Intro to Ungulates Flashcards
one traditional grouping of mammals,
now recognized as a paraphyletic grouping
Ungulata
from Latin “ungula” (meaning hoof)
Ungulate
Two major groups of living hoofed mammals:
• Artiodactyla (cloven-hooved mammals)
• Perissodactyla (odd-toed mammals)
• Live in grasslands and savannahs
• Have evolved features that are adaptive for life on
open grasslands
Ungulates
• The earliest known ungulate, a small insectivore-like
animal with teeth slightly adapted for grinding.
Protungulatum
Order Artiodactyla
• Suborder Suina:
• Suborder Tylopoda:
• Suborder Ruminantia:
pigs, peccaries & hippopotami: primitive
artiodactyls
Suborder Suina
camels & llamas: intermediate
artiodactyls
Suborder Tylopoda
cattle, antelopes, deer and giraffes:
advanced artiodactyls
Suborder Ruminantia:
has a so-called ‘double
pulley’ whereby both the connecting surfaces allow a rolling
action giving greater freedom of movement in the ankle. Other
ungulates lack this arrangement
the astragalus (tarsal or ankle bone)
The history of the horse family, _______, began
during the Eocene Epoch, which lasted from about 56 million to 33.9 million years ago.
Equidae
55 Million Years Ago
EOCENE ERA
Eohippus
35 Million Years Ago
OLIGOCENE ER
Mesohippus
30 Million Years Ago
OLIGOCENE ERA
Miohippus
20 Million Years Ago
MIOCENE ERA
Mercychippus
5 Million Years Ago
PLIOCENE ERA
Pliohippus
4 Million Years Ago
MODERN ERA
Equus
has
a black m a n e
and tail and
black lower
legs, and
is reddish-
brown over the
rest of its body
Bay
varies from
mouse colored
to sand-colored
with a dark skin. It
usually has a black
mane, tail, and legs
Dun
a reddish-brown
horse with a similar
colored mane and tail
Chestnut
A gold-colored
horse with a
much paler,
sometimes almost
white, mane
and tail
P a l o m i n o
have white
hairs mixed with
black, bay, chesnut
R o a n
Brown o r black
spots, confined to
a “blanket” on
the rump or
spread over the
whole body
Spotted
The coat has large
areas of brown or
black and white.
Pinto
vary
from white to dark
gray and can be
plain, dappled
(right), or flea-bitten.
All have black skin
Gray
is the movement of the horses’ feet and legs when the horse is in motion.
Gait
slow, four-beat gait.
•Each foot leaves and strikes the
ground separately from the other
feet.
•It is the natural gait of the horse
Walk
is a fast, two-beat
diagonal gait.
•Opposite front and hind feet
leave and strike the ground at
the same time
Trot
is a fast, four-beat gait.
• Each foot strikes the ground separately.
• The feet strike the ground in the following order:
• (1) one hind foot
• (2) the other hind foot
• (3) the diagonal front foot
• (4) the other front foot.
Gallop
The extended gallop is called the
Run
is a slow, three-beat gait
• The feet strike the ground in the following order:
• (1) one hind foot
• (2) the other hind foot and the diagonal front
foot
• (3) the other front foot
Canter
A Western adaptation of a very slow canter is called
Lope
is a slow, lateral, four-beat
gait.
• The four feet strike the ground separately.
• The feet strike the ground in the following
order:
• (1) right hind foot
• (2) right front foot
• (3) left hind foot
• (4) left front foot
Stepping pace
is a slow, diagonal,
four-beat gait
• Each foot leaves and strikes the ground
separately from the other feet.
• The front foot strikes the ground just
ahead of the diagonal hind foot.
• This is a natural gait of the Tennessee
Walking Hors
Running walk
is a slow, short, broken trot.
• The hind foot strikes the ground just ahead of the
diagonal front foot.
Fox trot
is a fast, even, four-beat gait.
• The time between each foot striking the ground is
the same.
• The order of the feet striking the ground is the
same as in the stepping pace
Rack
is a fast, two-beat gait.
•The front and hind feet on the same
side leave and strike the ground at the
same time.
•There is a brief moment when all four
feet are off the ground at the same
time
Pace
is a lateral movement of the
horse.
•It is also called the traverse or sidestep.
•It is not a show gait.
•The horse moves to one side without
going forward or backward
Amble
