Even-toed Ungulates and Cetaceans
Artiodactyla
Summary 2
The even-toed ungulates (Artiodactyla, from Ancient Greek ἄρτιος (ártios), meaning 'even', and δάκτυλος (dáktylos), meaning 'finger/toe') are ungulates (hoofed quadrupeds) whose weight is borne equally by the third and fourth toes. By contrast, odd-toed ungulates, such as horses, bear their weight primarily on their third toes. The aquatic cetaceans (whales, dolphins, and porpoises) evolved from within even-toed ungulates, so modern taxonomic classification sometimes c
Sources and Credits
- (c) Graeme Shannon (Colorado State University), some rights reserved (CC BY), http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Hippos_fighting_in_Amboseli_National_Park.jpeg
- (c) Wikipedia, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artiodactyla
