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12.26: Mammal Classification

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How would you classify this mammal?

Obviously it is a camel, but is there more to it than that? There are 17 orders of placental mammals. But then these mammals need to be further classified into families, genera, and finally species.

Classification of Placental Mammals

Traditional classifications of mammals are based on similarities in structure and function. Increasingly, mammals are being classified on the basis of molecular similarities. DNA analyses has recently shown that the traditional orders include mammals that may not be closely related.

Traditional Classification

The most widely accepted traditional classification of mammals divides living placental mammals into 17 orders. These orders are shown in Table below. This classification of mammals was widely accepted for more than 50 years. Placental mammals are still commonly placed in these orders. However, this classification is not very useful for studies of mammalian evolution. That’s because it groups together some mammals that do not seem to be closely related by descent from a recent common ancestor.

Order Example Sample Trait
Insectivora

mole

f-d_69503d2e01ef10a81dbba3d7088a16ac42f3e654c6641966240d0986+IMAGE_TINY+IMAGE_TINY.jpg
small sharp teeth
Edentata

anteater

f-d_5c211c5d61d86ee53468051a5b9b8ce3ea641a23c0b29698e0787f50+IMAGE_TINY+IMAGE_TINY.jpg
few or no teeth
Pholidota

pangolin

f-d_51bfa3cf252dafe10de12817d12fc8f5eb18680926745a681c9392e2+IMAGE_TINY+IMAGE_TINY.jpg
large plate-like scales
Chiroptera

bat

f-d_985d3e919eb42f8b16cb302517fee810eadea4f8a8f173adf3e73594+IMAGE_TINY+IMAGE_TINY.jpg
digits support membranous wings
Carnivora

coyote

f-d_21313aa8a8329b3978eebfdc0916b7254f30d04b9ab6ca542fbb921d+IMAGE_TINY+IMAGE_TINY.jpg
long pointed canine teeth
Rodentia

mouse

f-d_63c9f5e1a8f3aff077e51b6add69ef3f06609e2ae790b8b5507e46c3+IMAGE_TINY+IMAGE_TINY.jpg
incisor teeth grow continuously
Lagomorpha

rabbit

f-d_247c7a2332fe8b3013da3f2f7af23bd2ba308cc63ded0319b87fb972+IMAGE_TINY+IMAGE_TINY.jpg
chisel-like incisor teeth
Perissodactyla

horse

f-d_4c5de92bdbe9dcfd13b623995b0c8003fca24b44d43bb45c20e76849+IMAGE_TINY+IMAGE_TINY.jpg
odd-toed hooves
Artiodactyla

deer

f-d_7f1efd12f6b166b44c86c658eebc49ec01a2a8bc18c7b87a7287ad7e+IMAGE_TINY+IMAGE_TINY.jpg
even-toed hooves
Cetacea

whale

f-d_3dc47d40189ff027a216465aa65046b732aeb8525212a06b7ff87cf9+IMAGE_TINY+IMAGE_TINY.jpg
paddle-like forelimbs
Primates

monkey

f-d_9bf8b67c9a8267ca6131e49542dc11a6ab4126c7eb97c3e9d2222b32+IMAGE_TINY+IMAGE_TINY.jpg
five digits on hands and feet
Proboscidea

elephant

f-d_ed3b170e7f2199cfd4d070f9d140488dad89d2e5cbb0d470d896cfa2+IMAGE_TINY+IMAGE_TINY.jpg
tusks
Hyracoidea

hyrax

f-d_ad253ef81878f054330d496966323d857b95b84720174701b5beabcc+IMAGE_TINY+IMAGE_TINY.jpg
rubbery pads on feet
Dermoptera

colugo

f-d_b544f13944fdb6a3d24711e7adcf2a66084bf6c4494e8b706d278b40+IMAGE_TINY+IMAGE_TINY.jpg
membrane of skin between legs for gliding
Pinnipedia

seal

f-d_2053ab18cee260f481bb98af992329bdba160c2519a79c673e682c3a+IMAGE_TINY+IMAGE_TINY.jpg
feet with fins
Sirenia

manatee

f-d_8a415b14d1daae4c97be6240d20b3cfd638ee5319db5167a5eac14a3+IMAGE_TINY+IMAGE_TINY.jpg
paddle-like tail
Tubulidentata

aardvark

f-d_4296b35513bf6697fd0c93958554de22c9ecee03df2a2232e21d7206+IMAGE_TINY+IMAGE_TINY.jpg
teeth without enamel

Phylogenetic Classification

The mammalian supertree classifies placental mammals phylogenetically. It uses the analysis of DNA sequences to group together mammals that are evolutionarily closely related, sharing a recent common ancestor. These groups are not necessarily the same as the traditional groups based on structure and function.

The supertree classification places placental mammals in four superorders. The four superorders and some of the mammals in them are:

  • Afrotheria—aardvarks, elephants, manatees.
  • Xenarthra—anteaters, sloths, armadillos.
  • Laurasiatheria—bats, whales, hoofed mammals, carnivores.
  • Supraprimates—primates, rabbits, rodents.

All four superorders appear to have become distinct from one another between 85 and 105 million years ago. The exact relationships among the superorders are still not clear. Revisions in this classification of mammals may occur as new data become available.

Summary

  • Mammals used to be classified on the basis of similarities in structure and function into 17 different orders.
  • Recently, DNA analyses have shown that the traditional orders include mammals that are not closely related.
  • Phylogenetic classification, based on DNA data, groups placental mammals in four superorders. The superorders appear to have become distinct from each other 85–105 million years ago.

Review

  1. Compare traditional and phylogenetic classifications of placental mammals. Explain which type of classification is more useful for understanding how mammals evolved.
  2. Assume that a new species of placental mammal has been discovered. Scientists have examined it closely and studied its DNA. It has wings similar to a bat that it uses for gliding. Its DNA is most similar to the DNA of rodents such as mice. How would you classify the new mammal? Explain your answer.
Image Reference Attributions
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f-d_4c5de92bdbe9dcfd13b623995b0c8003fca24b44d43bb45c20e76849+IMAGE_TINY+IMAGE_TINY.jpg [Figure 9] License: CC BY-NC
f-d_7f1efd12f6b166b44c86c658eebc49ec01a2a8bc18c7b87a7287ad7e+IMAGE_TINY+IMAGE_TINY.jpg [Figure 10] License: CC BY-NC
f-d_3dc47d40189ff027a216465aa65046b732aeb8525212a06b7ff87cf9+IMAGE_TINY+IMAGE_TINY.jpg [Figure 11] License: CC BY-NC
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f-d_ed3b170e7f2199cfd4d070f9d140488dad89d2e5cbb0d470d896cfa2+IMAGE_TINY+IMAGE_TINY.jpg [Figure 13] License: CC BY-NC
f-d_ad253ef81878f054330d496966323d857b95b84720174701b5beabcc+IMAGE_TINY+IMAGE_TINY.jpg [Figure 14] License: CC BY-NC
f-d_b544f13944fdb6a3d24711e7adcf2a66084bf6c4494e8b706d278b40+IMAGE_TINY+IMAGE_TINY.jpg [Figure 15] License: CC BY-NC
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f-d_8a415b14d1daae4c97be6240d20b3cfd638ee5319db5167a5eac14a3+IMAGE_TINY+IMAGE_TINY.jpg [Figure 17] License: CC BY-NC
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12.26: Mammal Classification is shared under a not declared license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by LibreTexts.

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