The following classification is based on the taxonomy described by
Mammal Species of the World (2005), with augmentation by generally accepted proposals made since using
molecular phylogenetic analysis, as supported by both the IUCN and the
American Society of Mammalogists.
Infraclass Marsupialia Marsupialia is one of the three main divisions of mammals, and contains 334 extant species. It is distinguished from the other two groups in that marsupials give birth to relatively undeveloped young that often reside in a pouch located on their mothers' abdomen for a certain amount of time. It is divided into two groupings: the superorder
Australidelphia and
Ameridelphia, which was previously considered a superorder but is now regarded as a
paraphyletic group. Ameridelphia contains 99 extant species in 2 orders, each containing a single family:
Didelphimorphia, or the opossums, and
Paucituberculata, or the shrew opossums. Australidelphia contains 235 extant species in 18 families, grouped into 5 orders:
Dasyuromorphia, or the Australian carnivorous marsupials;
Diprotodontia, or the kangaroos and possums;
Microbiotheria, or the monito del montes; and
Notoryctemorphia, or the marsupial moles; and
Peramelemorphia, or the bandicoots and bilbies. One additional species in Ameridelphia and twelve in Australidelphia were driven extinct in modern times.
Ameridelphia Didelphimorphia Members of the
Didelphimorphia order are called didelphimorphs or opossums. They are found in North and South America, Australia, and southeastern Asia and are omnivorous, eating insects, small vertebrates, and vegetation. Didelphimorphia comprises a single family of 92 extant species in 18 genera. One additional species was driven extinct in modern times. }}
Paucituberculata Members of the
Paucituberculata order are called paucituberculatans or shrew opossums. They are found in western South America and are omnivorous, eating
larva, small vertebrates, and vegetation. Paucituberculata comprises a single family of seven extant species in three genera. }}
Superorder Australidelphia Dasyuromorphia Members of the
Dasyuromorphia order are called dasyuromorphs or Australian
carnivorous marsupials and include the marsupial shrews and the
numbat. They are found in Australia and
New Guinea and are carnivorous, eating a wide variety of vertebrates and invertebrates. Dasyuromorphia comprises 2 families containing 72 extant species in 14 genera. One additional family containing a single species was driven extinct in modern times. }} }} }}
Diprotodontia Members of the
Diprotodontia order are called diprotodonts and include
kangaroos,
wallabies,
potoroos,
possums, the
koala, and
wombats. They are found in Australia and southeastern Asia and are omnivorous, but primarily eat a wide variety of vegetation and invertebrates. Diprotodontia comprises 11 families containing 140 extant species in 39 genera. These families are divided between three suborders:
Macropodiformes, containing the kangaroos, wallabies, and potoroos; Phalangeriformes, or the possums; and Vombatiformes, or the koala and wombats. Eight additional kangaroo and potoroo species were driven extinct in modern times. }} }} }} }} }} }} }} }} }} }} }}
Microbiotheria Members of the
Microbiotheria order are called microbiotherians or monito del montes. They are found in southwestern South America and eat vegetation and invertebrates. Microbiotheria comprises a single family containing two extant species in a single genus. }}
Notoryctemorphia Members of the
Notoryctemorphia order are called notoryctemorphs or marsupial moles. They are found in central Australia and eat insects and seeds. Notoryctemorphia comprises a single family containing two extant species in a single genus. }}
Peramelemorphia Members of the
Peramelemorphia order are called peramelemorphs and include
bandicoots and
bilbies. They are found in Australia and New Guinea and are omnivorous. Peramelemorphia comprises two families containing 19 extant species in 7 genera. Three additional species, including the sole member of a third family, were driven extinct in modern times. }} }} }}
Infraclass Placentalia Placentalia is one of the three main divisions of mammals, and contains the vast majority of extant species with 5,570 species. It is distinguished from the other two groups in that the placental animals have
fetuses that are carried in the
uterus. It is divided into four superorders:
Afrotheria,
Euarchontoglires,
Laurasiatheria, and
Xenarthra. Afrotheria contains 87 extant species in 9 families, grouped into 6 orders:
Afrosoricida, the golden moles and tenrecs;
Hyracoidea, or hyraxes;
Macroscelidea, or elephant shrews;
Proboscidea, or elephants;
Sirenia, or dugongs and manatees; and
Tubulidentata, or aardvarks. Euarchontoglires contains 2,982 extant species in 56 families, grouped into 5 orders:
Scandentia, or the treeshrews;
Dermoptera, or the colugos;
Lagomorpha, containing hares and pikas;
Primates, containing monkeys and apes; and
Rodentia, or rodents.
