Mammalia A mammal () is a vertebrate animal of the class Mammalia (). Mammals are characterised by the presence of milk-producing mammary glands for feeding their young, a broad neocortex region of the brain, fur or hair, and three middle ear bon ...

is a class of animal within the phylum

Chordata A chordate ( ) is a bilaterian animal belonging to the phylum Chordata ( ). All chordates possess, at some point during their larval or adult stages, five distinctive physical characteristics (Apomorphy and synapomorphy, synapomorphies) th ...

. Mammal classification has been through several iterations since

Carl Linnaeus Carl Linnaeus (23 May 1707 – 10 January 1778), also known after ennoblement in 1761 as Carl von Linné,#Blunt, Blunt (2004), p. 171. was a Swedish biologist and physician who formalised binomial nomenclature, the modern system of naming o ...

initially defined the class. No classification system is universally accepted; McKenna & Bell (1997) and Wilson & Reader (2005) provide useful recent compendiums. Many earlier ideas from Linnaeus et al. have been completely abandoned by modern taxonomists, among these are the idea that

bat Bats are flying mammals of the order Chiroptera (). With their forelimbs adapted as wings, they are the only mammals capable of true and sustained flight. Bats are more agile in flight than most birds, flying with their very long spread-out ...

s are related to

bird Birds are a group of warm-blooded vertebrates constituting the class (biology), class Aves (), characterised by feathers, toothless beaked jaws, the Oviparity, laying of Eggshell, hard-shelled eggs, a high Metabolism, metabolic rate, a fou ...

s or that

human Humans (''Homo sapiens'') or modern humans are the most common and widespread species of primate, and the last surviving species of the genus ''Homo''. They are Hominidae, great apes characterized by their Prehistory of nakedness and clothing ...

s represent a group outside of other living things. Competing ideas about the relationships of mammal orders do persist and are currently in development. Most significantly in recent years,

cladistic Cladistics ( ; from Ancient Greek 'branch') is an approach to biological classification in which organisms are categorized in groups ("clades") based on hypotheses of most recent common ancestry. The evidence for hypothesized relationships is ...

thinking has led to an effort to ensure that all taxonomic designations represent

monophyletic In biological cladistics for the classification of organisms, monophyly is the condition of a taxonomic grouping being a clade – that is, a grouping of organisms which meets these criteria: # the grouping contains its own most recent co ...

groups. The field has also seen a recent surge in interest and modification due to the results of

molecular phylogenetics Molecular phylogenetics () is the branch of phylogeny that analyzes genetic, hereditary molecular differences, predominantly in DNA sequences, to gain information on an organism's evolutionary relationships. From these analyses, it is possible to ...

George Gaylord Simpson George Gaylord Simpson (June 16, 1902 – October 6, 1984) was an American paleontologist. Simpson was perhaps the most influential paleontologist of the twentieth century, and a major participant in the modern synthesis, contributing '' Tempo ...

's classic "Principles of Classification and a Classification of Mammals" ( Simpson, 1945)

taxonomy image:Hierarchical clustering diagram.png, 280px, Generalized scheme of taxonomy Taxonomy is a practice and science concerned with classification or categorization. Typically, there are two parts to it: the development of an underlying scheme o ...

text laid out a

systematics Systematics is the study of the diversification of living forms, both past and present, and the relationships among living things through time. Relationships are visualized as evolutionary trees (synonyms: phylogenetic trees, phylogenies). Phy ...

mammal A mammal () is a vertebrate animal of the Class (biology), class Mammalia (). Mammals are characterised by the presence of milk-producing mammary glands for feeding their young, a broad neocortex region of the brain, fur or hair, and three ...

origins and relationships that was universally taught until the end of the 20th century. Since Simpson's 1945

classification Classification is the activity of assigning objects to some pre-existing classes or categories. This is distinct from the task of establishing the classes themselves (for example through cluster analysis). Examples include diagnostic tests, identif ...

, the paleontological record has been recalibrated, and the intervening years have seen much debate and progress concerning the theoretical underpinnings of systematization itself, partly through the new concept of

cladistics Cladistics ( ; from Ancient Greek 'branch') is an approach to Taxonomy (biology), biological classification in which organisms are categorized in groups ("clades") based on hypotheses of most recent common ancestry. The evidence for hypothesiz ...

. Though field work gradually made Simpson's classification outdated, it remained the closest thing to an official classification of mammals. See List of placental mammals and List of monotremes and marsupials for more detailed information on mammal genera and species.

Molecular classification of placentals

Molecular studies by molecular systematists, based on

DNA Deoxyribonucleic acid (; DNA) is a polymer composed of two polynucleotide chains that coil around each other to form a double helix. The polymer carries genetic instructions for the development, functioning, growth and reproduction of al ...

analysis, in the early 21st century have revealed new relationships among mammal families. Classification systems based on molecular studies reveal three major groups or lineages of

placental Placental mammals (infraclass Placentalia ) are one of the three extant subdivisions of the class Mammalia, the other two being Monotremata and Marsupialia. Placentalia contains the vast majority of extant mammals, which are partly distinguished ...

mammals,

Afrotheria Afrotheria ( from Latin ''Afro-'' "of Africa" + ''theria'' "wild beast") is a superorder of placental mammals, the living members of which belong to groups that are either currently living in Africa or of African origin: golden moles, elephan ...

Xenarthra Xenarthra (; from Ancient Greek ξένος, xénos, "foreign, alien" + ἄρθρον, árthron, "joint") is a superorder and major clade of placental mammals native to the Americas. There are 31 living species: the anteaters, tree sloths, and ...

, and

Boreoeutheria Boreoeutheria (, "northern eutherians") is a magnorder of Placentalia, placental mammals that groups together superorders Euarchontoglires and Laurasiatheria. The clade includes groups as diverse as giraffes, Sus (genus), pigs, zebras, Rhinoceros ...

, which diverged from early common ancestors in the

Cretaceous The Cretaceous ( ) is a geological period that lasted from about 143.1 to 66 mya (unit), million years ago (Mya). It is the third and final period of the Mesozoic Era (geology), Era, as well as the longest. At around 77.1 million years, it is the ...

. The relationships between these three lineages are contentious, and all three have been proposed as basal in different hypotheses. The following taxonomy only includes living placentals (infraclass

Eutheria Eutheria (from Greek , 'good, right' and , 'beast'; ), also called Pan-Placentalia, is the clade consisting of Placentalia, placental mammals and all therian mammals that are more closely related to placentals than to marsupials. Eutherians ...

Atlantogenata Atlantogenata ("born around the Atlantic Ocean") is a proposed magnorder of placental mammals containing the cohorts or superorders Xenarthra and Afrotheria. These groups originated and radiated in the South American and African continents, ...

Afrotheria Afrotheria ( from Latin ''Afro-'' "of Africa" + ''theria'' "wild beast") is a superorder of placental mammals, the living members of which belong to groups that are either currently living in Africa or of African origin: golden moles, elephan ...

*Clade Afroinsectiphilia **Order Macroscelidea ***Family Macroscelididae: (20 species), sengis or elephant shrews (Africa) **Order Afrosoricida ***Family Tenrecidae: (31 species), tenrecs (Madagascar) ***Family Potamogalidae: (3 species), otter-shrews (West and Central Africa) ***Family

Chrysochloridae Golden moles are small insectivorous burrowing mammals Endemism, endemic to Sub-Saharan Africa. They comprise the family Chrysochloridae (the only family in the suborder Chrysochloridea) and as such they are Taxonomy (biology), taxonomically dis ...

: (21 species), golden moles (Africa south of the Sahara) **Order Tubulidentata ***Family Orycteropodidae: (1 species), aardvark (Africa south of the Sahara) *Clade Paenungulata **Order

Proboscidea Proboscidea (; , ) is a taxonomic order of afrotherian mammals containing one living family (Elephantidae) and several extinct families. First described by J. Illiger in 1811, it encompasses the elephants and their close relatives. Three l ...

***Family

Elephantidae Elephantidae is a family (biology), family of large, herbivorous proboscidean mammals which includes the living Elephant, elephants (belonging to the genera ''Elephas'' and ''Loxodonta''), as well as a number of extinct genera like ''Mammuthus'' ...

: (3 species), elephants (Africa, Southeast Asia) **Order Hyracoidea ***Family

Procaviidae Hyraxes (), also called dassies, are small, stout, thickset, herbivorous mammals in the family Procaviidae within the order Hyracoidea. Hyraxes are well-furred, rotund animals with short tails. Modern hyraxes are typically between in length a ...

: (4 species), hyraxes, dassies (Africa, Arabia) **Order Sirenia ***Family Dugongidae: (1 species), dugong (East Africa, Red Sea, North Australia) ***Family Trichechidae: (3 species), manatees (tropical Atlantic coasts and adjacent rivers)

Xenarthra Xenarthra (; from Ancient Greek ξένος, xénos, "foreign, alien" + ἄρθρον, árthron, "joint") is a superorder and major clade of placental mammals native to the Americas. There are 31 living species: the anteaters, tree sloths, and ...

*Order Cingulata **Family Chlamyphoridae: (14 species), armadillos (Neotropical) **Family Dasypodidae: (7 species), long-nosed armadillos (Neotropical and Nearctic) *Order

Pilosa The Order (biology), order Pilosa is a clade of xenarthran placental mammals, native to the Americas. It includes anteaters and sloths (which include the extinct ground sloths). The name comes from the Latin word for "hairy". Origins and taxon ...

(=Dasypoda) **Suborder Vermilingua (anteaters) ***Family Cyclopedidae: (1 species), silky anteater (Neotropical) ***Family

Myrmecophagidae The Myrmecophagidae are a family of anteaters. Two genera and three species are in the family, consisting of the giant anteater, and the tamanduas. The fossil '' Eurotamandua'' from the Messel Pit in Germany may be an early anteater, but its sta ...

: (3 species), anteaters (Neotropical) **Suborder

Folivora Sloths are a Neotropical realm, Neotropical group of xenarthran mammals constituting the suborder Folivora, including the extant Arboreal locomotion, arboreal tree sloths and extinct terrestrial ground sloths. Noted for their slowness of move ...

(sloths) ***Family Choloepodidae: (2 species), two-toed sloths (Neotropical) ***Family Bradypodidae: (4 species), three-toed sloths (Neotropical)

Boreoeutheria Boreoeutheria (, "northern eutherians") is a magnorder of Placentalia, placental mammals that groups together superorders Euarchontoglires and Laurasiatheria. The clade includes groups as diverse as giraffes, Sus (genus), pigs, zebras, Rhinoceros ...

Euarchontoglires

*Superorder Euarchonta **Order Scandentia ***Family Ptilocercidae (1 species), pen-tailed treeshrews (Southeast Asia) ***Family Tupaiidae: (19 species), treeshrews (Southeast Asia) **Mirorder Primatomorpha ***Order Dermoptera ****Family Cynocephalidae: (2 species), flying lemurs or colugos (Southeast Asia) ***Order

Primates Primates is an order of mammals, which is further divided into the strepsirrhines, which include lemurs, galagos, and lorisids; and the haplorhines, which include tarsiers and simians ( monkeys and apes). Primates arose 74–63 ...

: lemurs, bushbabies, monkeys, apes (

cosmopolitan Cosmopolitan may refer to: Internationalism * World citizen, one who eschews traditional geopolitical divisions derived from national citizenship * Cosmopolitanism, the idea that all of humanity belongs to a single moral community * Cosmopolitan ...

)

****Family Cheirogaleidae: (32 species), dwarf lemurs (Madagascar) ****Family Lemuridae: (22 species), lemurs (Madagascar) ****Family Lepilemuridae: (26 species), sportive lemurs (Madagascar) ****Family Indriidae: (19 species), indri and sifakas (Madagascar) ****Family Daubentoniidae: (1 species), aye-aye (Madagascar area) ****Family Lorisidae: (9 species), lorises and potto (Africa and Southeast Asia) ****Family Galagidae: (19 species), galagos (Africa) Capuchin Costa Rica

****Family Tarsiidae: (9 species), tarsiers (Southeast Asia) ****Family

Callitrichidae The Callitrichidae (also called Arctopitheci or Hapalidae) are a family of New World monkeys, including marmosets, tamarins, and lion tamarins. At times, this group of animals has been regarded as a subfamily, called the Callitrichinae, of th ...

