Mammalian Orders Flashcards

Study Notes

Subclasses and Infraclasses of Mammals

Subclass Theria: Comprises all live-bearing mammals.
Infraclass Metatheria: Includes marsupials, where embryonic development occurs in pouches.
Infraclass Eutheria: Encompasses placental mammals, giving birth to fully developed young.

Orders of Mammals

Order Proboscidea: Characterized by elephants, known for their trunks, tusks, and loose skin.
Order Sirenia: Comprises aquatic mammals like manatees and dugongs, having finlike forelimbs and elongated tails.
Order Edentata: Includes anteaters, sloths, and armadillos, noted for their reduced or absent teeth.
Order Carnivora: Features carnivorous mammals such as felines, canines, and pinnipeds, equipped with sharp teeth for flesh consumption.
Order Artiodactyla: Contains even-toed ungulates like sheep, pigs, and deer.
Order Cetacea: Encompasses marine mammals such as whales and dolphins with adaptations like blowholes and flukes.
Order Perissodactyla: Known for odd-toed ungulates such as horses and rhinoceroses.
Order Chiroptera: Includes bats, notable for their ability to fly and wings formed from skinfolds.
Order Insectivora: Consists of insect-eating mammals like shrews and hedgehogs, though paraphyletic and split into smaller orders.
Order Rodentia: Contains rodents like mice and squirrels, characterized by continuously growing incisors.
Order Lagomorpha: Features rabbits and hares, equipped with strong hind legs for mobility and similar incisors as rodents.
Order Primates: Comprises humans and apes, noted for opposable thumbs, forward-facing eyes, and advanced brain development.

Unique Subclasses and Orders

Subclass Prototheria: Represents egg-laying mammals, specifically monotremes like platypuses and echidnas.
Order Monotremata: Another designation for Prototheria, focusing on the same group of egg-laying mammals.
Order Marsupialia: Another term for the Metatheria infraclass, encapsulating all marsupial species.

Description

Explore the fascinating world of mammalian orders with these flashcards. Learn about subclasses and infraclasses such as Theria, Metatheria, and Eutheria, along with specific orders like Proboscidea. Perfect for studying the characteristics of live-bearing mammals and their distinctions.