Order Artiodactyla Even-toed ungulates ... and whales!
Species - Latest posts / Genres - Latest posts / Animals - Latest posts / Mammals The even-toed ungulates are the most successful group of large herbivores on earth today, having outpaced the formerly widespread perissodactyls in the Oligocene. Artiodactyls are indigenous to every zoogeographic region (including several species on Sulawesi and other islands in the Australasian region); they are not native to the continents of Antarctica and Australia, but many species have been introduced into areas outside of their natural range, including Australia, New Guinea, and the islands of Oceania. The approximately 240 ungulate members of this order show incredible diversity in size, form, dietary preferences, and climatic tolerance. This order contains the majority of domesticated mammal species, including cattle, reindeer, camels, pigs, goats, and sheep. Recent molecular evidence has radically reorder the classification ...