: (41 species), marmosets and tamarins (South America) ****Family Cebidae: (14 species), New World monkeys (South America) ****Family

Cercopithecidae Old World monkeys are primates in the family (biology), family Cercopithecidae (). Twenty-four genus, genera and 138 species are recognized, making it the largest primate family. Old World monkey genera include baboons (genus ''Papio''), red colo ...

: (137 species), Old World monkeys (Africa and Eurasia) ****Family

Hylobatidae Gibbons () are apes in the Family (biology), family Hylobatidae (). The family historically contained one genus, but now is split into four extant genera and 20 species. Gibbons live in subtropical and tropical forests from eastern Bangladesh an ...

: (14 species), gibbons (Southeast Asia) ****Family

Hominidae The Hominidae (), whose members are known as the great apes or hominids (), are a taxonomic Family (biology), family of primates that includes eight Neontology#Extant taxa versus extinct taxa, extant species in four Genus, genera: ''Orangutan ...

: (8 species), great apes (worldwide) *Superorder Glires **Order

Lagomorpha The lagomorphs () are the members of the taxonomic order Lagomorpha, of which there are two living families: the Leporidae (rabbits and hares) and the Ochotonidae ( pikas). There are 110 recent species of lagomorph, of which 109 species in t ...

: pikas, rabbits, hares (Eurasia, Africa, Americas) Arctic Hare 1

***Family

Leporidae Leporidae () is the family of rabbits and hares, containing over 70 species of extant mammals in all. The family name comes from "Lepus", hare in Latin. Together with the pikas, the Leporidae constitute the mammalian order Lagomorpha. Leporidae ...

: (60 species), rabbits and hares (Eurasia, Africa, Americas) ***Family Ochotonidae: (30 species), pikas (Holarctic) **Order

Rodent Rodents (from Latin , 'to gnaw') are mammals of the Order (biology), order Rodentia ( ), which are characterized by a single pair of continuously growing incisors in each of the upper and Mandible, lower jaws. About 40% of all mammal specie ...

ia: rodents (cosmopolitan) ***Suborder Castorimorpha ****Family

Castoridae Castoridae is a family of rodents that contains the two living species of beavers and their fossil relatives. A formerly diverse group, only a single genus is extant today, ''beaver, Castor.'' Two other genera of "giant beavers", ''Castoroides'' ...

: (2 species) beavers (Holarctic) ****Family Geomyidae: (about 35 species) pocket gophers (North America) ****Family Heteromyidae: (about 59 species) kangaroo rats and kangaroo mice (North America) ***Suborder Myomorpha ****Family

Dipodidae Jerboas () are the members of the family Dipodidae. They are hopping desert rodents found throughout North Africa and Asia. They tend to live in hot deserts. When chased, jerboas can run at up to . Some species are preyed on by little owls ('' ...

: (33 species) jerboas (Africa, Eurasia, North America) ****Family

Zapodidae Zapodidae, the jumping mice, is a family of mouse-like rodents in North America and China. Although mouse-like in general appearance, these rodents are distinguished by their elongated hind limbs, and, typically, by the presence of four pairs o ...

: (11 species) jumping mice (North America, Asia) ****Family Sicistidae: (19 species) birch mice (Eurasia) ****Family Platacanthomyidae: (3 species) spiny dormouse (Southeast Asia) ****Family

Spalacidae The Spalacidae, or spalacids, are a family of rodents in the large and complex superfamily Muroidea. They are native to eastern Asia, the Horn of Africa, the Middle East, and southeastern Europe. It includes the blind mole-rats, bamboo rats, m ...

: (37 species) zokors, root rats, blind mole rats (Africa, Eurasia) ****Family Calomyscidae: (8 species) mouse-like hamsters (Asia) ****Family

Nesomyidae The Nesomyidae are a family (biology), family of African rodents in the large and complex superfamily Muroidea. It includes several subfamilies, all of which are native to either continental Africa or to Madagascar. Included in this family are N ...

: (68 species) old endemic African muroids (Africa, Madagascar) ****Family

Cricetidae The Cricetidae are a family of rodents in the large and complex superfamily Muroidea. It includes true hamsters, voles, lemmings, muskrats, and New World rats and mice. At over 870 species, it is either the largest or second-largest family ...

: (about 580 species) hamsters, voles, and New World rats and mice (Holarctic, South America) ****Family

Muridae The Muridae, or murids, are either the largest or second-largest family of rodents and of mammals, containing approximately 870 species, including many species of mice, rats, and gerbils found naturally throughout Eurasia, Africa, and Australia. ...

: (about 1,383 species) Old World rats and mice and gerbils (Africa, Eurasia, Australia) ***Suborder Anomaluromorpha ****Family Anomaluridae: (6 species) scaly-tailed flying squirrels (Africa) ****Family Pedetidae: (2 species) springhares or springhaas (Africa) ***Suborder Hystricomorpha ****Family Ctenodactylidae: (5 species) gundis (Africa, Asia) ****Family Diatomyidae: (1 species) Laotian rock rat (Southeast Asia) ****Family Hystricidae: (11 Species) Old World porcupines (Africa, Asia) ****Family Bathyergidae: (about 21 species) African mole-rats (Africa) ****Family Petromuridae: (1 species) rock dassies (Africa) ****Family Thryonomyidae: (2 species) cane rats (Africa) ****Family Erethizontidae: (19 species) New World porcupines (New World) ****Family

Chinchillidae The family Chinchillidae is in the order Rodentia and consists of the chinchillas, the viscachas, and their fossil relatives. This family is restricted to southern and western South America, mostly living in mountainous regions of the Andes, ex ...

: (3 species) chinchillas and viscachas (South America) ****Family

Dinomyidae The Dinomyidae are a family (biology), family of South American hystricognath rodents: the dinomyids were once a very speciose group, but now contains only a single living species, the pacarana. Several of the extinct dinomyids were among the la ...

: (1 species) pacarana (South America) ****Family Caviidae: (18 species) cavies and capybara (South America) ****Family Dasyproctidae: (13 species) agoutis and acouchis (South America) ****Family Cuniculidae: (about 3 species) paca (South America) ****Family Ctenomyidae: (about 60 species) tuco-tucos (South America) ****Family Octodontidae: (14 species) degus (South America) ****Family Abrocomidae: (9 species) chinchilla-rats (South America) ****Family

Echimyidae Echimyidae is the family of neotropical spiny rats and their fossil relatives. This is the most species-rich family of hystricognath rodents. It is probably also the most ecologically diverse, with members ranging from fully arboreal to terr ...

: spiny rats (South America) ****Family Capromyidae: (10 species) hutias (South America) ****Family

Heptaxodontidae Heptaxodontidae, rarely called giant hutia, is an extinct family (taxonomy), family of large rodents known from fossil and subfossil material found in the West Indies. One species, ''Blunt-toothed giant hutia, Amblyrhiza inundata'', is estimated ...

: giant hutias (recently extinct) ****Family Myocastoridae: (57 species) nutrias (South America) ***Suborder

Sciuromorpha Sciuromorpha ( 'squirrel-like') is a rodent Order (biology), suborder that includes several rodent Family (biology), families. It includes all members of the Sciuridae (the squirrel family) as well as the mountain beaver species. Traditionally, ...

****Family Aplodontiidae: (1 species) mountain beaver (western North America) ****Family

Sciuridae Squirrels are members of the family Sciuridae (), a family that includes small or medium-sized rodents. The squirrel family includes tree squirrels, ground squirrels (including chipmunks and prairie dogs, among others), and flying squirrel ...

: (about 285 species) squirrels, chipmunks, and marmots (cosmopolitan except Australia) ****Family Gliridae: (29 species) dormice (Africa, Eurasia)

Laurasiatheria Laurasiatheria (; "Laurasian beasts") is a superorder of Placentalia, placental mammals that groups together true insectivores (eulipotyphlans), bats (chiropterans), carnivorans, pangolins (Pholidota, pholidotes), even-toed ungulates (Artiodacty ...

*Order Eulipotyphla **Family Solenodontidae: (2 species) solenodons (Cuba, Hispaniola) **Family Nesophontidae: nesophontes (West Indies shrews) (recently extinct) **Family Soricidae: (385 species) shrews (Eurasia, Africa, North America to northern South America) **Family

Talpidae The family (biology), family Talpidae () includes the true Mole (animal), moles (as well as the shrew moles and desmans) who are small insectivore, insectivorous mammals of the order (biology), order Eulipotyphla. Talpids are all fossorial, diggi ...

: (59 species) moles, shrew-moles, desmans (Eurasia, North America) **Family Erinaceidae: (26 species) hedgehogs, gymnures (Eurasia, Africa) **Family Galericidae: (8 species) moonrats (southeast Asia) *Grandorder

Chiroptera Bats are flying mammals of the order Chiroptera (). With their forelimbs adapted as wings, they are the only mammals capable of true and sustained flight. Bats are more agile in flight than most birds, flying with their very long spread-out ...

**Order

: bats ***Suborder Yinpterochiroptera ****Family Pteropodidae: (about 197 species) flying foxes (Africa, Eurasia, Australia) ****Family

Hipposideridae The Hipposideridae are a family (biology), family of bats commonly known as the Old World leaf-nosed bats. While it has often been seen as a subfamily, Hipposiderinae, of the family Rhinolophidae, it is now more generally classified as its own fa ...

: (84 species) trident bats, leaf-nosed bats ****Family Rhinolophidae: (106 species) horseshoe bats (Old World) ****Family Rhinopomatidae: (6 species) mouse-tailed bats (Africa, Southeast Asia) ****Family Craseonycteridae: (1 species) Kitti's hog-nosed bat (Thailand) ****Family Megadermatidae: (6 species) false vampire bats (Africa, Southeast Asia, Australia) ***Suborder Yangochiroptera ****Family Emballonuridae: (54 species) sac-winged bats (southern continents) ****Family Nycteridae: (about 15 species) slit-faced bats (Africa, Southeast Asia) ****Family

Mystacinidae __NOTOC__ Mystacinidae is a family of unusual bats, the New Zealand short-tailed bats. There is one living genus, '' Mystacina'', with two species, one of which could have possibly become extinct in the 1960s. They are medium-sized bats, about ...

: (about 2 species) short-tailed bats (New Zealand) ****Family

Thyropteridae Disk-winged bats are a small group of bats of the family Thyropteridae and genus ''Thyroptera''. They are found in Central and South America, usually in moist tropical rain forests. It is a very small family, consisting of a single genus with f ...

: (5 species) disk-winged bats (South America) ****Family

Furipteridae Furipteridae is family of bats, allying two genera of single species, '' Amorphochilus schnablii'' (smoky bat) and the type '' Furipterus horrens'' (thumbless bat). They are found in Central and South America and are closely related to the ba ...

: (2 species) smoky bats (South America) ****Family Noctilionidae: (2 species) fishing bats (South America) ****Family

Mormoopidae The family Mormoopidae contains bats known generally as mustached bats, ghost-faced bats, and naked-backed bats. They are found in the Americas from the Southwestern United States to Southeastern Brazil. They are distinguished by the presen ...

: (about 11 species) leaf-chinned bats (South America) ****Family Phyllostomidae: (192 species) leaf-nosed bats (South America) ****Family

Myzopodidae ''Myzopoda'' is a genus of bat, the only member of the monotypic family (biology), family Myzopodidae, with two described species. Myzopodidae is unique as the only family of bats currently endemic to Madagascar. However, fossil discoveries indic ...

: (2 species) sucker-footed bats (Madagascar) ****Family Natalidae: (10 species) funnel-eared bats (South America) ****Family Molossidae: (about 110 species) free-tailed bats (cosmopolitan) ****Family Miniopteridae: (about 40 species) long-fingered bats (Africa, Eurasia, Australia) ****Family Cistugidae: (2 species) wing-gland bats (Southern Africa) ****Family Vespertilionidae: (over 300 species) vesper bats (cosmopolitan) *Grandorder Ferae **Order

Pholidota Pangolins, sometimes known as scaly anteaters, are mammals of the order Pholidota (). The one Neontology, extant family, the Manidae, has three genera: ''Manis'', ''Phataginus'', and ''Smutsia''. ''Manis'' comprises four species found in Asia, ...

***Family

Manidae Manidae (" spirits") is the only extant family of pangolins. This family comprises three genera ('' Manis'' from subfamily Maninae, '' Phataginus'' from subfamily Phatagininae, and '' Smutsia'' from subfamily Smutsiinae), as well as the extinct ...

