Did you know that during the superior jury, about 160 million years ago, there was a small insectivorous mammal called JURAMIA, from which all placental animals of the earth probably descend? Scientific studies and fossil analysis indicate that this small animal with placenta could be considered as the common ancestor of all placental mammals that have evolved throughout history, surprising, right? Although there is currently a wide variety of types of placental animals, there are many characteristics of the prehistoric JURAMIA that they maintain.
In this ecology article you will find detailed information about What are placentaries, their characteristics, classification and examples And you can also learn more curious information about this surprising group of animals.
What are placental animals
Start by clarifying What are placental mammalsalso simply called placental animals. Thus, placental animals constitute a Taxonomic infraclase (Placentalia) Within the wide class that make up Mammals. The females of these species of placental animals They have an internal morphological structure in their bellies, called placentawhich guarantees the protection and feeding of the embryos during their gestation period.
This amazing characteristic is contrary to the external marsupio that characterizes the other subclass (marsupial) included in the class of mammals. If you want to know them better, we encourage you to take a look at this other post about what marsupial animals and examples are.
Let’s see in the next sections more characteristics related to placental animals, as well as their classification and many examples to know them more closely.
Characteristics of placental animals
The placental animals are the Viviparous mammals par excellence, that is, the most numerous and developed group within mammals. Among the main characteristics of placental mammals stand out:
- The embryo grows inside the maternal uterus For a long period of time, being The placenta The person in charge of guaranteeing food from the mother, as well as protection and the ideal environment for its correct development.
- The females of this types of animals have the zeal or estral cyclewhich allows the body to be prepared for intercourse, fertilization and gestation of the offspring.
- They also have mammary glands that allow them to produce the milk that the young need to take since they are born to develop and grow to change to the definitive food.
- These animals have different Types of foodthere are carnivores, herbivores and omnivores.
- Throughout their life, they have Two types of teeth different, the first during the children’s phase and the next in the adult phase.
- Placental animals do not have sewer, but a excretion system connected to the digestive and isolated from reproductive.
- The placental animals They have a fureither dense and thick or with less quantity and fine, and they can always have it or in some stages of their life, as well as throughout the body or only in some parts.
- They also have sweat glands Distributed by different areas of the body that allow them to sweat and thus facilitate the regulation of temperature and the elimination of toxins of the organism.
- The brain of placental animals has large cerebral hemispheresas well as with a callosum that connects both hemispheres, thus guaranteeing a very advanced development of cognitive functions.
- They have the Synapsid skullwhich means that this has a Lower temporary pit which is an opening located behind ocular orbits. This skull pit allows this to be lighter and that in this area are inserted jaw muscles lower facilitating your movement to feed, emit sounds, bite, etc.
- As for other common morphological characteristics, it is worth noting how the most primitive placentaries agreed to be small, as well as having very short legs with five fingers and a tubular skull. However, at present, due to the changes that have been experiencing the different types of placental animals throughout their evolutionary lines, these common characters are appreciated with greater difficulty.
We also recommend you know more about these animals with this other post of ecology viviparous animals: what are, characteristics and examples.
Classification of placental animals
At present, the classification of placental animals Follow a phylogenetic approach based on biomolecular and genetic results of the species, which allow each and every one of the placental animals that exist (or exist) on the planet following the following classification:
- Cingulados
- Pilosos
- Tubulidenties
- Macroscรฉlidos
- Hiracoids
- Proboscides
- Sirenians
- Eulipotiflanos
- Quiroptera
- Foliated
- Carnivores
- Perisodactile
- Cetaceans
- Artiodactile
- Lagomorphs
- Rodents
- Scandal
- Primates
Examples of pleacentrios animals
From the classification of the previous section, you can see a list with numerous Examples of animals with placentawhich follow the same classification order as the groups mentioned above:
- Armadillos (Dasypodidae family)
- Mexican antique bear (Tamandua Mexicana)
- Giant tingling bear (Myrmecophaga Tridactyla)
- Lazy (Bradypus tridactylus)
- Linnaeu’s lazy fingers (Choloepus didactylus)
- African anthill pig (ORYCTEROPUS AER)
- Elephant musaraรฑas (Eephantulus edwardii)
- Damรกn de Bruce (Heterohyrax brucei)
- Sabana African elephant (African loxodonta)
- Indian elephant (Elephas Maximus indicus)
- Manatee (Trichechus Inunguis)
- Common mole (Talpa Europea)
- Star nose mole (Condylura Cristata)
- Herizos (Erinaceinae family)
- Mediterranean Water Musaraรฑa (Neomys anomalus)
- Cabrera museum (Neomys anomalus)
- Common bat (Pipistrellus Pipistrellus)
- Common vampire bat (Desaudus rotundus)
- Bat of hairy legs (Diphylla Ecaudata)
- White wing bat (Diaemus Youngi)
- Chinese Pangolin (Manis Pentadactyla)
- Malay Pangolin (Manis Javanica)
- Giant Pangolin (Giant manis)
- Dog (Canis lupus)
- Domestic cat (Felis Silvestris Catus)
- Las Nieves Leopard (Panthera Uncia)
- Wolf (Canis lupus)
- Tiger (Panthera Tigris)
- Guepardo (Acinonyx jubatus)
- Jaguar (Panthera onca)
- Puma (Puma concolor)
- Common zebra (Equus quagga)
- Indian rhino (Unicoris rhinoceros)
- Amazon pink dolphin (INIA GEOFFRENSIS)
- Humpback whale or yubarta (MEGAPTERA NOVAEANGLIAE)
- Orca (Orcinus orca)
- Giraffes (Giraffa Camelopardalis)
- American bisonte (Bison bison)
- Deer (Cervidae family)
- Montรฉs goat or Iberian ibice (Pyrenaica Capra)
- Rabbits (genus oryctolagus)
- Cobaya or guinea pig (Cavia Porcellus)
- Hares (gender lepus)
- Brown rat (Rattus norvegicus)
- Domestic or common mouse (Mus musculus)
- Bamboo or tupaya squirrel (Anathana Ellioti)
- Human being (Homo sapiens sapiens)
- Borneo oragutan (I put pigmaeus)
- Gorilla (Gorilla Genre)
- Bengal Loris (Nycticebus Bengalensis)
If you want to read more articles similar to PLACANTARIES: What are, characteristics, classification and exampleswe recommend that you enter our biology category.
- Writing equipment. You will be surprised by the way of birth of these animals. National Geographic Spain-animals.
- Sรกnchez, TJ (1997) Teaching reproduction of oviparous and liver animals. National Pedagogical University, Mexico.