
What makes an animal Artiodactyla?
Artiodactyla is an order of even-toed mammals that walk on their toenails (unguis). This and the other order of hoofed mammals, the Perissodactyla, are collectively called ungulates. Artiodactyla is an order of even-toed mammals that walk on their toenails (unguis).
How many types of Artiodactyla are there?
Artiodactyla currently comprises 349 extant species, which are grouped into 131 genera. Artiodactyls live on every major landmass and throughout the oceans and in a variety of habitats, including forests, grasslands, and deserts.
Are all ungulates ruminants?
Differences in Digestion All the even-toed ungulates are ruminants, with a complex multi-stomached digestive system which can efficiently digest plant material that could cause serious digestive issues for perissodactyls. They all chew the cud. See more about the ruminant digestive system here.
What type of group is Artiodactyla?
The Artiodactyla (even-toed ungulates), together with the whales, form the order Cetartiodactyla. The Artiodactyla includes omnivores (the suborder Suina) and herbivores (the suborders Tylopoda and Ruminantia and the hippopotamuses, which are related to whales).
Are rhinos ruminants?
Monogastric herbivores, such as rhinoceroses, horses, and rabbits, are not ruminants, as they have a simple single-chambered stomach. These hindgut fermenters digest cellulose in an enlarged cecum.
Is a cow an Artiodactyla?
Artiodactyla, or cloven-hooved mammals, include such familiar animals as sheep, goats, camels, pigs, cows, deer, giraffes, and antelopes — most of the world's species of large land mammals are artiodactyls. Many living artiodactyls have evolved features that are adaptive for life on open grasslands.
Do all ungulates have 4 stomachs?
Most ungulates have a four-chambered stomach (camelids have three chambers), lack upper incisors (camelids have an upper incisor), and have two-toed feet (chevrotains have four toes)....Scientific classification.Kingdom:AnimaliaPhylum:ChordataClass:MammaliaOrder:Artiodactyla
What is the difference between ungulate and ruminant?
Well, technically too. Ungulates have hooves (horses, pigs, camels, cows, etc). Ruminants are ungulates that eat grasses in a somewhat unique way, by partially fermenting it in their gut, and horking it back up for another good chew or three (cows, giraffes, deer, antelopes, etc).
What animal has 800 stomachs?
Etruscan shrewPhylum:ChordataClass:MammaliaOrder:EulipotyphlaFamily:Soricidae11 more rows
What is the difference between Artiodactyla and Perissodactyla mammals?
Artiodactyls such as deer, sheep, and goats walk on two toes; perissodactyls walk either on three toes (rhinos, tapirs, some extinct horses) or on one toe (living horses). The remaining toes not used for walking are either reduced, as in pigs and tapirs, or completely lost, as in rhinos and most ruminants.
Are horses Artiodactyla?
Modern hoofed mammals comprise three groups: Artiodactyla, the even-toed ungulates (swine, camels, deer, and bovines); Perissodactyla, the odd-toed ungulates (horses, tapirs, and rhinoceroses); and Uranotheria, which includes the orders Proboscidea (elephants), Hyracoidea (hyraxes), and Sirenia (manatees and dugongs).
Are giraffes cows?
Giraffes are not the closest relative to a cow. However, a cow may be one of the giraffes closest relatives, depending on how you determine the relationship. Giraffes are most closely linked to the okapi. After that, giraffes are genetically linked to cows, deer, and pronghorns.
What is the order of Artiodactyla?
TherapsidEven-toed ungulates / OrderTherapsida is a major group of eupelycosaurian synapsids that includes mammals, their ancestors and relatives. Wikipedia
Is Artiodactyla a class?
MammalEven-toed ungulates / ClassMammals are a group of vertebrate animals constituting the class Mammalia, characterized by the presence of mammary glands which in females produce milk for feeding their young, a neocortex, fur or hair, and three middle ear bones. Wikipedia
Are hippos Artiodactyla?
There are about 220 species in this order in 10 families. The species in this order are herbivores and have an even number of toes. Most of the artiodactyla have four-chamber stomachs.
What is the difference between Artiodactyla and Perissodactyla mammals?
Artiodactyls such as deer, sheep, and goats walk on two toes; perissodactyls walk either on three toes (rhinos, tapirs, some extinct horses) or on one toe (living horses). The remaining toes not used for walking are either reduced, as in pigs and tapirs, or completely lost, as in rhinos and most ruminants.
How many molars do ruminants have?
