All living creatures are classified by a seven-level
system. The top level is kingdom, followed by phylum, and
then class. In this particular case, the system is animalia,
chordata, and the mammalia, or mammals. Mammals are animals
which are warm-blooded, have fur, and live young. They are
classified further into 3 subclasses and then into 26 orders.
Mammals make up a significant portion of the visible species on
earth, and include humans and all house pets.
The first subclass is called Eutheria. In includes
these orders: Artiodactyla (deer, camels, pigs, cows, sheep, etc.),
Carnivora (cats, bears, etc.), Cetacea (whales, dolphins),
Chiroptera (bats), Insectivora (hedgehogs, moles, shrews),
Lagomorpha (rabbits, hares), Perissodactyla (horses, rhinos,
tapirs), Primates (apes, monkeys, lemurs, people), Proboscidea
(elephants, etc.), Rodentia (rats, etc.), Sirenia (sea cows,
manatees), Tubulidentata (aardvarks), and more
(https://allaplusessays.com/order). These are the most
familiar mammals to people, and it is also the largest
subclass. Other subclasses are Metatheria (marsupials) and
Protheria.
Each order contains a number of different animals, which are
all similar to each other in certain ways. For example,
“artiodactlya” contains animals that have an even number of toes,
while “perissodactyla” contains animals that have an odd number of
toes. Both classes are similar, in that they both have large
animals. “Primates” is possibly the most familiar class, and
it contains humans and monkeys, which are very similar, in having
body hair and opposable thumbs.
Classifying mammals allows scientists to understand the features
of the different groups. While all mammals reproduce sexually
and have live young, the gestational periods are different in
different classes. Knowing the differences helps to
understand the different animals that scientists and people
encounter.
Mammal classifications are very helpful in understanding the
similarities and differences between types of animals. It
helps scientists to understand and order the world around them, and
is a useful and necessary system.