: (about 8 species) pangolins, scaly anteaters (Africa, South Asia) **Order

Carnivora Carnivora ( ) is an order of placental mammals specialized primarily in eating flesh, whose members are formally referred to as carnivorans. The order Carnivora is the sixth largest order of mammals, comprising at least 279 species. Carnivor ...

: carnivorans (cosmopolitan) ***Suborder

Feliformia Feliformia is a suborder within the order Carnivora consisting of "cat-like" carnivorans, including Felidae, cats (large and small), hyenas, mongooses, viverrids, and related taxa. Feliformia stands in contrast to the other suborder of Carnivora, ...

****Family Nandiniidae: (4 species) African palm civet (Central Africa) ****Family Prionodontidae: (2 species) Asiatic linsangs (Southeast Asia) ****Family

Felidae Felidae ( ) is the Family (biology), family of mammals in the Order (biology), order Carnivora colloquially referred to as cats. A member of this family is also called a felid ( ). The 41 extant taxon, extant Felidae species exhibit the gre ...

: (41 species) cats (cosmopolitan except Australia) ****Family

Viverridae Viverridae is a family (biology), family of small to medium-sized feliform mammals, comprising 14 genera with 33 species. This family was named and first described by John Edward Gray in 1821. Viverrids occur all over Africa, in southern Europe, ...

: (33 species) civets, Asiatic palm civets (Africa, Southern Europe, Southeast Asia) ****Family Herpestidae: (34 species) mongooses (Africa, Asia, Southern Europe) ****Family Eupleridae: (10 species) Malagasy carnivorans (Madagascar) ****Family Hyaenidae: (4 species) hyaenas, aardwolf (Africa) ***Suborder

Caniformia Caniformia is a suborder within the order Carnivora consisting of "dog-like" carnivorans. They include Canidae, dogs (Wolf, wolves, foxes, etc.), bears, raccoons, and Mustelidae, mustelids. The Pinnipedia (pinniped, seals, walruses and sea lions) ...

****Family

Canidae Canidae (; from Latin, ''canis'', "dog") is a family (biology), biological family of caniform carnivorans, constituting a clade. A member of this family is also called a canid (). The family includes three subfamily, subfamilies: the Caninae, a ...

: (38 species) dogs (cosmopolitan) ****Family

Ursidae Bears are carnivoran mammals of the family (biology), family Ursidae (). They are classified as caniforms, or doglike carnivorans. Although only eight species of bears are extant, they are widespread, appearing in a wide variety of habitats ...

: (8 species) bears (Europe, Asia, New World) ****Family Otariidae: (15 species) eared seals (cosmopolitan except North Atlantic) ****Family Odobenidae: (1 species) walrus (Northern North American, Northern Europe, Northern Asia) ****Family Phocidae: (18 species) true seals (cosmopolitan) ****Family Ailuridae: (1 species) red panda (South-Central Asia) ****Family Mephitidae: (12 species) skunks (Southeast Asia, New World) ****Family

Mustelidae The Mustelidae (; from Latin , weasel) are a diverse family of carnivora, carnivoran mammals, including weasels, badgers, otters, polecats, martens, grisons, and wolverines. Otherwise known as mustelids (), they form the largest family in the s ...

: (about 69 species) weasels and relatives (cosmopolitan except Australia) ****Family Procyonidae: (14 species) ringtails, olingos, kinkajou, raccoons, coatis (New World) *Grandorder

Euungulata Ungulates ( ) are members of the diverse clade Euungulata ("true ungulates"), which primarily consists of large mammals with Hoof, hooves. Once part of the clade "Ungulata" along with the clade Paenungulata, "Ungulata" has since been determined ...

**Order

Perissodactyla Perissodactyla (, ), or odd-toed ungulates, is an order of ungulates. The order includes about 17 living species divided into three families: Equidae (horses, asses, and zebras), Rhinocerotidae (rhinoceroses), and Tapiridae (tapirs). They t ...

: odd-toed ungulates ***Family

Equidae Equidae (commonly known as the horse family) is the Taxonomy (biology), taxonomic Family (biology), family of Wild horse, horses and related animals, including Asinus, asses, zebra, zebras, and many extinct species known only from fossils. The fa ...

: (13 species) horses, zebras, donkeys (Africa, West and Central Asia) ***Family Tapiridae: (3 species) tapirs (Central and South America, Southeast Asia) ***Family Rhinocerotidae: (5 species) rhinoceroses (Africa, Southeast Asia) **Order

Artiodactyla Artiodactyls are placental mammals belonging to the order (biology), order Artiodactyla ( , ). Typically, they are ungulates which bear weight equally on two (an even number) of their five toes (the third and fourth, often in the form of a hoof ...

: even-toed ungulates (now includes

cetacea Cetacea (; , ) is an infraorder of aquatic mammals belonging to the order Artiodactyla that includes whales, dolphins and porpoises. Key characteristics are their fully aquatic lifestyle, streamlined body shape, often large size and exclusively c ...

ns) ***Suborder Suiformes ****Family

Suidae Suidae is a family (biology), family of Even-toed ungulate, artiodactyl mammals which are commonly called pigs, hogs, or swine. In addition to numerous fossil species, 18 Extant taxon, extant species are currently recognized (or 19 counting domes ...

: (18 species) pigs (Africa, Eurasia) Sow with piglet

****Family Tayassuidae: (about 3 species) peccaries (New World) ***Suborder Tylopoda ****Family

Camelidae Camelids are members of the biological family Camelidae, the only currently living family in the suborder Tylopoda. The seven extant members of this group are: dromedary camels, Bactrian camels, wild Bactrian camels, llamas, alpacas, vicuñas ...

: (7 species) camels (South America, Asia) ***Suborder

Ruminantia Ruminants are herbivorous grazing or browsing artiodactyls belonging to the suborder Ruminantia that are able to acquire nutrients from plant-based food by Enteric fermentation, fermenting it in a specialized stomach prior to digestion, principa ...

****Family Tragulidae: (10 species) mouse-deer (Africa, Asia) ****Family

Antilocapridae The Antilocapridae are a family of ruminant artiodactyls endemic to North America. Their closest extant relatives are the giraffids. Only one species, the pronghorn (''Antilocapra americana''), is living today; all other members of the family ...

: (1 species) pronghorn (North America) ****Family

Giraffidae The Giraffidae are a family (biology), family of ruminant artiodactyl mammals that share a recent common ancestor with deer and bovids. This family, once a diverse group spread throughout Eurasia and Africa, presently comprises only two extant ge ...

: (2-9 species) giraffe and okapi (Africa) Giraffen

****Family Cervidae: (26 species) deer (Holarctic, South America) ****Family Moschidae: (7 species) musk deer (Asia) Muntjac deer

****Family

Bovidae The Bovidae comprise the family (biology), biological family of cloven-hoofed, ruminant mammals that includes Bos, cattle, bison, Bubalina, buffalo, antelopes (including Caprinae, goat-antelopes), Ovis, sheep and Capra (genus), goats. A member o ...

: (143 species) cattle, antelope, sheep, etc. (Africa, Holarctic) Pair of Icelandic Sheep

***Suborder Whippomorpha ****Family Hippopotamidae: (2 species) hippos (Africa) ****Infraorder

Cetacea Cetacea (; , ) is an infraorder of aquatic mammals belonging to the order Artiodactyla that includes whales, dolphins and porpoises. Key characteristics are their fully aquatic lifestyle, streamlined body shape, often large size and exclusively c ...

*****Parvorder

Mysticeti Baleen whales (), also known as whalebone whales, are marine mammals of the parvorder Mysticeti in the infraorder Cetacea (whales, dolphins and porpoises), which use baleen plates (or "whalebone") in their mouths to sieve plankton from the wate ...

******Family Balaenopteridae: (10 species) rorquals and grey whales (cosmopolitan) ******Family

Balaenidae Balaenidae () is a Family (biology), family of whales of the parvorder Mysticeti (baleen whales) that contains mostly fossil taxa and two living genera: the right whale (genus ''Eubalaena''), and the closely related bowhead whale (genus ''Balaena ...

: (4 species) right and bowhead whales (polar and temperate waters) ******Family

Eschrichtiidae Eschrichtiidae or the gray whales is a family (taxonomy), family of baleen whale (Parvorder Mysticeti) with a single extant species, the gray whale (''Eschrichtius robustus''), as well as four described fossil genera: ''Archaeschrichtius'' (Mioce ...

: (1 species) gray whale (North Pacific and North Atlantic) ******Family Neobalaenidae: (1 species) pygmy right whales (southern hemisphere) *****Parvorder Odontoceti ******Family Delphinidae: (about 37 species) dolphins (cosmopolitan) ******Family Monodontidae: (2 species) beluga and narwhal (Arctic, Atlantic, and Pacific) ******Family Phocoenidae: (8 species) porpoises (cosmopolitan) ******Family Physeteridae: (3 species) sperm whales (cosmopolitan) ******Family Kogiidae: (2 species) dwarf sperm whales (cosmopolitan) ******Family Platanistidae: (2 species) South Asian river dolphin (Southern Asia) ******Family Iniidae: (1-4 species) Amazon River dolphin (South America) ******Family Pontoporiidae: (1 species) La Plata River dolphin (South America) ******Family Lipotidae: baiji ******Family

Ziphiidae Beaked whales (systematic name Ziphiidae) are a family of cetaceans noted as being one of the least-known groups of mammals because of their deep-sea habitat, reclusive behavior and apparent low abundance. Only three or four of the 24 existing s ...

: (24 species) beaked whales (cosmopolitan)

Standardized textbook classification

A somewhat standardized classification system has been adopted by most current mammalogy classroom textbooks. The following taxonomy of extant and recently extinct mammals is taken from the 6th edition of Vaughan's ''Mammalogy''. This approach emphasizes an initial split between egg-laying prototherians and live-bearing therians. The therians are further divided into the marsupial Metatheria and the "placental" Eutheria. No attempt is made in this classification to further distinguish among the orders within these subclasses and infraclasses. This system also makes no note of the position of entirely fossil groups. In this and later taxonomies, families are merely listed under the order to which they belong. More detailed relationships among families is presented in the article of each order.

Subclass Prototheria/
Yinotheria Yinotheria is a proposed basal subclass clade of crown mammals uniting the Shuotheriidae, an extinct group of mammals from the Jurassic of Eurasia, with Australosphenida, a group of mammals known from the Jurassic to Cretaceous of Gondwana, which ...

*Order Monotremata **Family Tachyglossidae (echidnas) **Family Ornithorhynchidae (platypuses)

Subclass
Theria Theria ( or ; ) is a scientific classification, subclass of mammals amongst the Theriiformes. Theria includes the eutherians (including the Placentalia, placental mammals) and the metatherians (including the marsupials) but excludes the egg-lay ...

*Infraclass

Metatheria Metatheria is a mammalian clade that includes all mammals more closely related to marsupials than to placentals. First proposed by Thomas Henry Huxley in 1880, it is a more inclusive group than the marsupials; it contains all marsupials as wel ...

(marsupials and their nearest ancestors) **Order

Didelphimorphia Opossums () are members of the marsupial order Didelphimorphia () endemic to the Americas. The largest order of marsupials in the Western Hemisphere, it comprises 126 species in 18 genera. Opossums originated in South America and entered North A ...

***Family Didelphidae (opossums, etc.) **Order Paucituberculata ***Family Caenolestidae (shrew opossums) **Order Microbiotheria ***Family Microbiotheriidae (monitos del monte) **Order Dasyuromorphia (most carnivorous marsupials) ***Family

Thylacinidae Thylacinidae is an extinct family (biology), family of carnivorous marsupials from the order Dasyuromorphia. The only species to survive into modern times was the thylacine (''Thylacinus cynocephalus''), which became Extinction, extinct in 1936. ...

(Tasmanian tigers) ***Family Myrmecobiidae (numbats) ***Family Dasyuridae (Tasmanian devils, quolls, dunnarts, planigale, etc.) **Order Peramelemorphia (bandicoots, bilbies, etc.) ***Family Peramelidae (bandicoots, echymiperas) ***Family † Chaeropodidae (pig-footed bandicoot) **Order Notoryctemorphia (marsupial moles) ***Family Notoryctidae **Order

Diprotodontia Diprotodontia (, from Greek language, Greek "two forward teeth") is the largest extant order (biology), order of marsupials, with about 155 species, including the kangaroos, Wallaby, wallabies, Phalangeriformes, possums, koala, wombats, and many ...

