A mammal of the order Artiodactyla, such as a cow, sheep, camel, or pig.
‘The early Eocene is important for another reason: many orders of fossil mammals (especially primates, perissodactyls, artiodactyls, rabbits, whales, and bats) make their first appearances in the fossil record.’
‘Marlin, sailfish, beaked whales and large artiodactyls and the recently discovered bipedal predatory dinosaur Suchomimus tenenerensis have neural spines that have broad anterior-to-posterior surfaces.’
‘Previous paleontological and molecular evidence has indicated that cetaceans and artiodactyls constitute a natural clade within the subclass Eutheria.’
‘Sirenians are members of the group known as subungulates, thought to be distantly related to hyraxes, elephants, and perhaps, artiodactyls and perissodactyls.’
‘Unlike artiodactyls, perissodactyls either walk on three toes (like rhinos, tapirs, many extinct horses, and other extinct groups) or on a single toe (like recent horses).’
adjective
Zoology
Relating to or denoting artiodactyls.
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