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| Scientists classify organisms in a hierarchical scheme. With the broadest category at the top and most specific at the bottom, the scheme looks like this: Kingdom Phylum Class Order Family Genus species There are multiple Classes within a single Phylum, multiple Orders in a single Class, etc. Each of these categories is called a taxon. The taxon to which mammals belong is the Class Mammalia, which is in the Phylum Chordata in the Kingdom Animalia. Placing mammals in one Class indicates that they are more closely related to one another than any mammal is to an animal in a different Class. Mammals have many physical characteristics that make mammals distinct from other animals. These include:
If you are interested in exploring the names and references to the classification of all the mammals in the world, follow this link to the Smithsonian Institution and Mammal Species of the World edited by Wilson and Reeder. If you're interested in joining ASM, see our Membership in ASM section for details about the many benefits. |
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