Theria

Therian
Fossil range: Jurassic or Early Cretaceous-Recent
House Mouse, Mus musculus
House Mouse, Mus musculus
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Subclass: Theria
Parker & Haswell, 1897
Infraclasses

Metatheria
Eutheria
Red-necked Wallaby

Theria (pronounced /ˈθɪərɪə/, from the Greek θηρίον, wild beast) is a subclass of mammals[1] that give birth to live young without using a shelled egg, including both eutherians (placental mammals) and metatherians (marsupials and their ancestors).

Contents

Extent

The subclass includes humans. They have external ears, most can suckle on a nipple, and have an ankle specialized for power and range of motion. Therians are often classified by their specialized dentition.

Almost all currently extant (not extinct) mammals are therians. The only exceptions are the platypus and the echidnas (spiny anteater), both of which are prototherian monotremes.

Bibliography

References

  1. ↑ Myers, P., R. Espinosa, C. S. Parr, T. Jones, G. S. Hammond, and T. A. Dewey. "Subclass Theria". Animal Diversity Web.

External links

Extant mammal orders by infraclass
Kingdom Animalia · Phylum Chordata · Subphylum Vertebrata · (unranked) Amniota
Australosphenida
Metatheria
(Marsupial inclusive)
Didelphimorphia (Opossums) · Paucituberculata (Shrew opossums) · Microbiotheria (Monito del Monte) · Notoryctemorphia (Marsupial moles) · Dasyuromorphia (Quolls and dunnarts) · Peramelemorphia (Bilbies and bandicoots) · Diprotodontia (Kangaroos and relatives)
Eutheria
Afrosoricida (Tenrecs and golden moles) · Macroscelidea (Elephant shrews) · Tubulidentata (Aardvark) · Hyracoidea (Hyraxes) · Proboscidea (Elephants) · Sirenia (Dugongs and manatees} · Cingulata (Armadillos) · Pilosa (Anteaters and sloths) · Scandentia (Treeshrews) · Dermoptera (Colugos) · Primates · Rodentia (Rodents) · Lagomorpha (Rabbits and relatives) · Erinaceomorpha (Hedgehogs and relatives) · Soricomorpha (Shrews and moles) · Chiroptera (Bats) · Pholidota (Pangolins) · Carnivora · Perissodactyla (Odd-toed ungulates) · Artiodactyla (Even-toed ungulates) · Cetacea (Whales and dolphins)
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