belong in a separate genus as Axis axis by 
      • Groves, C. P., and P. Grubb. 1987.  Relationships of living deer. Pp. 21-59, in Biology and management of the Cervidae (C. M. Wemmer, ed.), Smithsonian Inst. Press, Washington, D.C.
      • Grubb, P. 1993. Order Artiodactyla. Pp. 377-414, in Mammal species of the world: a taxonomic and geographic reference (D. E. Wilson and D. M. Reeder, eds.), Smithsonian Inst. Press, Washington, D.C.
   2. Fallow Deer, Cervus dama, an exotic from the Mediterranean region of Europe and Asia Minor, also put in a separate genus Dama dama by Groves and Grubb (1987) and Grubb (1993).
   3. Wapiti or Elk, Cervus elaphus
   4. Sika Deer, Cervus nippon, an exotic from eastern Asia
   5. Mule Deer, Odocoileus hemionus
   6. White-tailed Deer, Odocoileus virginianus 
      

Family Giraffidae--giraffe, okapi [Fig. 19.15-19.17] Ethiopian browsers--brachyodont teeth horns composed of outgrowths of frontals that start as a distinct bone (ossicone) [Fig, 19.7B] present in both sexes, unbranched, covered with skin, non-deciduous long neck (especially in giraffes; height to 5.5 m) back inclines upward Okapia solitary, equatorial forest Giraffa [fig 17-15] herds, savannah grassland long, prehensile tongue for browsing

photograph by Rachel Ratcliff, Kruger National Park, South Africa.

Family Antilocapridae--pronghorn [fig 19.20] Nearctic (endemic) Antilocapra americana horn consists of permanent bony core projecting from frontal bone and an epidermal horny sheath [fig. 19.7D]. Sheath is shed annually females often hornless and frequently lack prongs cursorial [Figs. 16-1, 16-2] grazers, hypsodont teeth; also feed on forbs and low shrubs, especially sagebrush no lacrimal depression; two lacrimal foramina

Male and two female Antilocapra americana the totem of the American Society of Mammalogists, photograph © 2001by Dr. Allan H. Chaney,  used with permission

Family Bovidae--cattle, sheep, goats, antelope, and allies [Fig. 19.21] Holarctic, Ethiopian, Oriental largest family of ungulates: 45 genera and 137 species [Table 19.1] horns [fig 19.7F]  unbranched, sheath and bony core non-deciduous (sheath is rarely shed); always present in males, variable in females, body mass from 2.5-1000 kg hypsodont cheek teeth, mainly grazers, but with different feeding strategies [fig 19.22] lacrimal depression present or absent; one lacrimal foramen Community interactions and diversity Texas bovids Nilgai, Boselaphus tragocamelus, an exotic from India Bison, Bos bison Mountain Sheep, Ovis canadensis Barbary Sheep, Ammotragus lervia, an exotic from North Africa Blackbuck, Antilope cervicapra, an exotic from India

Antilope -- blackbuck.  photograph © 2001by Dr. Allan H. Chaney,  used with permission

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