Taxonomy of Wild Animals
The taxonomy of wild mammals consists of many orders and families. The binomial nomenclature of the Swedish naturalist Carolus Linnaeus is followed in the animal kingdom.
Genus name is followed by species name in general. Ecological isolation is given significance when it becomes necessary.
Examples of Taxonomical Names of Wild Animals
- Panthera tigris altaica: it denotes the Siberian tiger which is much larger, heavier and with a thicker.
- Panthera tigris corbetti: it indicates the tiger that is smaller in size than the Royal Bengal tiger.
Broader Classification
Broader classification of wild animals consists Vertebrates and Non-Vertebrates. In this vertebrates earlier had dorsal vertebral column that arises as a rigid rod called notochord and was later replaced by a segmented and cartilaginous rod called as the vertebral column.
Another Classification
Another classification of wild animals is protozoa and metazoa.
- Protozoa: These animals are unicellular ones (body is not sub-divided into cells. Example of protozoa is Ameba and Euglena.
- Metazoa: Metazoa is comprises the cellular animals.
Phyla in Mammalian Taxonomy
In general, there are many phyla available in the taxonomical classification of animals. Example is Phylum Annelida contains the animals like leeches and tape worm that have a segmented body and Phylum Arthropoda comprises the animals like crab, lobster, spider, scorpion and insects.
These are the bilaterally symmetrical ones with segmented body that is covered by a chitinous exoskeleton.
Among the different phyla, it is the phylum chordata that is considered as more significant one.
Chordates
Basic Features of Chordates
- Notochord (this is the elsastic skeletal rod below the nerve cord and above the alimentary canal and may be replaced partially or completely by vertebral column.
- Dorsal tubular nerve cord (this is a hollow tubular nerve cord that is filled with fluid above the notochord and is present in most of the vertebrates but in a few it degenerates before the maturity).
- Gill clefts (these are the paired openings communicating to the exterior from the pharynx. In higher chordates, they usually form the endocrine glands.
- In chordates, the notochord or vertebral column is present in all but the other two features may completely disappear at eh maturity stage in most cases.
Characteristics of Higher Chordates
- Presence of a ventrally located heart.
- Presence of a hepatic portal system.
- RBCs are present in most of the chordates.
- Post anal tail is present that may get modified or reduced in adult stages.
Classification of Chordates (Phylum Chordata)
Phylum Chordata has two significant groups as follows:
- Group: Acraniata (Protochordata): This contains the chordates that are lacking the brain box or cranium , jaws and brain. Eg. Primitive fish like mammals
- Group: Craniata (Vertebrates): This contains ten classes. Mammalia is one of the ten classes in this group.
Class Mammalia
Features in Class Mammalia
The class mammalia has three basic features:
- Skin has hair materials except cetacea
- These are warm blooded animals
- They suckle their young ones
The class mammalia have other features:
- Females have mammary glands
- External ear lobes are present
- No. of teeth is fixed in mammals and is species specific
- Diphyodont dentition is present in mammals
- Muscular diaphragm separating the thoracic and abdominal cavities is present
- Mammals are viviparous except the monotremes
Heart has four chambers - Males have penis
- Locomotion has three types (Plantigrade locomotion, digitigrades locomotion and unguligrade locomotion) due to variable limb structures
- Skull is provided with two occipital condyles (dicondylic)
Classification of Class Mammalia
There are two sub-classes under the class Mammalia:
- Prototheria
- Theria
Prototheria
Prototheria comprises the single order called Monotremata that has following features:
- Testes are abdominal and cloaca is present.
- Mammary glands are present without nipples.
- They lack external ear.
- Examples: Spiny anteater/Echidna and Duck billed platypus
Theria
Marsupials and placental mammals fall in this category. Major 4 characteristics of this sub-class are:
- Presence of external pinnaAbsence of cloaca
- Presence of nipples in the mammary glands
- Females are viviparous in nature.
Primates
Primates are generally arboreal in nature with plantigrade movements. Both the hands and foot are prehensile. There are approximately 191 species of primates.
Classification of Primates
There are two sub-orders of primates:
- Prosimii (prosimians): Animals like lemurs, lorises, bush babies, tree shrews and tarsiers belong to this suborder.
- Anthropoidea (monkeys and apes)
Families of Primates
- Cebidae (new world monkeys)
- Callithricidae (marmosets and tamarins)
- Cercopithecidae (old world monkeys)
- Hylobatidae (gibbons)
- Family Pongidae (apes)
- Hominidae(man)
