animal

1. A multicellular organism of the kingdom Animalia, differing from plants in certain typical characteristics such as capacity for locomotion, nonphotosynthetic metabolism, pronounced response to stimuli, restricted growth, and fixed bodily structure.
2. An animal organism other than a human, especially a mammal.
3. A person who behaves in a bestial or brutish manner.
4. A human considered with respect to his or her physical, as opposed to spiritual, nature.
5. A person having a specified aptitude or set of interests: "that rarest of musical animals, an instrumentalist who is as comfortable on a podium with a stick as he is playing his instrument" (Lon Tuck).

1. Relating to, characteristic of, or derived from an animal or animals: animal fat.
2. Relating to the physical as distinct from the spiritual nature of people: animal instincts and desires.

[Middle English, from Latin, from animāle, neuter of animālis, living, from anima, soul.]

Any living organism which possesses certain characteristics that distinguish it from plants. There is no single criterion that can be used to distinguish all animals from all plants. Animals usually lack chlorophyll and the ability to manufacture foods from raw materials available in the soil, water, and atmosphere. Animal cells are usually delimited by a flexible plasma or cell membrane rather than a cell wall. Animals generally are limited in their growth and most have the ability to move in their environment at some stage in their life history, whereas plants are usually not restricted in their growth and the majority are stationary.

The presence or lack of chlorophyll in an organism does not determine its affinity to the plant or animal kingdom. Among the protozoa, the class Phytamastigophora includes animals, such as the euglenids, which have chromatophores containing chlorophyll. These organisms are considered to be animals by zoologists and plants by phycologists. Higher parasitic plants and the large plant group Fungi also lack chlorophyll. Another borderline group is the slime molds: the Mycetozoa of zoologists and the Myxomycophyta of the botanists; these organisms exhibit both plant and animal characteristics during their life history. Movement is not a characteristic restricted to the animal kingdom; many of the thallophytes such as Oscillatoria, numerous bacteria, and colonial chlorophytes are motile.

Classifying organisms as plants or animals is difficult. Today biologists recognize up to five kingdoms. Most place the one-celled animals and plants, sometimes along with algae and certain other groups, into the Protista. Other kingdoms are the Monera for the bacteria and blue-green algae, and the Fungi for the slime molds and true fungi. These schemes for recognizing additional kingdoms have the practical advantage of eliminating the difficulties of delimiting and describing the kingdoms of multicellular animals and plants. See also Animal kingdom; Plant; Plant kingdom.

adjective

Relating to the desires and appetites of the body: carnal, fleshly, physical, sensual. See body/spirit.

Definition: animate being; mammal
Antonyms: mineral, plant

For more information on animal, visit Britannica.com.

For the folklore of real-life animals, see under each individual species. Two forms can occur: beliefs about the luck or ill luck the animal brings or foretells, and ideas about its biology and behaviour which, though mistaken, are not superstitious but merely popular fallacies. The latter often have a long history in books as well as oral tradition. Also, pious legends about animals and birds explain their markings or behaviour by association with Jesus (see donkey, robin). The haddock and the dory both have a black spot behind each gill, said to be the marks of St Peter's thumb and forefinger as he held the fish to extract a coin from its mouth (Matthew 17: 7)—a tale recorded in the 17th century, but probably medieval.

There are many supernatural creatures in animal form, some being shape-changing boggarts and fairies, others human ghosts, others demonic; each account has to be separately assessed.

Because of its belief in rebirth, the Buddhist view of animals is more sympathetic than the traditional Western one. The fact that human and animal forms are seen as interchangeable leads to a greater feeling of kinship between them. For this reason, together with the ethical principle of ahiṃsā, many Buddhists are vegetarians (see diet). At the same time it is recognized that humans and animals are by no means equal. An animal rebirth is lower on the hierarchical scale (see six realms of rebirth) and to be reborn as an animal is seen as a great misfortune and due to the accumulation of bad karma.

From the time of the earliest Celtic traditions at Hallstatt and La Tène, certain animals had continuous associations in iconography and in storytelling. Shape-shifting gods and heroes transformed themselves into animals. In Celtic Christianity some saints, such as St Pol of Brittany, were thought to have power over the animals, while others, Sts Ailbe and Ciwa, were thought to be suckled by animals (wolves), as was Bairre, an ancestor of Amairgin. See BADGER; BEAR; BIRDS; BOAR; BULL; CAT; COCK; COW; DOG; OTTER; RAM; STAG; SWAN. The boar held a special place in Celtic iconography from earliest times, while the Continental Celts seem to have given most esteem to the horned, stag-like god Cernunnos. Anne Ross devotes a lengthy chapter to divine animals in early Celtic art in Pagan Celtic Britain (London, 1967), 297–353. See also BIRDS; FISH.

Animals are believed to exhibit psychic faculties similar to human beings. In her account of a case of haunting in Proceedings of the Society for Psychical Research, Vol. 8, R. C. Morton mentions two dogs who saw a ghost. The medium Mrs. J. H. Conant believed that her pet dog and cat saw the spirits she described clairvoyantly. The dog barked and snarled; the cat arched its back, spat, and ran to hide. Sir William Barrett recorded the case of the Montgomery sisters who saw a ghost floating across the road; their horse stopped and shook with fright. The watchdog of the Rev. Samuel Wesley crouched in terror during the poltergeist manifestations at Epworth Vicarage (see Epworth Phenomena). In a poltergeist case on the Baltic Island of Oesel in 1844 a number of horses were frightened by thunderous noises coming from a nearby underground vault. The case is described in Robert Dale Owen 's Footfalls on the Boundary of Another World (1860).

