Taxonomy of a Manatee Flashcards

Taxonomy of a Manatee

• Kingdom Animalia

  • Comprises multicellular, eukaryotic organisms that are motile at some stage of their life.
  • All animals are heterotrophs, requiring the ingestion of other organisms or their products for energy.

• Phylum Chordata

  • Characterized by the presence of a notochord, hollow dorsal nerve cord, pharyngeal slits, endostyle, and post-anal tail during some part of their lifecycle.
  • Includes subphyla Vertebrata (mammals, fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds) and non-vertebrates such as Tunicata (salps, sea squirts) and Cephalochordata (lancelets).

• Class Mammalia

  • Defined by features such as hair, mammary glands, three middle ear bones, and a neocortex region in the brain.
  • Mammals maintain a regulated body temperature and a circulatory system with a four-chambered heart.

• Infraclass Eutheria

  • Distinguished by specific traits in feet, jaws, and teeth compared to non-eutherians (marsupials and monotremes).
  • Eutherians lack epipubic bones, facilitating abdominal expansion during pregnancy.

• Order Sirenia

  • Encompasses fully aquatic, herbivorous mammals known as sea cows, found in various water environments.
  • Contains four living species in two families: the dugong and three species of manatees, with the order evolving over 50 million years ago.

• Family Trichechidae

  • Consists of large, herbivorous marine mammals known as manatees.
  • Three recognized living species: Amazonian manatee (Trichechus inunguis), West Indian manatee (Trichechus manatus), and West African manatee (Trichechus senegalensis).
  • Manatees can grow up to 4.0 meters (13.1 ft) and weigh as much as 590 kilograms (1,300 lb).

• Genus Trichechus

  • Represents the genus to which all manatee species belong.

• Species

  • Trichechus inunguis - Amazonian manatee.
  • Trichechus manatus - West Indian manatee.
  • Trichechus senegalensis - West African manatee.