![]() ![]() ![]() Some researchers use " even-toed ungulates" to exclude cetaceans and only include terrestrial artiodactyls, making the term paraphyletic in nature. Some modern taxonomists thus apply the name Cetartiodactyla / s ɪ ˌ t ɑːr t i oʊ ˈ d æ k t ɪ l ə/ to this group, while others opt to include cetaceans within the existing name of Artiodactyla. The advent of molecular biology, along with new fossil discoveries, found that cetaceans ( whales, dolphins, and porpoises) fall within this taxonomic branch, being most closely related to hippopotamuses. Another difference between the two is that many artiodactyls (except for Suina) digest plant cellulose in one or more stomach chambers rather than in their intestine as perissodactyls do. By contrast, most perissodactyls bear weight on an odd number of the five toes. The other three toes are either present, absent, vestigial, or pointing posteriorly. Typically, they are ungulates which bear weight equally on two (an even number) of their five toes: the third and fourth, often in the form of a hoof. Clockwise from center: American bison ( Bison bison), dromedary ( Camelus dromedarius), wild boar ( Sus scrofa), orca ( Orcinus orca), red deer ( Cervus elaphus), and giraffe (Genus: Giraffa)Īrtiodactyls are mammals belonging to the order Artiodactyla ( / ˌ ɑːr t i oʊ ˈ d æ k t ɪ l ə/, from Ancient Greek ἄρτιος, ártios 'even', and δάκτυλος, dáktylos 'finger, toe'). ![]()
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