***Family Phascolarctidae (koalas) ***Family Vombatidae (wombats) ***Family Phalangeridae (brushtail possums and cuscuses) ***Family Potoroidae (bettongs, potoroos and rat kangaroos) ***Family Macropodidae (kangaroos, wallabies, etc.) ***Family Burramyidae (pygmy possums) ***Family Pseudocheiridae (ringtailed possums, etc.) ***Family Petauridae ( striped possum,

Leadbeater's possum Leadbeater's possum (''Gymnobelideus leadbeateri'') is a critically endangered Phalangeriformes, possum largely restricted to small pockets of Eucalyptus delegatensis, alpine ash, Eucalyptus regnans, mountain ash, and Eucalyptus pauciflora, sno ...

, yellow-bellied glider, sugar glider,

mahogany glider The mahogany glider (''Petaurus gracilis'') is an endangered gliding possumsquirrel glider) ***Family Tarsipedidae (honey possum) ***Family

Acrobatidae The Acrobatidae are a small family of flying and gliding animals, gliding marsupials containing two genera, each with a single species, the feathertail glider (''Acrobates pygmaeus'') from Australia and feather-tailed possum (''Distoechurus penna ...

(

feathertail glider The feathertail glider (''Acrobates pygmaeus''), also known as the pygmy gliding possum, pygmy glider, pygmy phalanger, flying phalanger and flying mouse, is a species of marsupial native to eastern Australia. It is the world's smallest gliding ...

and feather-tailed possum) ***Family Hypsiprymnodontidae (musky rat kangaroo) *Infraclass

**Order Afrosoricida ***Family Tenrecidae (tenrecs) ***Family

(golden moles) **Order Macroscelidea ***Family Macroscelididae (elephant-shrews) **Order Tubulidentata ***Family Orycteropodidae (aardvark) **Order

***Family

(elephants) **Order Sirenia ***Family Dugongidae (dugongs, sea cows) ***Family Trichechidae (manatees) **Order Hyracoidea ***Family

(hyraxes) **Order

***Family Bradypodidae (three-toed tree sloths) ***Family Megalonychidae (two-toed tree sloths) ***Family

(tamanduas and giant anteater) ***Family Cyclopedidae (silky anteater) **Order Cingulata ***Family Dasypodidae (armadillos) **Order Dermoptera ***Family Cynocephalidae (colugos) **Order Scandentia ***Family Tupaiidae (tree shrews) ***Family Ptilocercidae (pen-tailed treeshrew) **Order

***Family Cheirogaleidae (dwarf lemurs, mouse lemurs) ***Family Lemuridae (lemurs) ***Family Lepilemuridae (sportive lemurs) ***Family Indriidae (wooly lemurs, sifakas) ***Family Daubentoniidae (aye-aye) ***Family Lorisidae (lorises) ***Family Galagidae (bushbabies, galagos) ***Family Tarsiidae (tarsiers) ***Family Cebidae (marmosets, tamarins, capuchins, squirrel monkeys) ***Family Aotidae (night monkeys) ***Family Pitheciidae (titis, uacaris, sakis) ***Family Atelidae (howlers, spider monkeys, wooly monkeys) ***Family

(Old World monkeys) ***Family

(gibbons) ***Family

(apes, human) **Order

Rodentia Rodents (from Latin , 'to gnaw') are mammals of the order Rodentia ( ), which are characterized by a single pair of continuously growing incisors in each of the upper and lower jaws. About 40% of all mammal species are rodents. They are na ...

***Family Aplodontiidae (sewellel or mountain beaver) ***Family

(squirrels) ***Family Gliridae (dormice) ***Family

(beavers) ***Family Heteromyidae (kangaroo rats, pocket mice) ***Family Geomyidae (pocket gophers) ***Family

(jerboas, birch mice, jumping mice) ***Family Platacanthomyidae (tree mice) ***Family

(zokors, bamboo rats, mole rats) ***Family Calomyscidae (calomyscuses) ***Family

(pouched rats and mice, climbing and fat mice, etc.) ***Family

(voles, hamsters, New World rats and mice ***Family

(rats, mice) ***Family Anomaluridae (scaily-tailed flying squirrels) ***Family Pedetidae (springhaas, springhares) ***Family Ctenodactylidae (gundis) ***Family Diatomyidae (kha-nyous or Laotian rock rat) ***Family Bathyergidae (mole-rats) ***Family Hystricidae (African and Asian porcupines) ***Family Petromuridae (dassie rat) ***Family Thryonomyidae (can rats) ***Family Erethizontidae (bristle-spined rat and New World porcupines) ***Family

(chinchillas, vizcachas) ***Family

(pacarana) ***Family Caviidae (cuis, guinea-pigs, cavies, maras, capybaras) ***Family Dasyproctidae (agoutis, acouchis) ***Family Cuniculidae (pacas) ***Family Ctenomyidae (tuco-tucos) ***Family Octodontidae (degus, rock rats, vizcacha-rats) ***Family Abrocomidae (chinchilla rats) ***Family

(spiny rats, tree rats, hutias, & coypu) ***Family †

(giant hutias and key mice) **Order

***Family Ochotonidae (pikas) ***Family † Prolagidae (Sardinian pika) ***Family

(rabbits) **Order Eulipotyphla ***Family Erinaceidae (hedgehogs, gymnures) ***Family † Nesophontidae (nesophontes) ***Family Solenodontidae (solenodons, alamiquis) ***Family Soricidae (shrews) ***Family

(moles, desmans) **Order

***Family Pteropodidae (Old World fruit bats, flying foxes) ***Family Rhinopomatidae (mouse-tailed bats) ***Family Craseonycteridae (hog-nosed or bumblebee bat) ***Family Megadermatidae (false vampire bats) ***Family Rhinolophidae (horseshoe bats) ***Family Emballonuridae (sac-winged bats) ***Family Nycteridae (slit-faced bats) ***Family

(sucker-footed bats) ***Family

(New Zealand short-tailed bats) ***Family

(disk-winged bats) ***Family

(smokey bat and thumbless bat) ***Family Noctilionidae (bulldog bats) ***Family

(mustached and ghost-faced bats) ***Family Phyllostomidae (New World leaf-nosed bats) ***Family Natalidae (funnel-eared bats) ***Family Molossidae (free-tailed bats) ***Family Vespertilionidae (evening bats, common bats) ***Family Miniopteridae (bent-winged or long-fingered bats) **Order

***Family

(pangolins) **Order

***Family

(cats) ***Family

(civets, genets) ***Family Eupleridae (falanouc, fossa, Madagascaran mongooses) ***Family Nandiniidae (African palm civet) ***Family Herpestidae (mongooses) ***Family Hyaenidae (hyaenas, aardwolf) ***Family

(wolves, foxes, jackals) ***Family

(bears, giant panda) ***Family Odobenidae (walrus) ***Family Otariidae (eared seals, fur seals, sea lions) ***Family Phocidae (earless seals) ***Family

(weasels, badgers, otters) ***Family Procyonidae (raccoons, ringtails, coatis) ***Family Ailuridae (red panda) **Order

***Family

(horses, asses, zebras) ***Family Tapiridae (tapirs) ***Family Rhinocerotidae (rhinoceroses) **Order

***Family

(hogs, pigs) ***Family Tayassuidae (peccaries) ***Family Hippopotamidae (hippopotamuses) ***Family

(camels, vicunas, guanacos, llamas) ***Family Tragulidae (chevrotains and mouse deer) ***Family Moschidae (musk deer) ***Family Cervidae (deer) ***Family

(pronghorn) ***Family

(giraffe and okapi) ***Family

(antelope, bison, cattle, duikers, goats, sheep, etc.) **Order

***Family

(right whales) ***Family Balaenopteridae (rorquals) ***Family

(gray whales) ***Family Cetotheriidae (pygmy right whale) ***Family Delphinidae (ocean dolphins) ***Family Monodontidae (narwhal and beluga) ***Family Phocoenidae (porpoises) ***Family Physeteridae (sperm whales) ***Family Platanistidae (Ganges and Indus river dolphins) ***Family Iniidae (baiji, franciscana, and Amazon river dolphins) ***Family

(beaked whales)

McKenna/Bell classification

In 1997, the classification of mammals was revised by Malcolm C. McKenna and Susan K. Bell. The ''Classification of Mammals Above the species level'', here referred to as the "McKenna/Bell classification", is a comprehensive work on the systematics, relationships, and occurrences of all mammal taxa, living and extinct, down through the rank of genus. The authors worked together as paleontologists at the

American Museum of Natural History The American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) is a natural history museum on the Upper West Side of Manhattan in New York City. Located in Theodore Roosevelt Park, across the street from Central Park, the museum complex comprises 21 interconn ...

, New York. McKenna inherited the project from Simpson and, with Bell, constructed a completely updated hierarchical system, covering living and extinct taxa that reflects the historical genealogy of Mammalia. The McKenna/Bell hierarchical listing of all of the terms used for mammal groups above the species includes extinct mammals as well as modern groups, and introduces some fine distinctions such as legions and sublegions and ranks which fall between classes and orders that are likely to be glossed over by the layman. Click on the highlighted link for
table comparing the traditional and the new McKenna/Bell classifications of mammals

Extinct Extinction is the termination of an organism by the death of its Endling, last member. A taxon may become Functional extinction, functionally extinct before the death of its last member if it loses the capacity to Reproduction, reproduce and ...

groups are represented by †.

Subclass Prototheria

(monotremes) *Order Platypoda: platypuses **Family Ornithorhynchidae: platypuses *Order Tachyglossa: echidnas (spiny anteaters) **Family Tachyglossidae: echidnas

Subclass Theriiformes

*Infraclass †

Allotheria Allotheria (meaning "other beasts", from the Ancient Greek language, Greek , '–other and , '–wild animal) is an extinct clade of mammals known from the Mesozoic and early Cenozoic. Shared characteristics of the group are the presence of lower ...

**Order †

Multituberculata Multituberculata (commonly known as multituberculates, named for the multiple tubercles of their teeth) is an extinct Order (biology), order of rodent-like mammals with a fossil record spanning over 130 million years. They first appeared in the M ...

: multituberculates ***Family † Plagiaulacidae ***Family † Bolodontidae ***Family † Hahnodontidae ***Family †

Albionbaataridae Albionbaataridae is a family of small, extinct mammals within the order Multituberculata. Fossil remains are known from the Upper Jurassic and Lower Cretaceous of Europe and Asia. These herbivores lived their obscure lives during the Mesozoic, al ...

***Family † Arginbaataridae ***Family †

Kogaionidae Kogaionidae is a family of fossil mammals within the Extinction, extinct order Multituberculata. Representatives are known from the Upper Cretaceous and the Paleocene of Europe. Having started as island endemics on Hațeg Island during the Upper ...

***Suborder †

Cimolodonta Cimolodonta is a clade of Multituberculata, multituberculate mammals that lived from the Cretaceous to the Eocene. They probably lived something of a rodent-like existence until their ecological niche was assumed by true rodents. The more basal ...

****Family † Sloanbaataridae **** Superfamily † Ptilodontoidea *****Family † Cimolodontidae *****Family † Ptilodontidae ****Superfamily † Taeniolabidoidea *****Family † Cimolomyidae *****Family † Eucosmodontidae *****Family † Taeniolabididae ***Suborder † Gondwanatheria ****Family † Ferugliotheriidae ****Family † Sudamericidae *Infraclass † Triconodonta **Family † Austrotriconodontidae **Family † Amphilestidae **Family † Triconodontidae *Infraclass Holotheria **Family † Chronoperatidae **Superlegion † Kuehneotheria ***Family † Kuehneotheriidae ***Family † Woutersiidae **Superlegion Trechnotheria ***Legion † Symmetrodonta ****Family † Shuotheriidae ****Order † Amphidontoidea *****Family † Amphidontidae ****Order † Spalacotherioidea *****Family † Tinodontidae *****Family † Spalacotheriidae *****Family † Barbereniidae ***Legion Cladotheria ****Sublegion † Dryolestoidea *****Order † Dryolestida ******Family † Dryolestidae ******Family † Paurodontidae ******Family † Donodontidae ******Family † Mesungulatidae ******Family † Reigitheriidae ******Family † Brandoniidae *****Order † Amphitheriida ******Family † Amphitheriidae ****Sublegion Zatheria *****Family † Arguitheriidae *****Family † Arguimuridae *****Family † Vincelestidae *****Infralegion † Peramura ******Family † Peramuridae *****Infralegion Tribosphenida ******Family † Necrolestidae ******Supercohort † Aegialodontia *******Family † Aegialodontidae ******Supercohort

Theria Theria ( or ; ) is a scientific classification, subclass of mammals amongst the Theriiformes. Theria includes the eutherians (including the Placentalia, placental mammals) and the metatherians (including the marsupials) but excludes the egg-lay ...

