A. Overview

1. Consist of two orders

1. Perissodactyla
2. Artiodactyla

1. Large hoofed, terrestrial herbivores
2. Limb structure is unifying feature of ungulates

1. Ungulate refers to animals that walk on tips of toes
2. Generally reduced number of toes
3. Often lengthened foot bones

1. Come from Condylartha

1. dominant herbivorous mammals of early Paleocene (65 mybp)
2. also gave rise to Subungulates and Cetaceans

1. Overview

1. three families

1. Equidae - horses, zebras
2. Tapiridae - Tapirs
3. Rhinocerotidae - Rhinoceroses

1. odd-toed ungulates FIGURE

1. Main weight bearing axis in limbs goes through 3^rd digit

- Known as Mesaxonic

2. Deeply grooved astragulus

• ankle bone
• allows forward and backward movement only

1. Hindgut fermenters

1. simple stomach with large Cecum
2. less efficient - eat lots o food

1. Hypsodont cheekteeth - usually towards lophodont
2. Fossil history

1. Arrose Early Eocene (50mybp) - Developed 14 families
2. By early Miocene - only four families left
3. Included giant ground sloths - Chalicotheriidae FIGURE

1. Equidae - Horses, Zebras, Asses

1. 1 genus (Equus) - up to eight recognized species
2. naturally occurred in eastern Africa, Midlle East to Mongolia

a. distributed world wide by humans

3. Morphology

1. long slender limbs
2. only third digit remains functional FIGURE

1. Some with disruptive coloration (zebras)
2. Dentition

1. Three incisors upper/lower
2. large hypsodont cheekteeth

1. Reproduction

1. single offspring after 1 year gestation
2. mating generally occurs 7-10 days after birth
3. Neonates very precocial
4. Diffuse villi in placenta

1. Social system

1. Family group of 10-15 individuals

- Territorial male and several females (and offspring)

2. Young female sleave group about two years old
3. Young males leave group about 5 years old
4. Can get large agrregations (100,000) in response to ecological conditions

1. Fossil History - well known FIGURE

1. Hyracotherium - early Eocene (60 mybp)
2. Increasing body size
3. Increasing complexity of cheekteeth
4. Reduction in the number of digits
5. All in the Genus Equus today FIGURE
6. Most evolution of equids occurred in N. America

• migrated to Old world during Miocene
• did not survive Pleistocene in New World
• Reintroduced in new world in 1519 (H. Cortes)

1. Tapiridae

1. one genus (Tapirus) and four species
2. Distribution ids discontinuous

1. 1 spp Mexico Central and S. America
2. 2 spp in northern S. America
3. 1 spp in Thailand, Malaya, Sumatra

1. Life History

2. Live in heavily forrested areas
3. Nocturnal
4. Herbivores - shoots, twigs, fruits,aquatic vegetation

- brachyodont cheekteeth - primitive condition

5. Generally associated with waterways - good swimmers
6. Solitary

1. Morphology

1. pronounced, flexible proboscis
2. Forest morphotype

• short legs
• hind legs longer than forelegs
• not as efficient runners in open but good in forests

1. Reproduction

1. single young born after 395 day gestation
2. young leave mother after 6-8 months

1. History - quite primitive

1. Radiated from North America beginning in Eocene
2. Genus Tapirus has changed little since Miocene (20 mybp)

D. Rhinocerotidae

1. Four Genera and five spp
2. Distribution

1. White and Black Rhinos - Sub-Saharan Africa
2. Indian Rhino - Pakistan and India
3. Javan Rhino - Southeast Asia (E. India to Sumatra and Java)
4. Sumatran Rhino - Southeastern Asia, Sumatra, Borneo

1. Morphology

1. Large size (up to 1700 kg-2000kg)

- graviportal locomotion

2. Horn

• made of keratinized fibers (fused hairs)
• extending from dermal layer
• curve posteriorly
• shorter in Asian rhinos
• have added path to skull under bone for support/attachment

1. Prehensile upper lip - not white rhino

1. Life History

1. Rhinos solitary - have mother-offspring pair

- occasional small groups of immatures
2. Herbivores - depends on spp (some forest some savanna)
3. Tied closely to water

• drinking
• wallowing for body temp and insect protection

1. Reproduction

1. single calf after 8 mo. Gestation
2. breed every 2 - 4 years

1. Conservation

1. all spp have declined dramaically in last 100 years
2. All spp endangered
3. Generally hunted for body parts used for eastern medicine/aphrodisiac

1. Overview

1. Three Sub-orders

1. Suiformes - pigs, peccaries, and hippos (3 families)
2. Tylopoda - Camelids (1 family)
3. Ruminantia - Rumenant ungulates (6 families)

1. Even-toed ungulates

1. main weight bearing passes through 3^rd and 4^th digits

- paraxonic

2. not all unguligrade

1. Fossil History

1. From Condylarths
2. relatively insignificant group relative to Perissos early on
3. radiated in oligocene (35 mybp)
4. Ruminants radiated in Miocene (20 mybp)

1. Suidae - pigs and warthogs

1. 5 genera and 16 spp
2. Originally found in Europe, Africa, and Asia - now wide spread
3. Morphology

