World's ungulates

The world's extant (living) ungulates belong to 3 orders:

[Proboscideae | Perissodactyla | Cetartiodactyla]

There are about 204 species but the number keeps changing as animals are reclassified, species are forced to extinction and new species are found (4 since 1965).

The arrangement of species, subspecies and other taxonomic levels is in a state of flux. This is particularly applicable to the wild pigs.  New genetic technologies offer new insights into evolutionary relationships.  The sub-specific status of wood and plains bison or Rocky mountain and Manitoba wapiti continues to be debated.

Although many species are now rare and endangered, few have actually been driven to extinction in this century.  Rhinos have experienced the most precipitous decline in recent years. The status of the world’s fauna and flora is maintained in the IUCN Red Data Book.

When the okapi was discovered early in this century, many believed it would be the last large mammal to be added to the list of extant species. After all, people were everywhere and large mammals should be hard to miss.  However, the discovery of the Chacoan peccary (Catagonus) in 1965 raised the possibility of new discoveries.  A "rash" of recent discoveries in southeast Asia followed the military stabilization of the region.  The new additions include Sus bucculentus, the Vietnamese ox and three new muntjacs.  

The University of Edinburgh maintains a particularly complete taxonomic hierarchy of living and extinct ungulates.

Taxonomic organization of the world's ungulates

Order

Suborder

Family

Subfamily

Tribe

Genus

Proboscideae

 

Elephantidae

 

 

Elephas

Loxodonta

Perissodactyla

 

Tapiridae

 

 

Tapirus

 

Rhinocerotidae

 

 

Rhinoceros

Diceros

Ceratotherium

 

Equidae

 

 

Equus (Equus)

Equus (Asinus)

Equus (Dolichohippus)

Equus (Hippotigris)

Cetartiodactyla

Cetacea

 

 

 

Whales

 

 

 

 

 

Suina

Suidae

 

 

Sus

Babyrusa

Phacochoerus

Hylochoerus

Potamochoerus

Tayassuidae

 

 

Tayassu

Catagonus

Hippopotamidae

 

 

Hippopotamus

Choeropsis

Tylopoda

Camellidae

 

 

Camelus

Llama

Vicugna

Tragulina

Tragulidae

 

 

Tragulus

Hyemoschus

Ruminantia

Giraffidae

 

 

Giraffa

Okapia

Moschidae

 

 

Moschus

Cervidae

Cervinae

 

Cervus

Axis

Elaphurus

Dama

 

Muntiacinae

 

Muntiacus

Megamuntiacus

Elaphodus

 

Hydropotinae

 

Hydropotes

 

Odocoileinae

Odocoilini

Odocoileus

Ozotocerus

Blastocerus

Pudu

Capreolini

Capreolus

Alcini

Alces

Rangiferini

Rangifer

Antilocapridae

 

 

Antilocapra

Bovidae[1]

Bovinae

Bovini

Bos

Bibos

Bison

Bubalus

Syncerus

Pseudonovibos (?)

Tragelaphini

Tragelaphus

Taurotragus

Boselaphini

Boselaphus

Tetraceros

Pseudorygini

Pseudoryx

Caprinae

Caprini

Capra

Ovis

Ammotragus

Hemitragus

Pseudois

Rupicaprini

Rupicapra

Oreamnos

Ovibovini

Ovibos

Budorcas

Naemorhedini

Naemorhedus

Capricornis

Myotragus

Antilopinae

Antilopini

Antilope

Ammodorcas

Gazella

Litocranius

Procapra

Antidorcas

Nanger

Saiga

Neotragini

Neotragus

Raphicerus

Oreotragus

Ourebia

Madoqua

Dorcatragus

Pantholopini

Pantholops

Hippotraginae

 

Hippotragus

Addax

Oryx

Reduncinae

 

Redunca

Kobus

Alcelaphinae

 

Alcelaphus

Damaliscus

Connochaetes

Beatragus

Sigmoceros

Aepycerotinae

 

Aepyceros

Cephalophinae

 

Cephalophus

Sylvicapra

Philantomba

Peleinae

 

Pelea

 

Selected References

The Ultimate Ungulate

BBC Walking with beasts

Biodiversity and Conservation

Electronic Zoo - NetVet

Even-toed Hoofed Mammals

Introduction to Phylogeny

New large mammal species in Vietnam

NCBI Taxonomy Browser (Ruminantia)

Taxonomy of Life - Class Mammalia

The Animal Diversity Web

 

 

 

 



[1] Grubb, P. 2001. Review of family-group names of living bovids. J. Mammal. 82: 374-388.