All ruminants possess two or three molarized premolars and three molars, all with selenodont occlusal surfaces. There are diet-related differences in the occlusal pattern and in the crown height of the molars. The hippopotamuses are either grazers or mixed feeders and have continuously growing incisors and canines.
What are the three suborders of living artiodactyls?
Living artiodactyls have commonly been divided into three suborders: Suiformes (pigs, peccaries and hippopotamuses), Ruminantia (bovids, deer, mouse-deer and giraffes) and Tylopoda (camels). This classification is now disputed in recent work using short and long interposed elements or retroposons.
What is the order of ungulates?
The Artiodactyla (even-toed ungulates), together with the whales, form the order Cetartiodactyla. The Artiodactyla includes omnivores (the suborder Suina) and herbivores (the suborders Tylopoda and Ruminantia and the hippopotamuses, which are related to whales). Suina (pigs and peccaries) possess both upper and lower incisors and tusks (large, ...
What is the order of dairy animals?
The order Artiodactyla is very large with over 180 different species, most of them (123) in the family Bovidae. The majority of dairy animals are artiodactyls. Included are cattle (see DAIRY ANIMALS | Major Bos taurus Breeds; DAIRY ANIMALS | Minor and Dual-Purpose Bos taurus Breeds; DAIRY ANIMALS | Bos indicus Breeds and Bos indicus × Bos taurus Crosses ), water buffalo ( see DAIRY ANIMALS | Water Buffalo ), yaks ( see DAIRY ANIMALS | Yak ), goats ( see DAIRY ANIMALS | Goat Breeds) and sheep ( see DAIRY ANIMALS | Sheep Breeds) (family Bovidae), camels ( see DAIRY ANIMALS | Camel) (family Camelidae) and reindeer ( see DAIRY ANIMALS | Reindeer) (family Cervidae).
What are the premolars of a pig?
Suina (pigs and peccaries) possess both upper and lower incisors and tusks (large, continuously growing canines). The premolars and molars are bunodont and are used to process fruits, underground plant parts, invertebrates, and some vertebrate material. Suina have simple stomachs and do not digest cellulose.
Where is FMD endemic?
It has now been eradicated from many countries and regions. The disease is endemic in parts of Asia, Africa, the Middle East and South America. While serotypes O and A are widely distributed, SAT viruses occur mainly in Africa (and periodically in the Middle East) and Asia 1 is currently found only in Asia. North America has not had FMD reported for more than 60 years; Central America, New Zealand, Australia, Greenland, Iceland and western Europe are also free of FMDV. FMD outbreaks have occurred in Taiwan, South Korea, Japan, Mongolia, Britain, France, and the Netherlands. Recent outbreaks of FMD have occurred in Russia, Mongolia, and Korea.
Where did cattle come from?
Cattle are thought to have become domesticated during the early Neolithic era ( Bradley et al., 1998; Bolormaa et al., 2011) in the Near East and India. Bos primigenus taurus (taurine) is largely of European descent and typically best adapted to temperate zones.
What are the ungulates in the artiodactyl family?
The artiodactyls are the even-toed ungulates, which include the hippopotamuses, deer, giraffes, llamas, camels, pigs, cows, sheep, and goats, among others. Modern phylogenies also put cetaceans in this order ( Graur and Higgins 1994; Murphy et al., 2001; Meredith et al., 2011 ). Some texts consider the land members of the artiodactyls and the marine members separately due to the great phenotypic divergence that has taken place. Here we consider them together because it more clearly documents an independent lineage's evolution with adaptions to a broad range of environments. The smallest member of this clade is the lesser mouse-deer (body weight of ∼2 kg), and the largest is the blue whale (body weight of ∼115 000 kg), which is also the largest mammal ( Matsubayashi, 2003; Small, 1971 ).
What are the external anatomy of land artiodactyls?
For the majority of species studied, the external anatomy suggests that there is little emphasis placed on the representation of the hindlimbs and more emphasis on the face. A small cuneate–gracile complex and relatively large trigeminal nuclei have been noted in the giraffe ( Badlangana et al., 2007) and sheep ( Woudenberg, 1970 ). Electrophysiological mapping of the neocortex also found a large representation of the mouth and lips in sheep (Johnson et al., 1974). The external anatomy of the face of some species suggests that there may be important tactile regions, such as the oral regions of the hippopotamus, which is studded with prominent tactile hairs, or the large glabrous snout of the pig. Unfortunately, descriptions of the neuroanatomical correlates of these body surfaces are lacking.