: therian mammals *******Family † Pappotheriidae *******Family † Holoclemensiidae *******Family † Kermackiidae *******Family † Endotheriidae *******Family † Picopsidae *******Family † Potamotelsidae *******Family † Plicatodontidae *******Order †

Deltatheroida Deltatheroida is an extinct group of basal metatherians that were distantly related to modern marsupials. The majority of known members of the group lived in the Cretaceous; one species, '' Gurbanodelta kara'', is known from the late Paleocene ( ...

********Family † Deltatheridiidae ********Family † Deltatheroididae *******Order †

Asiadelphia ''Asiatherium'' is an extinct genus of mammal, probably belonging to Metatheria. It lived during the Late Cretaceous, and its fossilized remains were discovered in Mongolia. Description Skull of ''Asiatherium'' is in length. This animal was ro ...

********Family † Asiatheriidae *******Cohort

Marsupialia Marsupials are a diverse group of mammals belonging to the infraclass Marsupialia. They are natively found in Australasia, Wallacea, and the Americas. One of marsupials' unique features is their reproductive strategy: the young are born in a ...

: marsupials ********Family † Yingabalanaridae ********Suborder † Archimetatheria *********Family †

Stagodontidae Stagodontidae is an extinct family of carnivorous metatherian mammals that inhabited North America and Europe during the late Cretaceous, and possibly to the Eocene in South America. Description Currently, the family includes four genera, '' ...

*********Family † Pediomyidae ********Magnorder Australidelphia *********Superorder Microbiotheria **********Family Microbiotheriidae: monito del monte *********Superorder Eometatheria **********Order † Yalkaparidontia ***********Family † Yalkaparidontidae **********Order Notoryctemorphia: marsupial moles ***********Family Notoryctidae: marsupial moles **********Grandorder Dasyuromorphia: marsupial carnivores ***********Family †

: recently extinct Tasmanian tiger and relatives ***********Family Dasyuridae: Tasmanian devil, quolls, numbat, etc. **********Grandorder Syndactyli: syndactylous marsupials ***********Order Peramelia: bandicoots ************Family Peramelidae ************Family Peroryctidae ***********Order

************Family † Palorchestidae ************Family † Wynardiidae ************Family † Thylacoleonidae ************Family Tarsipedidae: honey possum ************Superfamily Vombatoidea *************Family † Ilariidae *************Family † Diprotodontidae *************Family Vombatidae: wombats ************Superfamily Phalangeroidea *************Family Phalangeridae: phalangers *************Family Burramyidae: pygmy possums *************Family Macropodidae: rat kangaroos, kangaroos and wallabies *************Family Petauridae: gliders *************Family † Ektopodontidae *************Family Phascolarctidae: koala *************Family † Pilkipildridae *************Family † Miralinidae *************Family

: feather-tail glider, pen-tailed phalanger ********Magnorder Ameridelphia *********Order

: opossums **********Family Didelphidae: opossums **********Family † Sparassocynidae *********Order Paucituberculata **********Superfamily Caenolestoidea ***********Family † Sternbergiidae ***********Family Caenolestidae: rat or shrew opossums ***********Family † Paleothentidae ***********Family † Abderitidae **********Superfamily † Polydolopoidea ***********Family † Sillustaniidae ***********Family † Polydolopidae ***********Family † Prepidolopidae ***********Family † Bonapartheriidae **********Superfamily † Argyrolagoidea ***********Family † Argyrolagidae ***********Family † Patagoniidae ***********Family † Groeberiidae **********Superfamily † Caroloameghinioidea ***********Family † Glasbiidae ***********Family † Caroloameghiniidae *********Order †

Sparassodonta Sparassodonta (from Ancient Greek, Greek to tear, rend; and , gen.

, ' The comma is a punctuation mark that appears in several variants in different languages. Some typefaces render it as a small line, slightly curved or straight, but inclined from the vertical; others give it the appearance of a miniature fille ...

tooth) is an extinct order (biology), order of carnivore, carnivorous metatherian mammals native to South America, related to modern marsupials. They were once cons ...

**********Family † Mayulestidae **********Family † Hondadelphidae **********Family † Borhyaenidae *******Cohort

Placentalia Placental mammals ( infraclass Placentalia ) are one of the three extant subdivisions of the class Mammalia, the other two being Monotremata and Marsupialia. Placentalia contains the vast majority of extant mammals, which are partly distingui ...

: placentals ********Order † Bibymalagasia ********Magnorder

: edentates *********Order Cingulata: armadillos and relatives **********Family † Protobradidae **********Superfamily Dasypodoidea ***********Family Dasypodidae: armadillos ***********Family † Peltephilidae **********Superfamily † Glyptodontoidea ***********Family † Pampatheriidae ***********Family † Palaeopeltidae ***********Family † Glyptodontidae: glyptodonts *********Order

: anteaters, sloths, and relatives **********Family † Entelopidae **********Suborder Vermilingua ***********Family

: giant anteaters and relatives ***********Family Cyclopedidae: pygmy anteater **********Suborder Phyllophaga ***********Family † Rathymotheriidae ***********Infraorder † Mylodonta ************Superfamily † Mylodontoidea *************Family †

Scelidotheriidae Scelidotheriidae is a family of extinct ground sloths within the order Pilosa, suborder Folivora and superfamily Mylodontoidea, related to the other extinct mylodontoid family, Mylodontidae, as well as to the living two-toed sloth family Choloepo ...

*************Family † Mylodontidae ************Superfamily † Orophodontoidea *************Family † Orophodontidae ***********Infraorder Megatheria ************Superfamily Megatherioidea *************Family †

Megatheriidae Megatheriidae is a family of Extinction, extinct ground sloths that lived from approximately 23 Annum, mya—11,000 years ago. Megatheriids appeared during the Oligocene, Late Oligocene (Deseadan in the South American land mammal age, SALMA cl ...

: ground sloths *************Family Megalonychidae: two-toed sloths ************Superfamily Bradypodoidea *************Family Bradypodidae: three-toed sloths ********Magnorder Epitheria: epitheres *********Superorder † Leptictida **********Family † Gypsonictopidae **********Family † Kulbeckiidae **********Family † Didymoconidae **********Family † Leptictidae *********Superorder Preptotheria **********Grandorder Anagalida ***********Family † Zambdalestidae ***********Family † Anagalidae ***********Family † Pseudictopidae ***********Mirorder Macroscelidea: elephant shrews ************Family Macroscelididae: elephant shrews ***********Mirorder Duplicidentata ************Order † Mimotonida *************Family † Mimotonidae ************Order

*************Family Ochotonidae: pikas *************Family

: rabbits ***********Mirorder Simplicidentata ************Order † Mixodontia *************Family † Eurymylidae ************Order

: rodents *************Family † Alagomyidae *************Family † Laredomyidae *************Suborder

**************Superfamily † Ischyromyoidea ***************Family † Ischyromyidae **************Superfamily Aplodontoidea ***************Family † Allomyidae ***************Family Aplodontiidae: mountain beaver ***************Family † Mylagaulidae **************Infraorder † Theridomyomorpha ***************Family † Theridomyidae **************Infraorder Sciurida ***************Family † Reithroparamyidae ***************Family

: squirrels **************Infraorder Castorimorpha ***************Family † Eutypomyidae ***************Family

: beavers ***************Family † Rhizospalacidae *************Suborder Myomorpha **************Family † Protoptychidae **************Infraorder Myodonta ***************Superfamily

Dipodoidea Dipodoidea is a Superfamily (biology), superfamily of Rodent, rodents, also known as dipodoids, found across the Northern Hemisphere. This superfamily includes over 50 species among the 16 genera in 3 families. They include the Jerboa, jerboas (f ...

****************Family † Armintomyidae ****************Family

: jumping mice, jerboas ***************Superfamily

Muroidea The Muroidea are a large Taxonomic rank, superfamily of rodents, including mice, rats, voles, hamsters, lemmings, Gerbillinae, gerbils, and many other relatives. Although the Muroidea originated in Eurasia, they occupy a vast variety of habitat ...

****************Family † Simimyidae ****************Family

: rats, mice, and relatives **************Infraorder Glirimorpha ***************Family Myoxidae: dormice **************Infraorder Geomorpha ***************Superfamily † Eomyoidea ****************Family † Eomyidae ***************Superfamily Geomyoidea ****************Family † Florentiamyidae ****************Family Geomyidae: pocket gophers, pocket mice, and kangaroo rats *************Suborder Anomaluromorpha **************Superfamily Pedetoidea ***************Family † Parapedetidae ***************Family Pedetidae: springhaas **************Superfamily Anomaluroidea ***************Family † Zegdoumyidae ***************Family Anomaluridae: scaly-tailed squirrels *************Suborder Sciuravida **************Family † Ivanantoniidae **************Family † Sciuravidae **************Family † Chapattimyidae **************Family † Cylindrodontidae **************Family Ctenodactylidae: gundis *************Suborder Hystricognatha **************Family † Tsaganomyidae **************Infraorder Hystricognathi ***************Family Hystricidae: Old World porcupines ***************Family Erethizontidae: New World porcupines ***************Family † Myophiomyidae ***************Family † Diamantomyidae ***************Family † Phiomyidae ***************Family † Kenyamyidae ***************Family Petromuridae: rock rats ***************Family Thryonomyidae: cane rats ***************Parvorder Bathyergomorphi ****************Family Bathyergidae: mole-rats ****************Family † Bathyergoididae ***************Parvorder Caviida ****************Superfamily

Cavioidea Caviomorpha is the rodent parvorder that unites all New World hystricognaths. It is supported by both fossil and molecular phylogeny, molecular evidence. The Caviomorpha was for a time considered to be a separate order outside the Rodentia, but i ...

*****************Family Agoutidae: agoutis and pacas *****************Family † Eocardiidae *****************Family

: pacarana *****************Family Caviidae: cavies *****************Family Hydrochoeridae: capybara ****************Superfamily

Octodontoidea Caviomorpha is the rodent parvorder that unites all New World hystricognaths. It is supported by both fossil and molecular phylogeny, molecular evidence. The Caviomorpha was for a time considered to be a separate order outside the Rodentia, but i ...

*****************Family Octodontidae: degus, tuco-tucos *****************Family

: spiny rats, nutria *****************Family Capromyidae: hutias *****************Family †

****************Superfamily Chinchilloidea *****************Family

: chinchillas, viscachas *****************Family † Neoepiblemidae *****************Family Abrocomidae: rat chinchillas **********Grandorder Ferae ***********Order Cimolesta - pangolins and relatives ************Family † Palaeoryctidae ************Suborder † Didelphodonta *************Family † Cimolestidae ************Suborder † Apatotheria *************Family † Apatemyidae ************Suborder †

Taeniodonta Taeniodonta ("banded teeth") is an extinct order of eutherian mammals, that lived in North America and Europe from the late Cretaceous (Maastrichtian) to the middle Eocene. Taeniodonts evolved quickly into highly specialized digging animals ...

*************Family †

Stylinodontidae Stylinodontidae ("teeth with pilar-like fibers") is an extinct family of mammals from extinct superfamily Stylinodontoidea within extinct order Taeniodonta, that lived in North America from the early Paleocene to middle Eocene The Eocene ( ...

************Suborder † Tillodonta *************Family † Tillotheriidae ************Suborder †

Pantodonta Pantodonta is an extinct suborder (or, according to some, an Order (biology), order) of eutherian mammals. These herbivorous mammals were one of the first groups of large mammals to evolve (around 66 million years ago) after the K-T boundary, en ...

