Infraclass
Placentalia (Placental mammals)
Tamiasciurus douglasii. Photo: (c) John Moyer, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
Placentalia is one of the three extant subdivisions of the class of animals Mammalia; the other two are Monotremata and Marsupialia. The placentals are partly distinguished from other mammals in that the fetus is carried in the uterus of its mother to a relatively late stage of development. The name is something of a misnomer considering that marsupials also nourish their fetuses via a placenta, though for a relatively briefer period, giving birth to less developed…
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