Order Pholidota

Common name pangolin
# of Genera 1
# of Species 7
Distribution Africa, S.E. Asia



  1. General characteristics of the order

    1. Name means "scaly ones"
    2. Major diagnostic character is the scales that cover their bodies

      1. Made of keratinized epidermis
      2. Periodically replaced as they wear and fall out
      3. Leaf shaped
      4. Cover top of head, top and sides of body and limbs, and entire tail
      5. Parts without scales are hairy

    3. Arboreal ones have prehensile tails, terrestrial ones have short tails
    4. Long, tubular rostrum
    5. Long sticky tongues (extends all the way back into the chest cavity when retracted)
    6. No teeth
    7. Horny epithelium with "teeth" in the pyloric region for smashing insects
    8. Digging limbs

      1. Plantigrade
      2. 5 digits
      3. Long claws

  1. Ecology and behavior

    1. Insectivorous
      video
    2. Some are terrestrial, some arboreal

    3. Roll into a ball as an antipreditor defense

Order Carnivora

Comon name dogs, cats, bears
Families 15
Genera 126
Species 287
Distribution Nearly worldwide
  1. Name means "flesh eater"

  2. Range in size from least weasel (mouse-sized) to Kodiak brown bear (terrestrial; up to 800 kg) and male southern elephant seal (aquatic; 3600 kg)

  3. General characteristics

    1. Teeth

      1. Canine teeth
      2. Carnassial pair (blade-like fourth pre-molar and first molar) (Fig. 15.4)

    1. Sharply defined mandibular fossa, where mandible articulates with cranium (some species)
    2. Long rostrum with complex turbinal bones
    3. Well developed anal glands

  1. Modes of life (terrestrial, semi-aquatic or aquatic)

    1. Terrestrial and semi-aquatic forms

      1. Plantigrade or digitigrade (depending on extent of cursoriality)
      2. Four or five toes to each foot
      3. Long, sharp claws on all digits
      4. fusion of wrist bones

    1. Aquatic forms (pinnipeds)

      1. Limbs enclosed within body up to knees and elbows
      2. Elongated metatarsals and metacarpals, webbing between digits to produce flippers
      3. Large body size
      4. Blubber
      5. Nostrils are slits that must be forced open
      6. Nipples and external genitalia are withdrawn into slits
      7. Most breed and all give birth on land, molt on land
      8. Respiratory system adaptations
      9. Controversy over whether or not pinnipeds probably not are monophyletic
        • Once placed in their own order
        • Later thought that Otaraiidae and Otobenidae were most closely related to Ursidae (bears) and Phocidae were most closely related to Mustelidae (weasels)
        • Most recently, again considered monophyletic...

  1. Phylogenetic history and selected families

    1. Felidae (cats)
      skull

    2. Hyaenidae (hyaenas, aardwolf)


    3. Herpestidae and Eupleridae (mongooses, meerkats)
      skull

    4. Viverridae (civets)
      skull

    5. Canidae (dogs, wolves, foxes, jackals)

    6. Mustelidae (weasels, otters)
      skull

    7. Procyonidae (racoons)

    8. Ursidae (bears)

    9. Otariidae (eared seals)

    10. Odobenidae (walrus)

    11. Phocidae (earless seals)