What is the order of dairy animals?
The order Artiodactyla is very large with over 180 different species, most of them (123) in the family Bovidae. The majority of dairy animals are artiodactyls. Included are cattle (seeANIMALS THAT PRODUCE DAIRY FOODS | Bos indicus Breeds and Bos indicus × Bos taurus Crosses ), water buffalo ( seeANIMALS THAT PRODUCE DAIRY FOODS | Water Buffalo ), yaks ( seeANIMALS THAT PRODUCE DAIRY FOODS | Yak ), goats ( seeANIMALS THAT PRODUCE DAIRY FOODS | Goat Breeds) and sheep ( seeANIMALS THAT PRODUCE DAIRY FOODS | Sheep Breeds) (family Bovidae), camels ( seeANIMALS THAT PRODUCE DAIRY FOODS | Camel) (family Camelidae) and reindeer ( seeANIMALS THAT PRODUCE DAIRY FOODS | Reindeer) (family Cervidae).
How to handle wild deer?
Wild deer may be encouraged into the funnels by regular feeding or by driving (e.g., by helicopter). Once inside, deer may be separated and channeled into different raceways from sorting pens that are covered to be kept dark, especially when dealing with nervous species. Particular consideration should be paid to the specific flight distances of the species to be handled. Deer held in crushes (manual or hydraulic) with a drop floor may be examined and many minimally invasive procedures carried out without causing undue stress. Male cervids and both sexes of reindeer should not be restrained when antlers are in growth because of the potential for major blood loss and severe pain associated with trauma. Once hardened, the antlers should be removed if the stags (or reindeer hinds) are to go through a handling system.
Do artiodactyls have IgM?
Artiodactyls, like other vertebrates, have IgM, IgG, IgA, and IgE immunoglobulin–constant region genes. However, it has long been thought that artiodactyls lacked a gene encoding IgD ( Butler et al., 1996a). As described above, it was suggested that IgD evolved recently and was present only in rodents and primates, but data demonstrating an IgD gene in teleosts proved this incorrect. The recent cloning and characterization of the Cδ gene in cattle, sheep, and pigs ( Zhao et al., 2002) suggest to us that the status of IgD needs to be reexamined in vertebrates. Not only is an IgD gene present in cattle, sheep, and pigs, but at least in cattle, a short Sδ region is also present, which, in theory, could mediate switch recombination. The occurrence of switch recombination involving Sµ and Sδ was demonstrated, suggesting that, at least in cattle, it may be possible for B cells to express IgD exclusively.
Is an artiodactyl a cetacean?
One of the more dramatic revisions to classification in recent years has suggested a close relationship between artiodactyls and cetaceans (whale s, dolphins and porpoises). This association is supported by both morphology and molecular studies and leads to the recognition of a monophyletic clade of cetartiodactyls.
Can IgD be expressed in artiodactyls?
The IgD data are quite recent, and more clarification is needed before a coherent view of IgD expression in artiodactyls can emerge. Although these data suggest that IgD is expressed in artiodactyls, synthesis of protein has yet to be demonstrated. It is critical to determine if IgD can be expressed on B cells and if, as suggested from mRNA data, B cells expressing only IgD exist in sheep and cattle. Several interesting and important questions remain to be addressed in this area.
What animals are ruminants?
Ruminant (cud-chewing) animals such as cattle, sheep, and goats convert large quantities of pasture forage, harvested roughage, or by-product feeds, as well as nonprotein nitrogen such as urea, into meat, milk, and wool. Ruminants are therefore extremely important; more than 60 percent of the world’s…
What is a ruminant's stomach?
Most ruminants have a four-chambered stomach and two-toed feet. The upper incisors are reduced or sometimes absent. Camels and chevrotains, however, have a three-chambered stomach and are often referred to as pseudoruminants. Ruminants eat quickly.
How many chambers does a pseudoruminant have?
The pseudoruminant digestive process is very similar, also involving regurgitation and cud chewing, though the stomach is divided into three chambers. The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica This article was most recently revised and updated by John P. Rafferty, Editor.
Where is plant material stored in a ruminant's stomach?
In ruminants with a four-chambered stomach, ingested plant material is stored in the first chamber, called the rumen, where it softens. They later regurgitate this material, called cud, and chew it again to further break down its cellulose content, which is difficult to digest.
Do ruminants eat grass?