*************Family † Wangliidae *************Superfamily † Bemalambdoidea **************Family † Harpyodidae **************Family †

Bemalambdidae Bemalambdidae is an extinct family of pantodont mammals known from Early and Middle Paleocene of China. Description The bemalambdids are, along with '' Harpyodus'' and ''Alcidedorbignya'', the most primitive pantodonts. ''Hypsilolambda'' is k ...

*************Superfamily † Pantolambdoidea **************Family † Pastoralodontidae **************Family †

Titanoideidae ''Titanoides'' is an extinct genus of Pantodonta, pantodont mammal that lived in North Dakota and as far north as central Alberta. They were up to long and up to in weight, being the largest mammals of their habitat, a tropical swampland where ...

**************Family † Pantolambdidae **************Family † Barylambdidae **************Family † Cyriacotheriidae **************Family † Pantolambdodontidae *************Superfamily † Coryphodontoidea **************Family †

Coryphodontidae Coryphodontidae is an extinct family of pantodont mammals known from the Late Paleocene to the Middle Eocene of Eurasia and North America. The type genus '' Coryphodon'' is known from around the Paleocene-Eocene transition in Europe, western Uni ...

************Suborder † Pantolesta *************Family † Pantolestidae *************Family † Paroxyclaenidae *************Family † Ptolemaiidae ************Suborder

*************Family † Epoicotheriidae *************Family † Metacheiromyidae *************Family

: pangolins ************Suborder † Ernanodonta *************Family † Ernanodontidae ***********Order † Creodonta: creodonts ************Family †

Hyaenodontidae Hyaenodontidae ("hyena teeth") is a family of placental mammals in the extinct superfamily Hyaenodonta, Hyaenodontoidea. Hyaenodontids arose during the early Eocene and persisted well into the early Miocene. Fossils of this group have been found ...

************Family † Oxyaenidae ***********Order

************Suborder

*************Family † Viverravidae *************Family †

Nimravidae Nimravidae is an extinct family (biology), family of carnivorans, sometimes known as false saber-toothed cats, whose fossils are found in North America and Eurasia. Not considered to belong to the true cats (family Felidae), the nimravids are gen ...

*************Family

: cats *************Family

: civets, Asiatic palm civets *************Family Herpestidae: mongooses *************Family Hyaenidae: hyaenas, aardwolf *************Family Nandiniidae: African palm civets ************Suborder

*************Family † Miacidae *************Infraorder Cynoidea **************Family

: dogs *************Infraorder

Arctoidea Arctoidea is an Order (biology), infraorder of mostly Carnivore, carnivorous mammals which include the extinct Hemicyoninae, Hemicyonidae (dog-bears), and the extant Musteloidea (weasels, raccoons, skunks, red pandas), Pinniped, Pinnipedia (seals ...

**************Parvorder Ursida ***************Superfamily †Amphicyonoidea ****************Family † Amphicyonidae ***************Superfamily Ursoidea ****************Family

: bears ****************Family † Hemicyonidae ***************Superfamily Phocoidea ****************Family Otariidae: eared seals ****************Family Phocidae: seals, walrus **************Parvorder

Mustelida Arctoidea is an Order (biology), infraorder of mostly Carnivore, carnivorous mammals which include the extinct Hemicyoninae, Hemicyonidae (dog-bears), and the extant Musteloidea (weasels, raccoons, skunks, red pandas), Pinniped, Pinnipedia (seals ...

***************Family

: weasels, skunks, and relatives ***************Family Procyonidae: ringtails, olingos, kinkajou, raccoons, coatis, red panda **********Grandorder Lipotyphla ***********Family †

Adapisoriculidae Adapisoriculidae is an extinct Family (biology), family of non-placental eutherian mammals which was present during the Paleogene and possibly the Late Cretaceous. They were once thought to be members of the order Erinaceomorpha, closely related ...

************Order Chrysochloridea *************Family

: golden moles ************Order Erinaceomorpha *************Family † Sespedectidae *************Family † Amphilemuridae *************Family † Adapisoricidae *************Family † Creotarsidae *************Superfamily Erinaceoidea **************Family Erinaceidae: hedgehogs and relatives *************Superfamily Talpoidea **************Family † Proscalopidae **************Family

: moles **************Family † Dimylidae ************Order Soricomorpha *************Family † Otlestidae *************Family † Geolabididae *************Superfamily Soricoidea **************Family † Nesophontidae: recently extinct west Indian shrews **************Family † Micropternodontidae **************Family † Apternodontidae **************Family Solenodontidae: solenodons **************Family † Plesiosoricidae **************Family † Nyctitheriidae **************Family Soricidae: shrews *************Superfamily Tenrecoidea **************Family Tenrecidae: tenrecs **********Grandorder Archonta ***********Order

: bats ************Suborder Megachiroptera *************Family Pteropodidae: flying foxes ************Suborder Microchiroptera *************Family † Archaeonycteridae *************Family † Paleochiropterygidae *************Family † Hassianycterididae *************Family Emballonuridae: sac-winged bats *************Infraorder Yinochiroptera **************Superfamily Rhinopomatoidea ***************Family Rhinopomatidae: mouse-tailed bats ***************Family Craseonycteridae: bumblebee bats **************Superfamily

Rhinolophoidea Rhinolophoidea is a superfamily (taxonomy), superfamily of bats. It contains the following families: Craseonycteridae, Hipposideridae, Megadermatidae, Rhinolophidae, Rhinonycteridae, and Rhinopomatidae. It is one of two superfamilies that compris ...

***************Family Megadermatidae: false vampire bats ***************Family Nycteridae: hispid bats ***************Family Rhinolophidae: horseshoe and Old World leaf-nosed bats *************Infraorder Yangochiroptera **************Family

: New Zealand short-tailed bats **************Superfamily

Noctilionoidea Noctilionoidea is a Taxonomic rank, superfamily of bats containing seven families: Thyropteridae, Furipteridae, Noctilionidae, Mormoopidae, Phyllostomidae, Myzopodidae, and Mystacinidae. It is one of three superfamilies in the suborder Yangochir ...

***************Family Noctilionidae: fishing bats ***************Family

: spectacled bats ***************Family Phyllostomidae: New World leaf-nosed and vampire bats **************Superfamily

Vespertilionoidea Vespertilionoidea is a superfamily of bats containing five families: Cistugidae, Miniopteridae, Molossidae, Natalidae, and Vespertilionidae. It is one of three superfamilies in the suborder Yangochiroptera, the others being Noctilionoidea ...

***************Family † Philisidae ***************Family Molossidae: free-tailed bats ***************Family Natalidae: funnel-eared bats ***************Family

: smoky bats ***************Family

: New World sucker-footed bats ***************Family

: Old World sucker-footed bats ***************Family Vespertilionidae: common bats ***********Order

: primates ************Family † Purgatoriidae ************Family † Microsyopidae ************Family † Micromomyidae ************Family † Picromomyidae ************Family † Plesiadapidae ************Family † Palaechthonidae ************Family † Picrodontidae ************Suborder Dermoptera *************Family † Paramomyidae *************Family † Plagiomenidae *************Family † Mixodectidae *************Family Galeopithecidae: colugos ************Suborder Euprimates *************Infraorder

Strepsirrhini Strepsirrhini or Strepsirhini (; ) is a Order (biology), suborder of primates that includes the Lemuriformes, lemuriform primates, which consist of the lemurs of Fauna of Madagascar, Madagascar, galagos ("bushbabies") and pottos from Fauna of A ...

**************Family † Plesiopithecidae **************Superfamily Daubentonioidea ***************Family Daubentoniidae: aye-aye **************Superfamily Lemuroidea ***************Family †

Adapidae Adapidae is a family of extinct primates that primarily radiated during the Eocene epoch between about 55 and 34 million years ago. Adapid systematics and evolutionary relationships are controversial, but there is fairly good evidence from the ...

***************Family Lemuridae: lemurs **************Superfamily Loroidea ***************Family Lorisidae: lorises and galagos ***************Family Cheirogaleidae: dwarf lemurs **************Superfamily Indroidea ***************Family † Archaeolemuridae ***************Family † Palaeopropithecidae ***************Family Indriidae: indris and sifakas *************Infraorder

Haplorhini Haplorhini (), the haplorhines (Greek language, Greek for "simple-nosed") or the "dry-nosed" primates is a suborder of primates containing the Tarsiiformes, tarsiers and the simians (Simiiformes or anthropoids), as sister of the Strepsirrhini ("m ...

**************Parvorder

Tarsiiformes Tarsiiformes are a group of primates that once ranged across Europe, northern Africa, Asia, and North America, but whose extant species are all found in the islands of Southeast Asia. Tarsiers (family Tarsiidae) are the only living members of ...

***************Superfamily † Carpolestoidea ****************Family † Carpolestidae ***************Superfamily Tarsioidea ****************Family † Omomyidae ****************Family † Microchoeridae ****************Family † Afrotarsiidae ****************Family Tarsiidae: tarsiers **************Parvorder

Anthropoidea The simians, anthropoids, or higher primates are an infraorder (Simiiformes ) of primates containing all animals traditionally called monkeys and apes. More precisely, they consist of the parvorders Platyrrhini (New World monkeys) and Catar ...

***************Family †

Eosimiidae Eosimiidae is the possible family of extinct primates believed to be the earliest simians. Taxonomy When they were discovered, the possibility that eosimiids were outside and ancestral to simians was considered (Culotta 1992), but subsequent ...

***************Family † Parapithecidae ***************Superfamily Cercopithecoidea ****************Family † Pliopithecidae ****************Family

: Old World monkeys including colobuses ****************Family

: humans, greater apes, lesser apes ***************Superfamily Callitrichoidea Ceboidea of other authors">Ceboidea.html" ;"title="Ceboidea">Ceboidea of other authors****************Family

: marmosets ****************Family Atelidae [= Cebidae of other authors]: New World monkeys ***********Order Scandentia ************Family Tupaiidae: tree shrews **********Grandorder Ungulata: ungulates ***********Order Tubulidentata ************Family Orycteropodidae: aardvark ***********Order †

Dinocerata Dinocerata, from Ancient Greek (), "terrible", and (), "horn", or Uintatheria, is an extinct order of large herbivorous hoofed mammals with horns and protuberant canine teeth, known from the Paleocene and Eocene of Asia and North America. With ...

************Family † Uintatheriidae ***********Mirorder Eparctocyona ************Order † Procreodi *************Family † Oxyclaenidae *************Family † Arctocyonidae ************Order † Condylarthra *************Family † Hyopsodontidae *************Family † Mioclaenidae *************Family † Phenacodontidae *************Family † Periptychidae *************Family † Peligrotheriidae *************Family † Didolodontidae ************Order † Arctostylopida *************Family † Arctostylopidae ************Order Cete: whales and relatives *************Suborder † Acreodi **************Family † Triisodontidae **************Family † Mesonychidae: mesonychids **************Family † Hapalodectidae *************Suborder

**************Infraorder † Archaeoceti ***************Family † Basilosauridae ***************Family †

Protocetidae Protocetidae, the protocetids, form a paraphyletic, diverse and heterogeneous group of extinct cetaceans known from Asia, Europe, Africa, South America, and North America. Description There were many genera, and some of these are very well kno ...