1. size ranges from 10 kg (pygmy hog) to 200 kg (wild boar)
2. short legs, heavy-set body
3. prominent snout with cartilaginous disk FIGURE

• complex musculature
• used for rooting for food

1. wedge-shaped skulls

1. Dentition FIGURE

1. bunodont cheekteeth
2. large, evergrowing canines - grow up to form tusks

1. Life History

1. Generally gregarious, in groups - some solitary
2. Some are omnivores others herbivores
3. Litter size varies from 1-2 to 12

1. Feral Pigs

1. Disease carriers and Habitat Damage

1. Tayassuidae - Peccaries

1. 3 genera, 3 spp
2. only in New world (South western U.S. to Argentina
3. Morphology FIGURE

1. Superficially resemble pigs
2. Smaller - up to 30 kg
3. Small tusk-like upper canines point downward

1. Life History

1. Generalist diet - rooting, small verts, inverts, eggs, fruit, carrion
2. Small groups of 5-15 individuals
3. Occasionally large herds seen
4. Generally 2 in litter

1. Hippopotamidae - Hippos

1. 2 genera and 2 spp
2. Hippopotamus (Hippoptamus amphibius)

1. Large - 4.5 M long and 4500 kg
2. Throughout Sub-Saharan Africa (and in Nile River)
3. Relies heavily on water

• Rapid evaporative water loss
• Helps support size
• Eyes and nostrils high on head

1. Grazes on land 5-6 hours per night

• other wise eats aquatic vegetation
• has several sacs in stomach to slow food passage
• more efficient digestion but not ruminant

1. Gregarious, herds of up to 40 individuals
2. Single young born after 240 day gestation

1. Pygmy Hippo (Hexaprotodon liberiensis)

1. Generally similar except - more primitive
2. smaller - 2 m and 250 kg
3. coastal regions of West Africa (Guinea to Nigeria)
4. more terrestrial although still spend much time in water
5. consume grasses, leaves and fruit on land
6. solitary or form pairs

1. Camelidae -

1. 3 genera, 6 spp
2. Previously in the Ruminantia (your book)
3. Camels (Camelus)

1. large size - 3.5 m h&b, 700 kg
2. dromedary - one humped

• survives only in domestication (domesticated 5000 yrs)
• little known about its natural state

1. Bacterian (two humped)

• previously ranged throughout central Asia
• now restricted to Gobi desert (Mongolia)

1. Fat stored in hump rather than rest of body

- improves heat loss due to radiation

2. pacing locomotion - limbs move in unison on same side

• get long strides with low energy expenditure

1. Lamas

1. llama - domesticated
2. Guanaco - peru to Argentina
3. vicuna - peru, Bolivia, Chile
4. also good under dry arid conditions

1. Small head with long snout with cleft upper lip
2. Limbs

a. Medapodials fused to form cannon bone FIGURE 19.1 F

b. only digitigrade ungulates

c. Broad feet to support animal on sand

3. Three chambered ruminant stomach
4. Dentition

1. selenodont cheekteeth
2. lateral caniniform single upper incisor
3. both upper and lower canines
4. Lower incisors occlude with hardened gums on premaxilla

1. Widely luctuating body temps
2. Social in the wild - groups of 30
3. Single young born

1. Tragulidae - Chevrotains (mouse deer)

1. small size - 50 cm h&b, 2.5 - 4.5 kg
2. no antlers (to distinguish from deer)
3. Dentition

1. enlarged, curved upper canine

1. Solitary, nocturnal, generally found in dense vegetation
2. Three chambered ruminant stomach
3. Have single young per birth

1. Giraffidae - Giraffe and okapi

1. Dentition

a. no upper incisors

b. brachyodont cheekteeth

2. Ossicones (horns) -

1. not frontal bones as in Bovids -distinct bones fused to cranium

1. Give birth to single precocial calf
2. Long neck - mechanisms for blood flow in Giraffe

1. Sexual Dimorphism

2. b. antlers

• female caribou have
• Chinese water deer, musk deer males w/out
•     have Prominent upper canines

1. Antlers

a. deciduous

b. growing antlers covered in velvet

c. Antler size is a function of condition and age

d. important in mating success - sexually selected trait

2. Extra Glands

a. on face, between toes, genital area, or on lower hind legs

b. for chemical communication

3. Dentition

a. no upper incisors - hardened gum pad

b. selenodont teeth

c.

4. Gregarious - form herds

I. Antilocapridae - Prong Horn (Antilocapra americana)

1. One spp - endemic to western N. America

2. 1m to shoulder, 70 kg

3. Prong horn is unique character

a. New sheath grown every year under old one

2. - old sheath splits and falls off in early winter

4. fastest new world animal (86 - 95 km/hr)

5. form herds on the prarie, especially in winter
 
 

J. Bovidae

1. Largest family of Artiodactyls - 45 genera, 137 spp

2. 5 to 10 sub families have been recognized

a.

3. Size varies greatly

a. dwarf antelope - 2.5 kg

b. bison - 1000 kg

4. very efficient four chambered ruminating stomachs

3. Dentition

a. typically hypsodont and selenodont

b. no upper incisors or canines

1. True Horns present on males - often on females