GET TO KNOW YOUR UNGULATES! Todays class is about FEET :o :) Ungulates are a diverse group of large mammals that includes horses, cattle, giraffes, camels, deer, hippopotamuses, whales and dolphins - Yes Dolphins too. Most of them use the tips of their toes, usually hoofed, to sustain their whole body weight while moving. The term means, roughly, being hoofed or hoofed animal. As a descriptive term, ungulate normally excludes cetaceans (whales, dolphins, porpoises), as they do not possess most of the typical morphological (body) characteristics of ungulates, but recent discoveries indicate that they are descended from early artiodactyls. Ungulates are typically herbivorous (though some species are omnivorous, such as pigs), and many employ specialized gut bacteria to allow them to digest cellulose, as in the ruminants. They inhabit a wide range of habitats, from jungles to plains to rivers. A Rhinoceros must never be referred to as just an ungulate as they are not. If one looks closely youll actually see odd looking toes hence the anatomy terminology (odd toe ungulate). An odd-toed ungulate is a mammal with hooves that feature an odd number of toes on the rear feet. Odd-toed ungulates comprise the order Perissodactyla - perissós, uneven, and, dáktylos, finger/toe). The middle toe on each hind hoof is usually larger than its neighbours. Odd-toed ungulates are relatively large grazers and, unlike the ruminant even-toed ungulates (artiodactyls), they have relatively simple stomachs because they are hindgut fermenters, digesting plant cellulose in their intestines rather than in one or more stomach chambers. Odd-toed ungulates include the horse, tapirs, and rhinoceroses. Re-cap on Even toed-Ungulates The even-toed ungulates (Artiodactyla) are ungulates (hoofed animals) 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), such as horses. Artiodactyla comes from (Greek: ἄρτιος (ártios), even, and δάκτυλος (dáktylos), finger/toe), so the name even-toed is a translation of the description. This group includes pigs, peccaries, hippopotamuses, camels, llamas, chevrotains (mouse deer), deer, giraffes, pronghorn, antelopes, sheep, goats, and cattle. The group excludes whales (Cetacea) even though DNA sequence data indicate that they share a common ancestor, making the group paraphyletic. The phylogenetically accurate group is Cetartiodactyla (from Cetacea + Artiodactyla). So what are Elephants? Elephants together with hyraxes, dugongs, and manatees are classified as paenungulates (almost ungulates). Although formerly known as sub-ungulates, they are now recognised as representing the evolutionary intermediate between hooves and claw-like nails. With new discoveries suggesting the fact that the paenungulates were even more specialised than the true ungulate group, they are now firmly established within the constantly expanding taxonomy of the ungulate infraorder. Therefore elephants ARE ungulates. So there you have it! :) Pic 1 - Rhino feet - Odd-toed ungulate Pic 2 - Giraffe feet - Ungulate Pic 3 - Proghorn feet - Even toed ungulate Pic 4 - Elephant foot - Although classified as almost ungulates (they are actually no different really to that of a Rhinoceros) however have some different representations which can be classed as almost ungulate. Almost ungulate is not really a term used in Zoology. I will go in to great detail about this subject soon via our Sister site Speak Up For The Voiceless.Org Dr Josa Depre Environmentalist and Botanist.
Posted on: Sat, 23 Aug 2014 00:34:18 +0000
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