Species: artiodactylid
Artiodactyls are placental mammals belonging to the order Artiodactyla (/ˌɑːrtioʊˈdæktɪlə/ AR-tee-oh-DAK-tih-lə, from Ancient Greek ἄρτιος, ártios 'even' and δάκτυλος, dáktylos 'finger, toe'). Typically, they are ungulates which bear weight equally on two (an even number) of their five toes (the third and fourth, often in the form of a hoof). The other three toes are either present, absent, vestigial, or pointing posteriorly. By contrast, most perissodactyls bear weight on an odd number of the five toes. Another difference between the two orders is that many artiodactyls (except for Suina) digest plant cellulose in one or more stomach chambers rather than in their intestine (as perissodactyls do). Molecular biology, along with new fossil discoveries, has found that cetaceans (whales, dolphins, and porpoises) fall within this taxonomic branch, being most closely related to hippopotamuses. Some modern taxonomists thus apply the name Cetartiodactyla (/sɪˌtɑːrtioʊˈdæktɪlə/) to this group, while others opt to include cetaceans within the existing name of Artiodactyla. Some researchers use "even-toed ungulates" to exclude cetaceans and only include terrestrial artiodactyls, making the term paraphyletic in nature.