Mammal Orders and Families
Below is a current list of mammal families and higher taxonomic groups compiled for the course Mammal Diversity and Evolution (ANAT/BIOL 345/445). Click the name to hear its pronunciation.
It is primarily based on Wilson and Reeder (2005), though it also includes various extinct families and recent taxonomic updates to extant families based on the scientific literature. I have divided the taxonomic groups into three categories. If you are a currently a student in the course, here is what the different categories mean in terms of the mid-term and final exam.
1. Families in italics:
- You DO NOT need to know the names or characteristics of these families.
- You DO NOT need to be able identify the skulls of these families on a practical exam, at least not to family.
2. Groups marked with an asterisk (*):
- You DO need to know the names of these groups.
- You DO need to know how to identify members of these groups from a photo, their general morphology and ecology, etc.
- You DO NOT need to be able to identify the skulls of these groups on a practical exam, though you DO need to be able to refer them to the correct higher-level group. For example, you will not be asked to refer a skull of Genetta to the Family Viverridae, but you might be asked to identify it as a carnivoran or a feliform.
3. All other groups:
- You DO need to know the names of these groups.
- You DO need to know how to identify them from a photo, their general morphology and ecology, etc.
- You DO need to be able to identify the skulls of these groups on a practical exam.
- You DO need to know which names correspond to orders and families.
- You DO need to know the hierarchical relationships of these groups
- You DO NOT need to know the ranks of groups other than orders and families.
All supraordinal groups are in caps or bod. This is only done to help clarify their hierarchical relationships. The hierarchical relationships of subordinal groups are indicated by the degree of indentation. More subordinate groups are indented to a greater degree.
PROTOTHERIA
Order Monotremata
Family Ornithorhynchidae: platypus
Family Tachyglossidae: echidnas
METATHERIA
Order †Sparassodonta*: South American carnivorous marsupials
Family †Borhyaenidae*
Family †Hathliacynidae
Family †Proborhyaenidae
Family †Thylacosmilidae*
MARSUPIALIA
Order Didelphimorphia
Family Didelphidae: American opossums
Order Paucituberculata
Family †Abderitidae
Family Caenolestidae: shrew-opossums
Order †Polydolopimorphia
Family †Argyrolagidae
Family †Groeberiidae
Family †Polydolopidae
Order Microbiotheria
Family Microbiotheriidae*: monito del monte
Order Dasyuromorphia
Family Dasyuridae: native “cats” and “mice”, antechinuses, etc.
Family Myrmecobiidae: numbat
Family †Thylacinidae: thylacine
Order Notoryctemorphia
Family Notoryctidae*: marsupial moles
Order Peramelamorphia
Family †Chaeropodidae*: pig-footed bandicoot
Family Peramelidae: bandicoots
Family Thylacomyidae*: bilbies
Order Diprotodontia
Suborder Macropodiformes
Family Hypsiprymnodontidae: musky rat kangaroo
Family Macropodidae: kangaroos and wallabies
Family Potoroidae: bettongs, rat kangaroos
Suborder Phalangeriformes
Family Acrobatidae*: feathertail glider, feathertail possum
Family Burramyidae: pygmy possums
Family Petauridae*: lesser gliders, Leadbeater’s possum, striped possums
Family Phalangeridae: brushtail possums, cuscuses
Family Pseudocheiridae*: ringtail possums, greater glider
Family Tarsipedidae*: honey possum
Suborder Vombatiformes
Family Phascolarctidae: koala
Family Vombatidae: wombats
EUTHERIA (PLACENTALIA)
Xenarthra
Order Pilosa
Suborder Vermilingua
Family Cyclopedidae: silky anteaters
Family Myrmecophagidae: anteaters
Suborder Tardigrada
Family Bradypodidae: three-toed sloths
Family Megalonychidae: two-toed sloths
Family †Megatheriidae*: extinct sloths