Laurasiatheria contains 2,470 species in 69 families, grouped into 6 orders:
Artiodactyla, containing deer, cattle, pigs, and whales;
Carnivora, containing wolves, otters, seals, cats, and mongooses;
Chiroptera, or bats;
Eulipotyphla, containing hedgehogs, shrews, and moles;
Perissodactyla, containing horses, tapirs, and rhinoceroses; and
Pholidota, or pangolins. Xenarthra contains 31 species in 6 families, grouped into 2 orders:
Cingulata, or armadillos, and
Pilosa, the sloths and anteaters. One additional species in Afrotheria, 38 in Euarchontoglires, and 18 in Laurasiatheria were driven extinct in modern times.
Superorder Afrotheria Afrosoricida Members of the
Afrosoricida order are called afrosoricids and include golden moles, otter shrews, and tenrecs. They are found in
Sub-Saharan Africa and eat invertebrates, fish, amphibians, lizards, and vegetation. Afrosoricida comprises three families of 55 extant species in 20 genera. These families are divided between two suborders: Chrysochloridea, or the golden moles, and Tenrecomorpha, containing the otter shrews and tenrecs. }} }} }}
Hyracoidea Members of the
Hyracoidea order are called hyracoids or hyraxes. They are found in Africa and the Middle East and eat a variety of vegetation. Hyracoidea comprises a single family of five extant species in three genera. }}
Macroscelidea Members of the
Macroscelidea order are called macroscelids or elephant shrews. They are found in Africa and eat ants and termites, as well as other insects. Macroscelidea comprises a single family of 19 extant species in 6 genera.
Proboscidea Members of the
Proboscidea order are called proboscids or elephants. They are found in Sub-Saharan Africa and southern and southeastern Asia and eat grass, bark, roots, leaves, shrubs, and fruit. Proboscidea comprises a single family of three extant species in two genera, in the suborder
Elephantiformes. }}
Sirenia Members of the
Sirenia order are called sirenians or sea cows and include dugongs and manatees. They are found in the Indian, Pacific, and western Atlantic Oceans and in South American and western African rivers, and eat aquatic vegetation and
algaes, as well as fish and invertebrates. Sirenia comprises two families of four extant species in two genera. Additionally, a single species of dugong was driven extinct in modern times. }} }}
Tubulidentata Members of the
Tubulidentata order are called tubulidentatans or aardvarks. They are found in Africa and eat termites, as well as other insects and fruit. Tubulidentata is composed of a single species. }}
Superorder Euarchontoglires Scandentia Members of the
Scandentia order are called scandentians or treeshrews. They are found in India and southeastern Asia and eat insects and fruit, as well as small animals and plants. Scandentia comprises 2 families of 23 extant species in 4 genera. }} }}
Dermoptera Members of the
Dermoptera order are called dermopterans or colugos. They are found in southeastern Asia and eat leaves. Dermoptera comprises a single family of two extant species in two genera. }}
Lagomorpha Members of the
Lagomorpha order are called lagomorphs and include hares, rabbits, and pikas. They are found worldwide and eat a variety of plant material. Lagomorpha comprises 2 families of 93 extant species in 12 genera. }} }}
Primates Members of the
Primates order are called primates and include monkeys and apes. Excluding humans, they are found in Central and South America, Sub-Saharan Africa, and Asia, and eat a variety of plant material, invertebrates, and small vertebrates. Primates comprises 16 families of 505 extant species in 81 genera. These families are divided between two suborders:
Haplorhini, containing the apes, gibbons, New World monkeys, and tarsiers, and
Strepsirrhini, containing the lemurs, galagos, and lorises. }} }} }} }} }} }} }} }} }} }} }} }} }} }} }} }}
Rodentia Members of the
Rodentia order are called rodents. They are found worldwide, and eat a wide variety of plant material and invertebrates, with some species eating small vertebrates or carrion. Rodentia comprises 35 families of 2,360 extant species—about 40% of all mammal species—in 511 genera. These families are grouped into five suborders:
Anomaluromorpha, containing the scaly-tailed squirrels and springhares;
Castorimorpha, containing breavers, gophers, and kangaroo rats;
Hystricomorpha, containing mole-rats, cavies, tuco-tucos, agoutis, and New World spiny rats and porcupines;
Myomorpha, containing a wide variety of mice and rats; and
Sciuromorpha, containing dormice and squirrels. Additionally, 38 species have been driven to extinction in modern times. }} }} }} }} }} }} }} }} }} }} }} }} }} }} }} }} }} }} }} }} }} }} }} }} }} }} }} }} }} }} }} }} }} }} }}
