Pecora

Pecora Temporal range: 50–0 Ma PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N Miocene - recent
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Artiodactyla
Suborder:	Ruminantia
Infraorder:	Pecora Flower, 1883[1]
Subgroups
†Dromomerycidae Antilocapridae Bovimorpha Cervoidea Cervidae Bovoidea Bovidae Moschidae Giraffomorpha †Palaeomerycidae Giraffoidea Giraffidae †Climacoceratidae

Pecora is a group of mammals which chew the cud: in other words they re-eat the same material a second time. This kind of eating is done by all ruminants. The main reason is that they eat grass, which is quite hard to digest. It has little food value, but it grows so widely that it is always available to animals which can digest it.

Most pecorans, except Hydrotopes and Moschus have horns or antlers. "Pecora" comes from Latin meaning "horned lifestock". Some pecorans have horns, but the family Cervidae has antlers.

1. ↑ Flower W. On the Arrangement of the Orders and Families of Existing Mammalia. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London. 178 -186. 1883.