What general description defines the animals belonging to the Order Artiodactyla?
Answer
Even-toed ungulates
The Order Artiodactyla represents a major grouping within the Class Mammalia to which *Sus scrofa* belongs. The defining characteristic that unites all members of this order, which includes animals such as deer, cattle, and hippos, is that they are even-toed ungulates. This morphological feature refers to the way they bear weight upon their feet—equally distributed across two toes. This shared trait reflects a common evolutionary path, influencing their locomotion and skeletal structure. Understanding this placement is crucial because shared traits at the order level often correlate with similarities in reproductive strategies and general physiological architecture across the involved families.
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