Family †Mylodontidae*: extinct sloths
Family †Nothrotheriidae*: extinct sloths
Order Cingulata
Family Chlamyphoridae*: fairy armadillos
Family Dasypodidae: long-nosed armadillos
Family Euphractidae: hairy, six-banded, and pichi armadillos
Family †Glyptodontidae*: glyptodonts
Family †Pampatheriidae: pampatheres
Family †Peltephilidae: horned armadillos
Family Tolypeutidae*: giant, three-banded, and naked-tailed armadillos
Afrotheria
Afroinsectiphilia
Order Afrosoricida
Family Chrysochloridae: golden moles
Family Potamogalidae: African otter-shrews
Family Tenrecidae: tenrecs
Order Macroscelidea
Family Macroscelididae: sengis
Order Tubulidentata
Family Orycteropodidae: aardvark
Paenungulata
Order Hyracoidea
Family Procaviidae: hyraxes
Order Proboscidea
Family Elephantidae: elephants
Order Sirenia
Family Dugongidae: dugong
Family Trichechidae: manatees
Order †Embrithopoda
Family †Arsinoitheriidae
Order †Desmostylia
Laurasiatheria
Order Carnivora
Suborder Feliformia
Family †Nimravidae
Family Nandiniidae: African palm civet
Family Felidae: cats
Family Viverridae*: civets, genets
Family Hyaenidae: hyenas
Family Herpestidae: mongooses
Family Eupleridae*: Malagasy carnivorans
Suborder Caniformia
Family Canidae: dogs, foxes, wolves
Family Ursidae: bears
Pinnipedia
Family Phocidae: true seals
Family Otariidae: sea lions and fur seals
Family Odobenidae: walrus
Musteloidea
Family Ailuridae: red panda
Family Mephitidae*: skunks, stink badgers
Family Procyonidae: raccoons, coatis
Family Mustelidae: weasels, badgers
Order Pholidota
Family Manidae: pangolins
Order Chiroptera
Suborder Yinpterochiroptera*
Family Craseonycteridae: bumblebee bat
Family Hipposideridae: leaf-nosed, roundleaf, and trident bats
Family Megadermatidae*: false vampire bats
Family Pteropodidae: Old World fruit bats
Family Rhinolophidae: horseshoe bats
Family Rhinopomatidae: mouse-tailed bats
Suborder Yangochiroptera*
Family Emballonuridae: sac-winged and sheath-tailed bats
Family Furipteridae: smoky and thumbless bats
Family Miniopteridae: bent-wing bats
Family Molossidae*: free-tailed bats
Family Mormoopidae: ghost-faced, moustached, naked-backed bats
Family Mystacinidae*: New Zealand short-tailed bats
Family Myzopodidae: Old World sucker-footed bat
Family Natalidae: funnel-eared bats
Family Noctilionidae*: bulldog bats/fishing bats
Family Nycteridae: slit-faced bats
Family Phyllostomidae*: New World leaf-nosed bats
Family Thyropteridae*: disc-winged bats
Family Vespertilionidae: evening and vesper bats
Order Perissodactyla
Family †Brontotheriidae*
Family †Chalicotheriidae*
Family Equidae: horses
Family Rhinocerotidae: rhinos
Family Tapiridae: tapirs
Order Eulipotyphla
Family Erinaceidae: hedgehogs, gymnures/moonrats
Family †Nesophontidae
Family Solenodontidae: solenodons
Family Soricidae: shrews
Family Talpidae: moles, desmans
Order Artiodactyla
Suiformes
Family †Entelodontidae
Family Suidae: pigs
Family Tayassuidae: peccaries
Tylopoda
Family Camelidae: camels
Superfamily †Oreodontoidea*: oreodonts (various families)
Family †Protoceratidae
Whippomorpha (includes Cetacea, below)
Family Hippopotamidae: hippos
Cetacea (no longer ordinal rank)
Suborder Odontoceti
Family Delphinidae: dolphins, orcas, etc.
Family Iniidae*: Amazon river dolphin
Family (†)Lipotidae: baiji (Yangtze river dolphin)
Family Monodontidae: narwhal, beluga
Family Phocoenidae: porpoises
Family Physeteridae: sperm whales
Family Platanistidae: South Asian river dolphin
Family Pontoporiidae: franciscana (La Plata river dolphin)
Family Ziphiidae: beaked whales
Suborder Mysticeti
Family Balaenidae: right, bowhead whales
Family Balaenopteridae: rorquals
Family Eschrichtiidae*: gray whale
Family Neobalaenidae*: pygmy right whale
Ruminantia
Family Antilocapridae: pronghorn
Family Bovidae: cattle, sheep, antelope, goats, etc.
