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Mammalia in the 10th edition of Systema Naturae

Mammals in Carl Linnaeus's classification From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Mammalia in the 10th edition of Systema Naturae forms one of six classes of animals in Carl Linnaeus's tenth reformed edition written in Latin.[1] The following explanations are based on William Turton's translations who rearranged and corrected earlier editions published by Johann Friedrich Gmelin, Johan Christian Fabricius and Carl Ludwig Willdenow:[2]

Animals that suckle their young by means of lactiferous teats. In external and internal structure they resemble man: most of them are quadrupeds; and with man, their natural enemy, inhabit the surface of the Earth. The largest, though fewest in number, inhabit the ocean.

Linnaeus divided the mammals based on the number, situation, and structure of their teeth; mammals have the following characteristics:

  • Heart: two auricles, 2 ventricles. Warm, dark red blood;
  • Lungs: respires alternately;
  • Jaw: incombent, covered. Teeth usually within jaw;
  • Teats: lactiferous;
  • Organs of sense: tongue, nostrils, eyes, ears, and papillae of the skin;
  • Covering: hair, which is scanty in warm climates, hardly any on aquatics;
  • Supports: four feet, except in aquatics; and in most a tail. Walks on the Earth and speaks.[2]

Oldfield Thomas scrutinized Linnaeus's chapter on mammals in 1911 and attempted to find missing type species and type localities.[3]

Primates

Primates have four cutting upper parallel fore-teeth, except in some bat species which have two or none; solitary tusks in each jaw, one on each side; two pectoral teats; two feet and hands; flattened, oval nails; and they eat fruits.[2]

Homo – humans of different races
  • Homo sapiens
    • Homo americanus
    • Homo europaeus
    • Homo asiaticus
    • Homo afer
    • Homo monstrosus
  • Homo troglodytes – partly based on myth, partly on orangutans[4]
A Barbary macaque on the Rock of Gibraltar
A captive Diana monkey
Simia – monkeys and chimps[5]
A ring-tailed lemur
Lemur – lemurs[Note 1]
Vespertilio – bats

Bruta

Bruta do not have fore-teeth, but tusks, feet with strong hoof-like nails; move slowly and eat mostly masticated vegetables.[2]

Elephas – elephants
Trichechus – herbivorus marine mammals
Bradypus – sloths
Myrmecophaga – anteaters
Manis – pangolin

Ferae

Ferae usually have six conic fore-teeth in each jaw, longer tusks, grinders with conic projections, feet with subulate claws, and feed on carcasses and prey on other animals.[2]

Phoca – seals
Canis – dogs
Felis – cats
An eastern spotted skunk
Viverra – skunks, mongooses, and genets
Mustela – weasels, otters, and martens
Ursus – bears, badgers, and raccoons

Bestiae

A wild boar

Bestiae have indefinite numbers of fore-teeth on the sides, always one extra canine, an elongate nose used to dig out juicy roots and vermin.[2]

Sus – pigs
Brazilian three-banded armadillo in Edmonton Zoo
Dasypus – armadillos
Erinaceus – hedgehogs
Talpa – moles
Sorex – shrews
Didelphis – opossums

Glires

An Indian rhinoceros

Glires have two cutting fore-teeth in each jaw, but no tusks, feet with claws formed for running and bounding, and eat bark, roots, and vegetables, which they gnaw.[2]

Rhinoceros – rhinos
Hystrix – porcupines
Lepus – hares
Castor – beavers and desmans
A southern flying squirrel
Mus – mice and squirrels
A Siberian flying squirrel
Sciurus – more squirrels

Pecora

Pecora do not have upper, not many lower cutting fore-teeth, hoofed, cloven feet, and feed on herbs which they pluck, chewing the cud; four stomachs, a paunch for macerating and ruminating food, a bonnet for reticulating and receiving it, an omasus or maniplies of numerous folds for digesting it, and an abomasus or caille, fasciate, for giving it acescency and preventing putrefaction.[2]

Camelus – camels
Moschus – musk deer
Cervus – deer
Capra – goats
Ovis – sheep
Bos – cows and bison

Bellua

A hippopotamus

Bellua have obtuse fore-teeth, hoofed feet, move heavily, and feed on vegetables.[2]

Equus – horses
Hippopotamus – hippos and tapirs

Cete

Cete have some cartilaginous, some bony teeth, no nostrils but a fistulous opening in the anterior and upper part of the head, pectoral fins instead of feet, horizontal, flattened tails, no claws, live in the ocean, and feed on mollusca and fish.[2]

Monodon – narwhal
Balaena – baleen whales
Physeter – sperm whales and cryptid whales
Delphinus – dolphins, porpoises and orcas

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