Ruminants eat quickly. However, they are unable to digest grasses, foliage, and other types of plant material directly, for their bodies do not produce enzymes capable of breaking down cellulose. Digestion occurs sequentially in a multichambered stomach.
What are the physiological features of ruminants?
Ruminating animals have various physiological features that enable them to survive in nature. One feature of ruminants is their continuously growing teeth. During grazing, the silica content in forage causes abrasion of the teeth. This abrasion is compensated for by continuous tooth growth throughout the ruminant's life, as opposed to humans or other nonruminants, whose teeth stop growing after a particular age. Most ruminants do not have upper incisors; instead, they have a thick dental pad to thoroughly chew plant-based food. Another feature of ruminants is the large ruminal storage capacity that gives them the ability to consume feed rapidly and complete the chewing process later. This is known as rumination, which consists of the regurgitation of feed, rechewing, resalivation, and reswallowing. Rumination reduces particle size, which enhances microbial function and allows the digesta to pass more easily through the digestive tract.
What are the three main categories of ruminants?
Hofmann and Stewart divided ruminants into three major categories based on their feed type and feeding habits: concentrate selectors, intermediate types, and grass/roughage eaters, with the assumption that feeding habits in ruminants cause morphological differences in their digestive systems, including salivary glands, rumen size, and rumen papillae. However, Woodall found that there is little correlation between the fiber content of a ruminant's diet and morphological characteristics, meaning that the categorical divisions of ruminants by Hofmann and Stewart warrant further research.
What is the ruminantamorpha?
Ruminantia is a crown group of ruminants within the order Artiodactyla, cladistically defined by Spaulding et al. as "the least inclusive clade that includes Bos taurus (cow) and Tragulus napu (mouse deer)". Ruminantiamorpha is a higher-level clade of artiodactyls, cladistics|cladistically defined by Spaulding et al. as "Ruminantia plus all extinct taxa more closely related to extant members of Ruminantia than to any other living species." This is a stem-based definition for Ruminantiamorpha, and is more inclusive than the crown group Ruminantia. As a crown group, Ruminantia only includes the last common ancestor of all extant (living) ruminants and their descendants (living or extinct ), whereas Ruminantiamorpha, as a stem group, also includes more basal extinct ruminant ancestors that are more closely related to living ruminants than to other members of Artiodactyla. When considering only living taxons ( neontology ), this makes Ruminantiamorpha and Ruminantia synonymous, and only Ruminantia is used. Thus, Ruminantiamorpha is only used in the context of paleontology. Accordingly, Spaulding grouped some genera of the extinct family Anthracotheriidae within Ruminantiamorpha (but not in Ruminantia), but placed others within Ruminantiamorpha's sister clade, Cetancodontamorpha.
How do ruminants get nutrients?
Ruminants ( suborder Ruminantia) are large hoofed herbivorous grazing or browsing mammals that are able to acquire nutrients from plant-based food by fermenting it in a specialized stomach prior to digestion, principal ly through microbial actions . The process, which takes place in the front part of the digestive system and therefore is called foregut fermentation, typically requires the fermented ingesta (known as cud) to be regurgitated and chewed again. The process of rechewing the cud to further break down plant matter and stimulate digestion is called rumination. The word "ruminant" comes from the Latin ruminare, which means "to chew over again".
Where is digesta located in a ruminant?
The abomasum is the direct equivalent of the monogastric stomach, and digesta is digested here in much the same way. This compartment releases acids and enzymes that further digest the material passing through. This is also where the ruminant digests the microbes produced in the rumen. Digesta is finally moved into the small intestine, where the digestion and absorption of nutrients occurs. The small intestine is the main site of nutrient absorption. The surface area of the digesta is greatly increased here because of the villi that are in the small intestine. This increased surface area allows for greater nutrient absorption. Microbes produced in the reticulorumen are also digested in the small intestine. After the small intestine is the large intestine. The major roles here are breaking down mainly fiber by fermentation with microbes, absorption of water (ions and minerals) and other fermented products, and also expelling waste. Fermentation continues in the large intestine in the same way as in the reticulorumen.
How much carbon does a ruminant consume?
As bacteria conduct fermentation in the rumen, they consume about 10% of the carbon, 60% of the phosphorus, and 80% of the nitrogen that the ruminant ingests. To reclaim these nutrients, the ruminant then digests the bacteria in the abomasum.
What is the pH range of a ruminant?
