Published December 31, 1991 | Version v1
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A world list of mammalian species. Third edition

Description

After birds, mammals are the group of animals whose diversity has been most intensively studied. But the attention of zoologists, whether concentrating on structure, ecology, behaviour or physiology, has been very unevenly distributed amongst the four thousand or so species that make up this assemblage. Some, like the chimpanzee, have had volumes devoted to every aspect of their structure and lives; at the other extreme species have been described on the basis of such flimsy evidence as to leave their very existence in doubt.

Note on the third edition

In bringing the list up to date we have concentrated on adding or deleting species according to recently published research. These changes result from the publication of taxonomic revisions and new or revised regional compilations, and from the description of new species, resulting in a net increase of 93 species. Changes at higher levels of classification have been kept to a minimum. Many aspects of the higher classification used here (i.e. at the level of genus, family and order as distinct from the delimitation of species) are becoming increasingly out of date. However, much of the recent research in this field, using for example biochemical and numerical methods, has not been sufficiently comprehensive to permit the allocation of all known members of the group to the new classification, or has resulted in classifications that are only marginally more likely to reflect phylogenetic relationships than the existing one, or indeed than many other alternatives. There is therefore a need for a period of consolidation and testing before such revisions can be usefully incorporated into a list such as this. Some changes in the insectivores (Insectivora), tree shrews (Scandentia), rodents (Rodentia) and bats (Chiroptera) of the Indomalayan region result from a more detailed review of the mammals of that region that we are currently preparing.

Illustrated by Ray Burrows

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