***************Family † Remingtonocetidae **************Infraorder Autoceta ***************Family † Agorophiidae ***************Superfamily † Squalodontoidea ****************Family † Squalodontidae ****************Family † Rhabdosteidae ***************Parvorder

****************Family † Aetiocetidae ****************Family † Mammalodontidae ****************Family † Cetotheriidae ****************Family Balaenopteridae: rorquals and grey whales ****************Family

: right and bowhead whales ***************Parvorder Odontoceti ****************Superfamily Physeteroidea *****************Family Physeteridae: sperm whales ****************Superfamily Hyperoodontoidea *****************Family Hyperoodontidae: beaked whales ****************Superfamily Platanistoidea *****************Family Platanistidae: river dolphins ****************Superfamily Delphinoidea *****************Family Delphinidae: dolphins *****************Family Pontoporiidae: La Plata River dolphin *****************Family Lipotidae: baiiji *****************Family Iniidae: Amazon River dolphin *****************Family † Kentridontidae *****************Family Monodontidae: beluga and narwhal *****************Family † Odobenocetopsidae *****************Family † Dalpiazinidae *****************Family † Acrodelphinidae *****************Family Phocoenidae: porpoises *****************Family † Albireonidae *****************Family † Hemisyntrachelidae ************Order

: even-toed ungulates *************Suborder Suiformes **************Family † Raoellidae **************Family † Choeropotamidae **************Superfamily Suoidea ***************Family

: pigs ***************Family Tayassuidae: peccaries ***************Family † Santheriidae ***************Family Hippopotamidae: hippos **************Superfamily † Dichobunoidea ***************Family † Dichobunidae ***************Family † Cebochoeridae ***************Family † Mixtotheriidae *****************Family † Helohyidae **************Superfamily † Anthracotherioidea ***************Family † Haplobunodontidae ***************Family † Anthracotheriidae **************Superfamily † Anoplotherioidea ***************Family † Dacrytheriidae ***************Family † Anoplotheriidae ***************Family † Cainotheriidae **************Superfamily †Oreodontoidea ***************Family † Agriochoeridae ***************Family † Oreodontidae **************Superfamily †Entelodontoidea ***************Family † Entelodontidae *************Suborder Tylopoda **************Family † Xiphodontidae **************Superfamily Cameloidea ***************Family

: camels and llamas ***************Family † Oromerycidae **************Superfamily † Protoceratoidea ***************Family † Protoceratidae *************Suborder

**************Family † Amphimerycidae **************Family † Hypertragulidae **************Family Tragulidae: mouse deer **************Family † Leptomerycidae **************Family † Bachitheriidae **************Family † Lophiomerycidae **************Family † Gelocidae **************Superfamily Cervoidea ***************Family Moschidae: musk deer ***************Family

: pronghorn ***************Family † Palaeomerycidae ***************Family † Hoplitomerycidae ***************Family Cervidae: deer **************Superfamily Giraffoidea ***************Family † Climacoceratidae ***************Family

: giraffe and okapi **************Superfamily Bovoidea ***************Family

: cattle, antelope, and relatives ***********Mirorder † Meridiungulata ************Family † Perutheriidae ************Family † Amilnedwardsiidae ************Order † Litopterna *************Family † Protolipternidae *************Superfamily † Macrauchenioidea **************Family † Macraucheniidae **************Family † Notonychopidae **************Family † Adianthidae *************Superfamily † Proterotherioidea **************Family †

Proterotheriidae Proterotheriidae is an extinction, extinct family of Litopterna, litoptern ungulates known from the Eocene-Late Pleistocene of South America. Members of the group were small-medium sized cursorial Herbivore, herbivores with brachydont Tooth, teet ...

************Order †

Notoungulata Notoungulata is an extinct order of ungulates that inhabited South America from the early Paleocene to the end of the Pleistocene, living from approximately 61 million to 11,000 years ago. Notoungulates were morphologically diverse, with forms re ...

: notoungulates *************Suborder † Notioprogonia **************Family † Henricosborniidae **************Family † Notostylopidae *************Suborder † Toxodontia **************Family † Isotemnidae **************Family † Leontiniidae **************Family † Notohippidae **************Family † Toxodontidae **************Family † Homalodotheriidae *************Suborder † Typotheria **************Family † Archaeopithecidae **************Family † Oldfieldthomasiidae **************Family † Interatheriidae **************Family † Campanorcidae **************Family † Mesotheriidae *************Suborder † Hegetotheria **************Family †

Archaeohyracidae Archaeohyracidae is an extinct family of Notoungulata, notoungulate mammals known from the Paleocene through the Oligocene of South America.McKenna, Malcolm C., and Bell, Susan K. 1997. ''Classification of Mammals Above the Species Level.'' Colum ...

**************Family † Hegetotheriidae ************Order † Astrapotheria *************Family † Eoastrapostylopidae *************Family † Trigonostylopidae *************Family † Astrapotheriidae ************Order † Xenungulata *************Family † Carodniidae ************Order †

Pyrotheria Pyrotheria is an order (biology), order of extinct South American native ungulates, meridiungulate mammals. These elephant-like ungulates include the genus, genera ''Baguatherium'', ''Carolozittelia'', ''Colombitherium'', ''Griphodon'', ''Propyr ...

*************Family † Pyrotheriidae ***********Mirorder Altungulata ************Order

: odd-toed ungulates *************Suborder Hippomorpha **************Family

: horses **************Family †

Palaeotheriidae Palaeotheriidae is an extinct family of herbivorous perissodactyl mammals that inhabited Europe, with less abundant remains also known from Asia, from the mid-Eocene to the early Oligocene. They are classified in Equoidea, along with the livin ...

*************Suborder Ceratomorpha **************Infraorder † Selenida ***************Superfamily † Brontotherioidea ****************Family † Brontotheriidae ****************Family † Anchilophidae ***************Superfamily † Chalicotherioidea ****************Family † Eomoropidae ****************Family † Chalicotheriidae **************Infraorder Tapiromorpha ***************Superfamily

Rhinocerotoidea Rhinocerotoidea is a superfamily (taxonomy), superfamily of Perissodactyla, perissodactyls that appeared 56 million years ago in the Paleocene. They included four extinct families, the Amynodontidae, the Hyracodontidae, the Paraceratheriidae, an ...

****************Family †

Hyracodontidae The Hyracodontidae are an extinction, extinct Family (biology), family of rhinocerotoids endemic to North America, Europe, and Asia during the Eocene through early Oligocene, living from 48.6 to 26.3 million years ago (Mya), existing about . The ...

****************Family Rhinocerotidae: rhinoceroses ***************Superfamily Tapiroidea ****************Family † Helaletidae ****************Family † Isectolophidae ****************Family † Lophiodontidae ****************Family † Deperetellidae ****************Family † Lophialetidae ****************Family Tapiridae: tapirs ************Order Uranotheria: elephants, manatees, hyraxes, and relatives *************Suborder Hyracoidea ***************Family †

Pliohyracidae Hyraxes (), also called dassies, are small, stout, thickset, herbivorous mammals in the family (biology), family Procaviidae within the Order (biology), order Hyracoidea. Hyraxes are well-furred, rotund animals with short tails. Modern hyraxes ...

***************Family

: hyraxes *************Suborder † Embrithopoda **************Family † Phenacolophidae **************Family † Arsinoitheriidae *************Suborder Tethytheria **************Infraorder Sirenia: manatees, dugong, and sea cow ***************Family †

Prorastomidae Prorastomidae is a Family (biology), family of Extinction, extinct sirenians from Jamaica, related to the Extant taxon, extant manatees and dugong. The family includes the oldest known fossils of Sirenians, represented in two genera: *''Pezosiren ...

***************Family Dugongidae: dugongs ***************Family Trichechidae: manatees **************Infraorder Behemota ***************Parvorder † Desmostylia ****************Family †

Desmostylidae Desmostylidae is an extinct family of herbivorous marine mammals belonging to the order of Desmostylia. They lived in the coastal waters of the northern Pacific Ocean from the Early Oligocene (Rupelian) through the Late Miocene (Tortonian) (33. ...

***************Parvorder

****************Family † Anthracobunidae ****************Family † Moeritheriidae ****************Family † Numidotheriidae ****************Family † Barytheriidae ****************Family † Deinotheriidae ****************Family † Palaeomastodontidae ****************Family †Phiomiidae ****************Family †Hemimastodontidae ****************Superfamily ‡Mammutoidea *****************Family †Mammutidae: mastodons and relatives ****************Superfamily Elephantoidea *****************Family †Gomphotheriidae: gomphotheres *****************Family

: modern elephants

Luo, Kielan-Jaworowska, and Cifelli classification

Several important fossil mammal discoveries have been made that have led researchers to question many of the relationships proposed by McKenna and Bell (1997). Additionally, researchers are subjecting taxonomic hypotheses to more rigorous cladistic analyses of early mammal fossils. Luo et al. (2002) summarized existing ideas and proposed new ideas of relationships among mammals at the most Basal (phylogenetics), basal level. They argued that the term mammal should be defined based on characters (especially the dentary-squamosal jaw articulation) instead of a crown-based definition (the group that contains most recent common ancestor of monotremes and therians and all of its descendants). Their definition of Mammalia is roughly equal to the Mammaliaformes as defined by McKenna and Bell (1997) and other authors. They also define their taxonomic levels as clades and do not apply Rank (zoology), Linnean hierarchies. Mammalia *†''Sinoconodon'' - earliest and most basal of mammals *Unnamed clade 1 - a clade that contains all other mammals. These are characterized by determinant growth and occlusal features of the cheek teeth. **†Morganucodontidae - morganucodontids, including †''Morganucodon'', †''Megazostrodon'', and others **†Docodonta - docodonts, including †''Haldanodon'' and †''Castorocauda'' (Ji et al., 2006) **Unnamed clade 2 - a clade containing all living mammals and some fossil relatives. It is characterized by the loss of a postdentary trough and a widened braincase. ***†''Hadrocodium'' ***†''Kuehneotherium'' ***Crown-group

- the group that contains most recent common ancestor of monotremes and therians and all of its descendants. This group is defined by additional characters relating the occlusion of Molar (tooth), molars and the presence of a well-developed masseteric fossa. ****Australosphenida - a clade that contains monotremes and their fossil relatives. These fossils include †''Ambondro'', †''Asfaltomylos'', †''Ausktribosphenos'', and †''Bishops''. If correct, this clade represents an independent evolution of the tribosphenic molar in Gondwana, southern continents. **** Trechnotheria -

ns, Spalacotheriidae, spalacotheriids and their relatives. They are characterized by features of the scapula, tibia, and humerus. *****† Spalacotheriidae - including ''Akidolestes'', ''Zhangheotherium'', and ''Maotherium''. ***** Cladotheria - Therians, Dryolestidae, dryolestids, and their relatives. They are characterized by features of the tribosphenic molar and the angular process of the dentary. ******† Dryolestidae ******†''Amphitherium'' - ''incertae sedis'' (it may be a prototribosphenidan) ******Prototribosphenida - Therians and fossil relatives including †''Vincelestes''. Characterized by features of the cochlea including coiling. *******†''Vincelestes'' ******* Zatheria - Therians and fossil relatives including the "peramurids". Characterized by the presence of wear in the talonid of the lower molars. ********†" Peramuridae" - †''Peramus'' and relatives. Known only from preserved mandibles and distinctly zatherian molars. ********Boreosphenida - Therians and fossil relatives including †''Kielantherium''. They are characterized by molar features. *********†''Kielantherium'' *********†

including †''Deltatheridium'' - ''incertae sedis'' (it may represent a metatherian) *********Crown-group

- the group that contains most recent common ancestor of marsupials and

s and all of its descendants. Characterized by a host of molar features, aspects of the alispenoid, and aspects of the talus bone, astragalus region. ****†Eutriconodonta - ''incertae sedis''. Triconodonts appear to be a member of the crown-Mammalia clade, but their relationships within it are unknown. It is also not certain that they represent a monophyly, monophyletic group. Examples include ''Repenomamus''. ***†

- ''incertae sedis''. Luo e al. (2002) argue that multituberculates cannot be confidently placed in a particular clade of mammals. They suggest that they represent either basal mammals or are sister to the Trechnotheria.