Microbes function best in a warm, moist, anaerobic environment with a temperature range of 37.7 to 42.2 °C (100 to 108 °F) and a pH between 6.0 and 6.4. Without the help of microbes, ruminants would not be able to utilize nutrients from forages.
Why are artiodactyls so difficult to understand?
Some aspects of the evolutionary story are difficult to follow because the characteristics used to assign taxonomic position do not fossilize. For example, modern artiodactyls are divided into three suborders—non-ruminants, tylopods, and ruminants—based on the morphology of their digestive tracts, soft internal structures that are not preserved in fossils.
Where are artiodactyls found?
The oldest known fossils, clearly referable to artiodactyls, are in early Eocene deposits from Holarctica (Asia, Europe, and North America ). These earliest artiodactyls were relatively abundant and widespread, and include Diacodexis and related genera in the Dichobunidae or Diacodexeidae.
How many families are there in the Cetartiodactyle?
Since the order Cetartiodactyle is not yet accepted, the Artiodactyla is considered to be divided into three suborders with 10 families. The suborder Suina contains three families: the Suidae (pigs), Tayassuidae (peccaries and javelinas), and Hippopotamidae (hippopotamuses).
What are the two types of animals that are ungulates?
Artiodactyls are one of the two living orders of terrestrial mammals that comprise the ungulates, or hoofed mammals. These orders are distinguished primarily by the animals' feet: the Artiodactyla are known as the even-toed ungulates in contrast to the Perissodactyla, or odd-toed ungulates. The name Artiodactyla comes from the Greek words artios, meaning entire or even numbered, and dactylos for finger or toe. Artiodactyls are a highly successful order and the most abundant large land mammals living today with more than 220 species worldwide. This order includes many familiar wild species such as antelopes, deer, bison, and giraffes, along with the familiar and important domestic species such as camels, cattle, goats, pigs, sheep, and water buffalo.
What is the closest artiodactyl to Diacodexis?
So far, the closest condylarths to Diacodexis are the raccoon-like arctocyonids of the middle Paleocene. They were also small, being probably no more than 11 lb (5 kg) with long tails and teeth, suggesting an omnivorous diet. There is a tentatively
How big are artiodactyls?
They range in size from the diminutive mouse deer (Tragulidae) of Southeast Asia, some of which weigh less than 2 lb (1 kg) and stand no more than 14 in (35 cm) at the shoulder , to the common hippopotamus ( Hippopotamus amphibius) weighing almost 10,000 lb (up to 4,500 kg). The head varies in shape from a short to long facial structure, with hairy to naked muzzle that is either large or small. The laterally positioned eyes are often large with long lashes, and the ears, with either rounded or pointed tops, can be relatively large or small compared to the head. Neck length can be short to very long. In most species the hair covering the neck is relatively short, but some species, especially adult males, have longer hairs along the ventral edge forming a clearly defined ruff. In others, a flap of skin, or dewlap, hangs from the ventral surface. The back may be straight, or the shoulders higher than the rump as in bison and gaur, or the reverse as seen in the duikers. Tail length also varies widely, from very short to long. Hair length may be long over the entire tail or long only in a terminal tuft. The legs can be relatively long to short and relatively slender in most species, except in hippos, whose legs are quite stout. Hooves also vary from narrow to broad in width and short or long in length. The body pelage, made up of longer guard hairs and shorter underfur, shows a range from short and smooth to dense and long, although the longer hairs are present usually only in certain body regions. The longest guard hairs of any mammal are found on the musk oxen of the Arctic. Hair coat usually changes with the seasons, and in some species, coloration differs between sexes and among age classes.
Where did the name Artiodactyla come from?
The name Artiodactyla comes from the Greek words artios, meaning entire or even numbered, and dactylos for finger or toe. Artiodactyls are a highly successful order and the most abundant large land mammals living today with more than 220 species worldwide.
How many species are in the Artiodactyla?
The order Artiodactyla consists of 349 extant species belonging to 132 genera. This does not include hybrid species or extinct prehistoric species. Additionally, three other species have gone extinct since prehistoric times: the aurochs, the bluebuck, and Schomburgk's deer. Additionally, the kouprey in Bovidae is potentially extinct, with no sightings since 1969. Modern molecular studies indicate that the 132 genera can be grouped into 23 families; these families are grouped into named suborders and many are further grouped into named clades, and some of these families are subdivided into named subfamilies.
What are the suborders of Artiodactyla?
