Ruminantia

views updated

Ruminantia (ruminants; superorder Paraxonia, order Artiodactyla) A suborder that comprises those artiodactyls in which the stomach is complex and some form of rumination occurs. The anterior teeth are much modified, with the canines usually reduced, and the cheek teeth are selenodont. The mastoid region is exposed on the skull surface. Some authorities restrict the Ruminantia to the higher ruminants, excluding the modern camels and their ancestors; others allow two infra-orders, Tylopoda for the camel group and Pecora for the remainder.

More From encyclopedia.com