Superorder Laurasiatheria Artiodactyla Members of the
Artiodactyla order are called artiodactyls or even-toed ungulates, and include deer, cattle, pigs, camels, whales, and dolphins. They are found worldwide on land and in oceans, and eat a wide variety of plant material, fish, and other marine animals. Artiodactyla comprises 24 families of 349 extant species in 133 genera. These families are grouped into four suborders:
Ruminantia, containing deer, cattle, goats, a giraffes;
Suina, containing pigs and peccaries;
Tylopoda, containing camels and llamas; and
Whippomorpha, containing whales, dolphins, and hippopotomuses. Three additional species have been driven to extinction in modern times. }} }} }} }} }} }} }} }} }} }} }} }} }} }} }} }} }} }} }} }} }} }} }} }}
Carnivora Members of the
Carnivora order are called carnivorans, and include dogs, bears, raccoons, weasels, seals, cats, hyenas, and mongooses. They are found worldwide on land an in oceans, and are omnivorous, with some species predominately eating plant material or aquatic animals. Carnivora comprises 16 families of 291 extant species in 131 genera. These families are grouped into two suborders:
Caniformia, containing dogs, foxes, bears, raccoons, skunks, weasels, and seals, and
Feliformia, containing cats, hyenas, mongooses, and civets. Six additional species have been driven to extinction in modern times. }} }} }} }} }} }} }} }} }} }} }} }} }} }} }} }}
Chiroptera Members of the
Chiroptera order are called chiropterans or bats. They are found worldwide, and predominately eat insects, with some species also eating fruit or fish. Chiroptera comprises 21 families of 1,318 extant species—about 20% of all mammal species—in 226 genera. These families are grouped into two suborders:
Yangochiroptera, containing sheath-tailed, leaf-nosed, free-tailed, and vesper bats, and
Yinpterochiroptera, containing Old World leaf-nosed, fruit, and horseshoe bats. Nine additional species have been driven to extinction in modern times. }} }} }} }} }} }} }} }} }} }} }} }} }} }} }} }} }} }} }} }} }}
Eulipotyphla Members of the
Eulipotyphla order are called eulipotyphlans and include hedgehogs, shrews, and moles. They are found worldwide, and predominately eat insects, small vertebrates, and vegetation. Eulipotyphla comprises 4 families of 485 extant species in 53 genera. One additional species has been driven to extinction in modern times. }} }} }} }}
Perissodactyla Members of the
Perissodactyla order are called perissodactyls or odd-toed ungulates, and include rhinoceroses, tapirs, and horses. They are found worldwide, and eat a variety of vegetation. Perissodactyla comprises 3 families of 18 extant species in 6 genera. These families are grouped into two suborders:
Ceratomorpha, containing rhinoceroses and tapirs, and
Hippomorpha, or horses. }} }} }}
Pholidota Members of the
Pholidota order are called pholidotans or pangolins. They are found in Sub-Saharan Africa and southern and southeastern Asia, and eat ants and termites, as well as other insects. Pholidota comprises a single family of eight extant species in three genera. }}
Superorder Xenarthra Cingulata Members of the
Cingulata order are called cingulates or armadillos. They are found in South America and North America, and eat insects, other invertebrates, small reptiles, amphibians, and carrion. Cingulata comprises 2 families of 22 extant species in 9 genera. }} }}
Pilosa Members of the
Pilosa order are called pilosans and include sloths and anteaters. They are found in Mexico, Central America, and South America, and the sloths eat leaves, twigs, and fruit, while the anteaters eat ants, termites, and other insects. Cingulata comprises thee families of nine extant species in four genera. These families are grouped into two suborders: Folivora, or sloths, and Vermilingua, or anteaters. }} }} }} }}
Monotremata Monotremata is the smallest of the three main divisions of mammals, containing only five extant species. It is distinguished from other mammals in that the monotremes are egg-laying rather than bearing live young, but, like all mammals, the female monotremes nurse their young with milk. Unlike the other two divisions, it is considered an order rather than an infraclass, and in turn contains two families of extant species grouped together in the superfamily
Ornithorhynchoidea:
Ornithorhynchidae, containing only the
platypus, and
Tachyglossidae, containing four species of
echidna in two genera. Monotremes are found in Australia and New Guinea and are carnivorous, eating insects, worms, shrimp, tadpoles, and small fish. }} }} ==References==