Mammals and Their Classification
Mammals and Their Classification
classification
Diagnostic Features
Mammals
MEGACHIROPTERA MICROCHIROPTERA
Sea monsters
All whales are included
The mammalian characteristics of whales are
Presence of hairs in form of bristles
Presence of mammary glands
Warm blooded
Give live birth
General characters
Exclusively aquatic
All are marine except dolphin
Stream line body
Forelimbs are modified into flipper
2 minute eyes
Nostrils (blowholes) are located at top of skull
2 suborders
Odontoceti-tooth whales(Dolphins)
Mysteceti-toothless or baleen whales(Blue
whales)
Order Insectivora
Insect eating animals
Third largest order
Include shrews, moles, hedgehog, and rats
Body is covered with smooth hair fur
Hairs are modifid into spines in hedgehog
Hairs modified into vibrissae on mouth
Nocturnal
Pentadactyle except golden mole
Long flat skull
Minute eyes
Live in Underground burrows
Order Logomorpha
Look like hares
Herbivorous animals
Include rabbit, hares and pikkas
2 families are
Ochotonidae- pikas
Leporidae-rabbits and hares
Closely resembles rodents but certain differences are
2 pairs of upper incisors
Totally herbivorous
Scrotum is located in front of penis
Diastema is present
Order Serenia
The Sirenia, commonly referred to as seacows or sirenians,
are an order of fully aquatic, herbivorous mammals
Inhabit swamps, rivers, estuaries, marine wetlands, and
coastal marine waters
The Sirenia currently comprise the families
Dugongidae (the dugong and historically, Steller's sea cow)
and Trichechidae (manatees) with a total of four species
Sirenians have a large, fusiform body to reduce drag through
the water. They have heavy bones that act as ballasts to
counteract the buoyancy of their blubber
Order Rodentia
All organisms contineously used their incisors for
chewing purposes
One pair of upper and lower incisors
Largest mammalian order
Small body size
Hide and protect themselves in limiting space
Breeding cycle is short
Diverse variety of food
Includes rats, mouse, beaver, porcupine etc
Smallest rodent=African pygmy mouse
Largest rodent=Capybara
Order Edentata
Warm blooded
Limber, shoulder and hip joint is present
All living primates have prehensile hands and
feet, and most have five digits on these
appendages, including opposable thumbs
Large size brain
All primates exhibit the tendency to be erect
Include apes, chimpanzii and human beings