Vertebrates –> Mammalia
Class: Mammalia
From Natural History Museum in Los Angeles, “According to Mammal Species of the World, 3rd Edition (Wilson and Reeder 2005), the most recent authoritative published checklist of modern mammal species, there are 5,416 different species of mammals.”
List of Mammal Species: http://www.science.smith.edu/departments/Biology/VHAYSSEN/msi/default.html
Another Resource: Mammal Society
- 267 rodents (Order: Rodentia)
- 22 rabbits (Order: Lagomorpha)
- 27 whales/dophins (Order: Cetacea) — would not have been on Ark
- 78 bats (Order: Chiroptera)
A great source for the Mammalian Ark Kinds is Jean K. Lightner’s paper “Mammalian Ark Kinds” that includes an appendix with a proposed list of Mammalian kinds that may have been on the ark.
Mammalian Ark Kinds, by Jean Lightner
Appendix with list
As with the other classes, we only know that a representative pair from each kind was on the ark, not the specific species. Also, such lists are based on a man-made taxonomy which is in continual flux. In addition, the man-made taxonomy is often adjusted to support the evolutionary model and the assumption of evolution can lead such researchers to flaws in the classifications. Lightner’s study concluded there are approximately 137 extant mammalian kinds. Another couple hundred more distinct mammals that are not extinct have been found in the fossil record. Many of these may represent additional “kinds.” If all are kinds there could be up to 350 mammalian kinds.
(I would like to identify how many of these would be considered “clean” so could determine a number of specimens that would have been on the Ark)
This list is from Jean Lightner’s excellent article above and is here for my personal study purposes. Read her article for details of each kind.
| ORDER Monotremata | |
|---|---|
| Tachyglossidae: Echidna kind (e.g., spiny anteaters) |
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| Ornithorhynchidae: Platypus kind | |
| Marsupials | |
|
Order Didelphimorphia Didelphidae (Opossum kind) |
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Order Paucituberculata Caenolestidae (Shrew-opossum kind) |
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| Order Microbiotheria Microbiotheriidae (Little-monkey opossum kind) |
|
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Order Notoryctemorphia Notoryctemorphia (Marsupial mole kind) |
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| Order Dasyuromorphia | |
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Thylacinidae Thylacinus cynocephalus (Tasmanian wolf kind) |
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| Myrmecobiidae (Banded anteater kind) | |
| Dasyuridae (Marsupial mouse kind) 20 genera, 69 species |
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| Order Peramelemorphia Bandicoot kind |
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| Order Diprotodontia | |
| Phascolarctidae (Koala kind) | |
| Vombatidae (Wombat kind) | |
| Burramyidae (Pygmy possum kind) | |
| Phalangeridae (Possum kind) | |
| Pseudocheiridae (Ring-tailed/Greater gliding possum kind) | |
| Petauridae (Gliding and striped possum kind) | |
| Tarsipedidae (Honey possum kind) | |
| Acrobatidae (Feather-tailed possum kind) | |
| Hypsiprymnodontidae (Musky rat-kangaroo kind) | |
| Potoroidae (Rat kangaroo kind) | |
| Macropodidae (Kangaroo kind) | |
| End Marsupials | |
| Eutherians | |
| Order Afrosoricida | |
| Tenrecidae (Tenrec kind) | |
| Chrysochloridae (Golden mole kind) | |
| Order Macroscedlidea Macroscelididae (Elephant shrew kind) |
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| Order Tubulidentata Orycteropodidae (Aardvark kind) |
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| Order Hyracoidea Procaviidae (Hyrax kind) |
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| Order Proboscidea Elephantidae (Elephant kind) |
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| Order Cingulata Dasypodidae (Armadillo kind) |
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| Order Pilosa | |
| Suborder Folivora (Sloth kind) | |
| Suborder Vermilingua (Anteater kind) | |
| Order Scandentia (Tree Shrew kind) |
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| Order Dermoptera Cynocephalidae (Colugo kind) |
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| Order Primates | |
| Cheirogaleidae (Dwarf/mouse lemur kind) | |
| Lemuridae (Tree lemur kind) | |
| Lepilemuridae (Sportive Lemur kind) | |
| Indriidae (Indri/Sifaka/Woolly Lemur kind) | |
| Order Erinaceomorpha | |
| Erinaceinae (Hedgehog kind) | |
| Galericinae (Gymnure kind) | |
- Order Notoryctemorphia
- Notoryctemorphia (Marsupial mole kind)
- To Be Continued