Family Cervidae: deer, elk, moose, etc.
Family Giraffidae: giraffes and okapi
Family Moschidae: musk deer
Family Tragulidae: chevrotains and mouse deer
Euarchontoglires
Euarchonta
Order Scandentia
Family Ptilocercidae*: pen-tailed treeshrew
Family Tupaiidae: treeshrews
Order Dermoptera
Family Cynocephalidae: colugos (aka “flying lemurs”)
Order Primates
Suborder Strepsirrhini
Family Cheirogaleidae*: dwarf and mouse lemurs
Family Daubentoniidae: aye-aye
Family Galagidae: galagos and bushbabies
Family Indriidae*: indris, sifakas
Family Lemuridae: true lemurs
Family Lepilemuridae*: sportive lemurs
Family Lorisidae: lorises and pottos
Suborder Haplorrhini
Family Tarsiidae: tarsiers
Catarrhini
Family Cercopithecidae: Old World monkeys
Family Hominidae: great apes
Family Hylobatidae*: gibbons
Platyrrhini
Family Atelidae: howler, spider, wooly monkeys
Family Cebidae: tamarins, capuchins, night monkeys
Family Pitheciidae*: titi monkeys, sakis, uakari
Glires
Order Lagomorpha
Family Leporidae: rabbits and hares
Family Ochotonidae: pikas
Order Rodentia
Suborder Hystricomorpha
Family Ctenodactylidae: gundis
Family Diatomyidae*: Laotian rock rat
Hystricognathi
Family Bathyergidae: African mole-rats
Family Heterocephalidae*: naked mole-rat
Family Hystricidae: Old World porcupines
Family Petromuridae: dassie rat
Family Thryonomyidae: cane rats
Caviomorpha
Family Abrocomidae: chinchilla rats
Family Capromyidae*: West Indian hutias
Family Caviidae: guinea pigs, capybaras, maras
Family Chinchillidae: chinchillas and viscachas
Family Ctenomyidae*: tuco-tucos
Family Cuniculidae: pacas
Family Dasyproctidae*: agoutis and acouchis
Family Dinomyidae: pacarana
Family Echimyidae*: spiny rats (including the nutria)
Family Erethizontidae: New World porcupines
Family Octodontidae: degus, rock rats, viscacha rats
Suborder Supramyomorpha
Anomaluromorphi
Family Anomaluridae*: scaly-tailed squirrels
Family Pedetidae: springhares
Family Zenkerellidae: Cameroon scaly-tail
Castorimorphi
Family Castoridae: beavers
Family Geomyidae: pocket gophers
Family Heteromyidae: kangaroo rats and mice, pocket mice
Myomorphi
Family Calomyscidae: mouse-like hamsters
Family Cricetidae: New world mice, rats, voles, hamsters
Family Dipodidae*: jerboas
Family Muridae*: Old World mice, rats, gerbils
Family Nesomyidae: endemic Africa and Malagasy mice
Family Platacanthomyidae: Malabar spiny dormouse, pygmy dormice
Family Sminthidae: birch mice
Family Spalacidae: blind and African mole rats, zokors, bamboo rats
Family Zapodidae*: jumping mice
Suborder Sciuromorpha
Family Aplodontiidae: mountain beaver
Family †Mylagaulidae: horned rodents
Family Gliridae*: dormice and hazel mice
Family Sciuridae: squirrels
South American Native Ungulates (SANUs; may not be a “natural” group)
Order †Notoungulata*
Suborder †Toxodontia*
Family †Homalodotheriidae*
Family †Notohippidae*
Family †Toxodontidae*
Suborder †Typotheria*
Family †Hegetotheriidae*
Family †Interatheriidae*
Family †Mesotheriidae*
Order †Litopterna*
Family †Macraucheniidae*
Family †Proterotheriidae*
Order †Pyrotheria*
Family †Pyrotheriidae*
Order †Astrapotheria*
Family †Astrapotheriidae*