Simplified classification for non-specialists

The following classification is a simplified version based on current understanding suitable for non-specialists who want to understand how living genera are related to each other. The classification ignores differences in levels and thus cannot be used to estimate the respective distances between taxa. It also ignores taxa that became extinct in pre-historic times. Finally, English names are preferred whenever they exist. This makes it especially suited for non-specialists who wish to gain an easy overview. For the full picture, the non-simplified versions above should be consulted. *Monotremes (prototheria): echidnas and platypus **Platypus (ornithorhynchids) **Echidnas (tachyglossids) *Live-bearing mammals (theria) **Marsupials ***Opossums (didelphids) ***Shrew opossums (caenolestids) ***Australodelphia: Australian marsupials and monito del Monte ****Monito del Monte ****Dasyuromorphs *****Dasyurids: antechinuses, quolls, dunnarts, Tasmanian devil, and allies *****Numbat ****Peramelemorphs: bilbies and bandicoots *****Bilbies (thylacomyids) *****Bandicoots (peramelids) ****Marsupial moles (notoryctids) ****Diprotodonts *****Koala *****Wombats (vombatids) *****Phalangerids: brushtail possums and cuscuses *****Pygmy possums (burramyids) *****Honey possum *****Petaurids: striped and Leadbeater's possums, and yellow-bellied, suger, mahogany and squirrel glider *****Ringtailed possums (pseudocheirids) *****Potorids: potoroos, rat kangaroos and bettongs *****Acrobatids: feathertail glider and feather-tailed possum *****Musky rat-kangaroo *****Macropods: kangaroos, wallabies and allies **Placentals ***Atlantic placentals (atlantogenatans) ****Afroplacentals (afrotherians) *****Afroinsectiphilians: elephant shrews, tenrecs, otter shrews, golden moles, and aardvark ******Elephant shrews (macroscelidids) ******Afrosoricids: tenrecs and golden moles *******Tenrecids: tenrecs and otter shrews *******Golden moles (chrysochlorids) ******Aardvark *****Paenungulates: hyraxes, elephants, dugongs and manatees ******Hyraxes or dassies (procaviids) ******Elephants (elephantids) ******Sirenians: dugong and manatees *******Dugong *******Manatees (trichechids) ****Xenarthrans *****Pilosans: sloths and anteaters ******Anteaters (vermilinguans) *******Silky anteater *******Myrmecophagids: giant anteater and tamanduas ******Sloths (folivorans) *******Three-toed sloths (bradypodids) *******Two-toed sloths (megalonychids) *****Armadillos (dasypodids) ***Northern placentals (boreoeutherians) ****Supraprimates (euarchontoglires) *****Euarchontans: treeshrews, colugos and primates ******Treeshrews (scandentians) *******Tupaiids: all treeshrews except pen-tailed *******Pen-tailed treeshrew ******Colugos or flying lemurs (cynocephalids) ******Primates *******Strepsirrhines: lemur- and loris-like primates ********Lemur-like primates (lemuriforms) *********Cheirogaleids: dwarf lemurs and mouse-lemurs *********Aye-aye *********True lemurs (lemurids) *********Sportive lemurs (lepilemurids) *********Indriids: woolly lemurs and allies ********Loris-like primates (lorisiforms) *********Lorisids: lorises, pottos and allies *********Galagos (galagids) *******Haplorhines: tarsiers, monkeys and apes ********Tarsiers (tarsiids) ********Anthropoid primates *********New World monkeys (platyrrhines) **********Callitrichids: marmosets and tamarins **********Cebids: capuchins and squirrel monkeys **********Aotids: night or owl monkeys **********Pitheciids: titis, sakis and uakaris **********Atelids: howler, spider, woolly spider, and woolly monkeys *********Catarrhines **********Old World monkeys (cercopithecids) **********Hominoid primates ***********Gibbons (hylobatids) ***********Great apes (hominids): incl. Humans *****Glires: pikas, rabbits, hares, and rodents ******Lagomorphs: pikas, rabbits and hares *******Leporids: rabbits and hares *******Pikas (ochotonids) ******Rodents *******Anomalure-like rodents (anomaluromorphs): Scaly-tailed squirrels and springhares ********Scaly-tailed squirrels or anomalures (anomalurids) ********Springhares (pedetids) *******Beaver-like rodents (castorimorphs) ********Beavers (castorids) ********Gopher-like rodents (geomyoid rodents) *********Pocket or true gophers (geomyids) *********Heteromyids: kangaroo rats and kangaroo mice *******Porcupine-like rodents (hystricomorphs) ********Laotian rock rat ********Gundis (ctenodactylids) ********Hystricognaths *********African mole rats (bathyergids) *********Old World porcupines (hystricids) *********Dassie rat *********Cane rats (thryonomyids) *********Cavy-like rodents (caviomorphs) **********Chinchilla rats (abrocomids) **********Hutias (capromyids) **********Cavies (caviids): incl. Guinea pigs and capybara **********Chinchillids: chinchillas and viscachas **********Tuco-tucos (ctenomyids) **********Agoutis (dasyproctids) **********Pacas (cuniculids) **********Pacarana **********Spiny rats (echymyids) **********New World porcupines (erethizontids) **********Myocastorids: nutria and coypu **********Octodonts (octodontids): Andean rock-rats, degus and viscacha-rats *******Mouse-like rodents (myomorphs) ********Dipodids: jerboas and jumping mice ********Muroid rodents *********Mouse-like hamsters (calomyscids) *********Cricetids: hamsters, New World rats and mice, voles *********Murids: true mice and rats, gerbils, spiny mice, crested rat *********Nesomyids: climbing mice, rock mice, white-tailed rat, Malagasy rats and mice *********Spiny dormice (platacanthomyids) *********Spalacids: mole rats, bamboo rats, and zokors *******Squirrel-like rodents (sciuromorphs) ********Mountain beaver ********Dormice (glirids) ********Squirrels (sciurids): incl. chipmunks, prairie dogs, and marmots ****Laurasian placentals (laurasiatherians) *****Hedgehogs (erinaceids) *****Soricomorphs: moles, shrews, solenodons ******Shrews (soricids) ******Moles (talpids) ******Solenodons (solenodontids) *****Ferungulates: ungulates, cetaceans, bats, pangolins and carnivorans ******Cetartiodactyls: even-toed ungulates and cetaceans *******Camelids: camels and llamas *******Swine (suinans): pigs and peccaries ********Pigs (suids) ********Peccaries (tayassuids) *******Cetruminantians: cetaceans, hippos and ruminants ********Cetancodonts: cetaceans and hippos *********Cetaceans: Whales, dolphins and porpoises **********Baleen whales (mysticetes) ***********Balaenids: right whales and bowhead whale ***********Rorquals (balaenopterids) ***********Gray whale ***********Pygmy right whale **********Toothed whales (odontocetes) ***********Dolphins (delphinids) ***********Monodontids: beluga and narwhal ************Beluga ************Narwhal ***********Porpoises (phocoenids) ***********Sperm whale ***********Kogiids: pygmy and dwarf sperm whale ***********River dolphins (platanistoid whales) ************Iniids: Amazon and Bolivian river dolphin ************La Plata dolphin ************Platanistids: Ganges and Indus river dolphins ***********Beaked whales (ziphids) *********Hippos (hippopotamids) ********Ruminantiamorphs: chevrotains, pronghorn, giraffes, musk deer, deer, and bovids *********Chevrotains (tragulids) *********Pecorans **********Pronghorn **********Giraffids: giraffe and okapi **********Musk deer (moschids) **********Deer (cervids) **********Bovids: cattle, goats, sheep and antelope ******Pegasoferans: bats, odd-toed ungulates, pangolins and carnivorans *******Bats (chiropterans) ********Megabats (pteropodids) ********Microbats (microchiropterans) *********Sac-winged or sheath-tailed bats (emballonurids) *********Rhinopomatoid bats **********Mouse-tailed bats (rhinopomatids) **********Bumblebee bat or Kitti's hog-nosed bat *********Rhinolophoid bats **********Horseshoe bats (rhinolophids) **********Hollow-faced or slit-faced bats (nycterids) **********False vampires (megadermatids) *********Vesper bats or evening bats (vespertilionids) *********Molossoid bats **********Free-tailed bats (molossids) **********Pallid bats (antrozoids) *********Nataloid bats **********Funnel-eared bats (natalids) **********Sucker-footed bats (myzopodids) **********Disc-winged bats (thyropterids) **********Smoky bats (furipterids) *********Noctilionoid bats **********Bulldog or fisherman bats (noctilionids) **********New Zealand short-tailed bats (mystacinids) **********Ghost-faced or moustached bats (mormoopids) **********Leaf-nosed bats (phyllostomids) *******Zooamatans: odd-toed ungulates, pangolins and carnivorans ********Odd-toed ungulates (perissodactyls) *********Horses (equids) *********Ceratomorphs **********Tapirs (tapirids) **********Rhinoceroses (rhinocerotids) ********Ferans *********Pangolins or scaly anteaters (manids) *********Carnivorans **********Cat-like carnivorans (feliforms) ***********African palm civet ***********Feloid carnivorans ************Asiatic linsangs (prionodontids) ************Cats (felids) ***********Viverroid carnivorans ************Viverrids: civets and allies ************Herpestoid carnivorans *************Hyaenids: hyenas and aardwolf *************Malagasy carnivorans (euplerids) *************Herpestids: mongooses and allies **********Dog-like carnivorans (caniforms) ***********Canids: dogs and allies ***********Arctoid carnivorans ************Bears (ursids) ************Musteloid carnivorans *************Red panda *************Mephitids: skunks and stink badgers *************Mustelids: weasels, martens, badgers, wolverines, minks, ferrets and otters *************Procyonids: raccoons and allies ************Pinnipeds *************Walrus *************Otariids: sea lions, eared seals, fur seals *************True seals (phocids)

References

* * Wilson, Don E. and Deeann M. Reeder (eds). (1993.) ''Mammal Species of the World''. Smithsonian Institution Press, 1206 pp. * McKenna, Malcolm C. and Bell, Susan K. (1997.) ''Classification of Mammals Above the Species Level.'' Columbia University Press, New York, 631 pp. * Nowak, Ronald M. (1999.) ''Walker's Mammals of the World'', 6th edition. Johns Hopkins University Press, 1936 pp. * Vaughan, Terry A., James M. Ryan and Nicholas J. Capzaplewski. (2000.) ''Mammalogy: Fourth Edition''. Saunders College Publishing, 565 pp. (Brooks Cole, 1999) * * * {{cite journal , last1=Ji , first1=Q. , last2=Luo , first2=Z.-X. , last3=Yuan , first3=C.-X. , last4=Tabrum , first4=A. R. , year=2006 , title=A swimming mammaliaform from the Middle Jurassic and ecomorphological diversification of early mammals , journal=Science , volume=311 , issue=5764 , pages=1123–1127 , doi=10.1126/science.1123026 , pmid=16497926, bibcode=2006Sci...311.1123J , s2cid=46067702 , url=http://doc.rero.ch/record/13437/files/PAL_E249.pdf Mammal taxonomy, Mammal classification Systems of animal taxonomy

Molecular classification of placentals

Atlantogenata Atlantogenata ("born around the Atlantic Ocean") is a proposed magnorder of placental mammals containing the cohorts or superorders Xenarthra and Afrotheria. These groups originated and radiated in the South American and African continents, ...

Afrotheria Afrotheria ( from Latin ''Afro-'' "of Africa" + ''theria'' "wild beast") is a superorder of placental mammals, the living members of which belong to groups that are either currently living in Africa or of African origin: golden moles, elephan ...

Xenarthra Xenarthra (; from Ancient Greek ξένος, xénos, "foreign, alien" + ἄρθρον, árthron, "joint") is a superorder and major clade of placental mammals native to the Americas. There are 31 living species: the anteaters, tree sloths, and ...

Boreoeutheria Boreoeutheria (, "northern eutherians") is a magnorder of Placentalia, placental mammals that groups together superorders Euarchontoglires and Laurasiatheria. The clade includes groups as diverse as giraffes, Sus (genus), pigs, zebras, Rhinoceros ...

Euarchontoglires

Laurasiatheria Laurasiatheria (; "Laurasian beasts") is a superorder of Placentalia, placental mammals that groups together true insectivores (eulipotyphlans), bats (chiropterans), carnivorans, pangolins (Pholidota, pholidotes), even-toed ungulates (Artiodacty ...

Standardized textbook classification

Subclass Prototheria/Yinotheria Yinotheria is a proposed basal subclass clade of crown mammals uniting the Shuotheriidae, an extinct group of mammals from the Jurassic of Eurasia, with Australosphenida, a group of mammals known from the Jurassic to Cretaceous of Gondwana, which ...

Subclass Theria Theria ( or ; ) is a scientific classification, subclass of mammals amongst the Theriiformes. Theria includes the eutherians (including the Placentalia, placental mammals) and the metatherians (including the marsupials) but excludes the egg-lay ...

McKenna/Bell classification

Subclass Prototheria

Subclass Theriiformes

Luo, Kielan-Jaworowska, and Cifelli classification

Simplified classification for non-specialists

See also

References

Subclass Prototheria/
Yinotheria Yinotheria is a proposed basal subclass clade of crown mammals uniting the Shuotheriidae, an extinct group of mammals from the Jurassic of Eurasia, with Australosphenida, a group of mammals known from the Jurassic to Cretaceous of Gondwana, which ...

Subclass
Theria Theria ( or ; ) is a scientific classification, subclass of mammals amongst the Theriiformes. Theria includes the eutherians (including the Placentalia, placental mammals) and the metatherians (including the marsupials) but excludes the egg-lay ...