Artiodactyls - a detachment of mammals, which has about 230 species. They have different sizes and appearance, but still have a number of similar features. What are the characteristics of these animals? What is the difference between the orders of artiodactyls and equids? We'll talk about that.
Artiodactyls
The detachment of artiodactyls in biology is classified as placental mammals and is divided into ruminants, non-ruminants and corns. Mostly representatives of the order are herbivorous, some, for example, pigs, duikers, deer are omnivores.
They live on every continent except Antarctica. Only hippos lead a semi-aquatic lifestyle, the rest live on land. Most animals of the artiodactyl order run fast. They move strictly parallel to the ground, therefore they lack clavicles.
They are rarely "loners", usually uniting in herds. Most artiodactyls are nomads. They do not stay in one place for a long time, do not build holes and shelters, but constantly move in search of food. Forthey are characterized by seasonal migrations.
Interestingly, their distant relatives are whales. Once upon a time, these huge sea creatures already went to land, and even had a common ancestor with modern hippos. The semi-aquatic lifestyle has changed them so much that they are more like fish to us. However, smart scientists solved this puzzle a long time ago and united the two groups into a group of cetaceans.
Differences from equids
Squads of artiodactyls and odd-toed mammals can easily be confused, but in fact they are far from the same. The most obvious difference is the structure of the hooves. In odd-toed or odd-toed animals, they cover an odd number of fingers. For example, horses have only one, tapirs have three on the hind limbs and four on the front.
Another difference concerns the structure of the digestive system. In artiodactyls, it is much more complicated. They have a four-chamber stomach, which allows them to process food more thoroughly. In artiodactyls, the stomach is single-chamber, and the main stage of digestion occurs in the large intestine.
The habitat of equids is much narrower. In the past, they lived everywhere except Australia and Antarctica. Today, wild populations of these animals are found only in South and Central America, Central and Southeast Asia, East and South Africa.
What are hooves for?
The presence of a hoof is the main defining feature in artiodactyls and equids. These are horny "cases" covering the phalanges of animal fingers. Byin fact, it is highly compacted and modified skin, the epidermis of which has turned into a callus.
They are necessary for cushioning and preventing damage to the limbs. "Horn capsules" or "shoes" are not just processes. They are connected to the blood vessels and increase the flow of blood to the fingers during active movement.
The hooves of different species varied depending on the nature of the soil. So, in animals inhabiting an environment with soft soil, the horn case is wide and large. The inhabitants of rocky and rocky areas have narrow and small hooves.
They bear the entire weight of the animal, while it is distributed unevenly, due to which some fingers have become shorter. In artiodactyls, the third toe is best developed. The rest can be shortened (the horse has disappeared completely). In mammals of the artiodactyl order, the third and fourth fingers are well developed. The first is reduced, while the second and fifth are greatly shortened and underdeveloped.
Ruminants
Most of the species from the artiodactyl order belong to ruminants. By structure, these are, as a rule, slender animals capable of inhabiting both flat steppes and high mountain ranges.
They include large and small livestock (goats, cows, sheep, yaks, buffaloes) as well as deer, giraffes, bison, bison, elk, wild goats, etc. Many have thick hair and two horns on their heads.
For ruminants, a special digestive system is characteristic. Their four-chambered stomach does not immediately carry food to the intestines. Passing through the first two sections,food is belched back into the mouth. There it is thoroughly moistened with saliva and rubbed, and then sent to the rest of the chambers of the stomach.
Ruminants lack upper incisors and canines. In place of these teeth is a corpus callosum, which helps the lower teeth cut grass. The anterior and lateral teeth are separated by a large gap. But the family of deer and musk deer has upper fangs. They resemble tusks and reach up to seven centimeters in length. They need fangs for defense, catching small mammals and fish.
Non-ruminants
The non-ruminant suborder includes only three families: hippos, pigs and peccaries. All of them are large and massive animals. They have four fingers, the limbs are significantly shortened, compared to other mammals of the artiodactyl order, the structure of the stomach is simplified.
Pigs live in Eurasia and Africa, wild peccaries inhabit North and South America. Both families are very similar to each other. They have large heads with an elongated front, short necks. The upper fangs are well developed and stick out of the mouth either on the sides or strictly vertically.
Behemoths live only in Africa and are among the largest animals in the world. Hippos can grow up to 3.5 meters in length and weigh between 2 and 4 tons. They spend most of their time in the water and can dive and swim fast. Two powerful lower fangs weighing up to three kilograms peep out of the mouth of hippos. Because of them, animals become a frequent victim of poachers.
Cornfoot
Callopods are the least diverse suborder of artiodactyls. It includes only the camelid family, which, in addition to camels, also includes llamas and vicuñas. Their limbs have two fingers, which do not have hooves, but large curved claws. The foot is soft and has a large, callused cushion on the sole.
Practically all calluses have been domesticated by humans. They are bred in Asia, Africa and South America. The only free-living now is the humped camel in Australia, which has become feral a second time.
Animals have an elongated neck and slender long legs. Camels have one or two humps on their backs. They can live in mountainous and desert areas, and are able to endure the lack of water and food for a long time. People breed them for their thick and soft wool, meat, and also use them as beasts of burden.
