Many animals are clearly related. Domestic cats, for example are like very small lions. Horses, zebras and donkeys are all related. How many basic kinds of creature are there? What are their characteristics? When did they first appear in the fossil record? This display answers those questions.
What are the limits of relatedness?
On the basis of our current research at Noah’s Ark Zoo Farm we suggest that around 60 mammal pairs, 11 reptile pairs and 3 amphibian pairs gave rise to the vastly greater number of mammal, reptile and amphibian species living today.
Our proposed ‘kinds’ are listed on the Reptiles, Mammals, Birds and Amphibians pages that follow. Many are now extinct (these are listed in brown type while the living groups are in blue type).
Choose a class below:
Mammals | Birds | Reptiles | Amphibians |
Noah's Ark is a spectacular hands-on zoo with huge indoor adventure playgrounds and the world's longest hedge maze, all on a genuine working farm!
Noah's Ark Zoo Farm, Clevedon Road, Wraxall, Bristol, BS48 1PG