Artiodactyla is divided into four suborders: Ruminantia, Suina, Tylopoda, and Whippomorpha. The suborders are further subdivided into clades and families. Ruminantia contains six families, Antilocapridae, Bovidae, Cervidae, Giraffidae, Moschidae, and Tragulidae, and includes ruminant animals such as cattle, antelope, deer, and sheep. Suina contains two, Suidae and Tayassuidae, and includes pigs and peccaries; Tylopoda comprises only Camelidae, the camels and llamas; and Whippomorpha contains fourteen, Balaenidae, Balaenopteridae, Cetotheriidae, Delphinidae, Iniidae, Kogiidae, Lipotidae, Monodontidae, Phocoenidae, Physeteridae, Platanistidae, Pontoporiidae, Ziphiidae, and Hippopotamidae, and includes the aquatic whales and dolphins as well as hippopotamuses. The exact organization of the species is not fixed, with many recent proposals made based on molecular phylogenetic analysis. In addition to the extant species, three species have gone extinct since 1500 CE: the aurochs and the bluebuck in Bovidae and Schomburgk's deer in Cervidae. Additionally, the kouprey in Bovidae is potentially extinct, with no sightings since 1969. Several other species are extinct in the wild or critically endangered.
What is the only extant species of a cetotheriid?
Members of the Cetotheriidae family are cetotheriids; the only extant species is the pygmy right whale.
How many species are there in Tayassuidae?
Members of the Tayassuidae family are tayassuids, or colloquially peccaries. Tayassuidae comprises 3 ex tant species in 3 genera, and is not split into subfamilies.
What is the family of antilocaprids?
Members of the Antilocapridae family are called antilocaprids; the family is composed of a single extant species, the pronghorn .
What is the family of balaenidae?
Members of the Balaenidae family are balaenids, or colloquially right whales. Balaenidae contains four species in two genera.

Overview
Taxonomy and evolution
Hofmann and Stewart divided ruminants into three major categories based on their feed type and feeding habits: concentrate selectors, intermediate types, and grass/roughage eaters, with the assumption that feeding habits in ruminants cause morphological differences in their digestive systems, including salivary glands, rumen size, and rumen papillae. However, Woodall found that there is little correlation between the fiber content of a ruminant's diet and morphological charac…
Digestive system of ruminants
The primary difference between ruminants and nonruminants is that ruminants' stomachs have four compartments:
1. rumen—primary site of microbial fermentation
2. reticulum
3. omasum—receives chewed cud, and absorbs volatile fatty acids
Abundance, distribution, and domestication
Wild ruminants number at least 75 million and are native to all continents except Antarctica and Australia. Nearly 90% of all species are found in Eurasia and Africa. Species inhabit a wide range of climates (from tropic to arctic) and habitats (from open plains to forests).
The population of domestic ruminants is greater than 3.5 billion, with cattle, sheep, and goats accounting for about 95% of the total population. Goats were domesticated in the Near East circ…
Ruminant physiology
Ruminating animals have various physiological features that enable them to survive in nature. One feature of ruminants is their continuously growing teeth. During grazing, the silica content in forage causes abrasion of the teeth. This is compensated for by continuous tooth growth throughout the ruminant's life, as opposed to humans or other nonruminants, whose teeth stop growing after a particular age. Most ruminants do not have upper incisors; instead, they have a t…
Rumen microbiology
Vertebrates lack the ability to hydrolyse the beta [1–4] glycosidic bond of plant cellulose due to the lack of the enzyme cellulase. Thus, ruminants completely depend on the microbial flora, present in the rumen or hindgut, to digest cellulose. Digestion of food in the rumen is primarily carried out by the rumen microflora, which contains dense populations of several species of bacteria, protozoa, sometimes yeasts and other fungi – 1 ml of rumen is estimated to contain 10–50 billion bacteria …
Tannin toxicity in ruminant animals
Tannins are phenolic compounds that are commonly found in plants. Found in the leaf, bud, seed, root, and stem tissues, tannins are widely distributed in many different species of plants. Tannins are separated into two classes: hydrolysable tannins and condensed tannins. Depending on their concentration and nature, either class can have adverse or beneficial effects. Tannins can be beneficial, having been shown to increase milk production, wool growth, ovulation rate, and lamb…
Religious importance
The Law of Moses in the Bible allowed the eating of some mammals that had cloven hooves (i.e. members of the order Artiodactyla) and "that chew the cud", a stipulation preserved to this day in Jewish dietary laws.