Ernesto Bozzano collected many cases (published in the Annals of Psychic Science in 1905 and in Animaux et manifestations metapsychiques in 1926) in which animals as agents induce telepathic hallucinations; in which they act as percipients simultaneously with, or previously to, human beings; in which they see human or animal phantoms, collectively with human beings in which phantom animals are seen in haunted spots or periodically appear as a premonition of death. Out of a total of 69 cases, in 13 the animals were subject to supernormal psychic perceptions in precedence to humans, and in 12 they perceived things that the persons present were unable to see. In more than one-third of the cases, therefore, the animals' perception had precedence to humans. Bozzano pointed out that animals, "besides sharing with man the intermittent exercise of faculties of supernormal psychic perception, show themselves furthermore normally endowed with special psychic faculties unknown to men, such as the so-called instincts of direction and of migration, and the faculty of precognition regarding unforeseen atmospheric disturbances, or the imminence of earthquakes, or volcanic eruptions. Although man is destitute of such superior faculties of instinct, nevertheless these same faculties exist in the unexplored recesses of his subconsciousness." (See also Earthquake Prediction)

In the case of avalanches, the presentiments, especially attributed to horses, are still more mysterious. The deathhowl of dogs in anticipation of the death of their master or a member of the household is a well documented phenomenon. Gustave Geley recorded a personal experience of this in From the Unconscious to the Conscious (1920).

Supernormal perception may also work in a lower scale of life. Sir William Barrett suggested that the color changes of insect life to suit the environment might be due to causes of stigmata, i.e., suggestion unconsciously derived from the environment.

That there may be latent high faculties in animals which vie with the powers of genius was demonstrated by the famous case of the Elberfeld Horses, although many scientists have been skeptical of the evidence. An Italian horse, Tripoli, showed similar talent after a course in mathematics. The dog Rolf, of Mannheim, learned to calculate by attending the lessons given to a child. (See Proceedings of the ASPR, Vol. 13 [1919]). Rolf sired Lola who attained considerable fame as narrated in Henry Kindermann's Lola; or, The Thought and Speech of Animals (1922). She could calculate, tell the time, and phonetically spell out answers to questions. When she was asked what was the name of the Mannheim dog, she replied "mein fadr" (Mein Vater) i.e., "my father." All present had expected her to answer "Rolf."

Carita Borderieux's Les Nouveaux Animaux Pensants (Paris, 1927) tells the story of Zou, the author's calculating dog. In Proceedings of the ASPR Vol. 38, Theodore Besterman described his personal encounter with Borderieux's dog and claims to have discovered that the dog interpreted unconscious movements of Borderieux's hand. Unconscious movements were also put forward to explain the phenomena of the Elberfeld Horses, but they often gave correct answers to mathematical problems when the answer was not known by the questioner.

Unconscious signals or secret code falls far short as a theory of explanation in the case of Black Bear, the Briarcliff pony, who not only solved mathematical problems and spelled answers by selecting letters from a rack, but, according to narratives in the journal Psychic Research (April 1931), exhibited clairvoyant or telepathic powers by correctly describing playing cards which were turned face down. Black Bear either answered correctly or refused to venture an answer at all. He was never at fault and solved his problems with a supreme indifference. Mrs. Fletcher, one of his visitors, whose birthday was to occur shortly—a fact which could not normally have been known to either Black Bear or Mr. Barrett (his trainer)—asked these questions: "Black Bear,—there is an anniversary coming soon. Can you tell me what it is?" The pony spelled out "Birthday." Mrs. Fletcher then said "That is right, now, can you tell me when it will be?" and Black Bear replied "Friday." "What date will it be?" was the next question, and Black Bear at once spelled out "August 3rd."

Regarding the survival of animals, no definite proof is available. Materialization seances in which animals are seen do not offer evidence in themselves of survival. It is the continuation of personality and memory of which proof is demanded. Obviously, the barking of dogs is not sufficiently expressive for the purpose. After-death communications, however, do assert that animals also survive. Nevertheless, as an interesting speculation, the direct voice communication given to H. Dennis Bradley should be registered. According to Bradley, animals such as tigers and snakes, etc., go to an animal kingdom, there to be redrawn upon for physical life on Earth. Animals, such as dogs and cats, that are capable of love and loyalty live with the spirits in their plane. Said Andrew Lang, "Knowing cases in which phantasms of dogs have been seen and heard collectively by several persons simultaneously, I tend to agree with the tribes of North-West Central Queensland that dogs, like men, have khoi—have spirits."

In various countries of the world, the special sensory abilities of animals have been used in war and defense situations. Robert Lubow, professor of psychology at Tel Aviv University, Israel, revealed various extraordinary developments in the use of animals in his book The War Animals (1977). The Russians trained porpoises and dolphins to recognize different kinds of metal plates in warships in order to lay mines beside enemy ships, rather like the story in the film Day of the Dolphin. In Hong Kong, police tested the use of rats to sniff out heroin. In Britain, the Royal Air Force devised a system of coating aircraft flight detectors ("black boxes") with a special substance odorless to human beings but detectable by trained dogs, who can locate the recorders after a crash. During the Vietnam war, Prof. Lubow successfully trained nearly one hundred dogs to find mines and booby-traps. Insects were used at military establishments to detect the presence of intruders. Pigeons were trained for aerial reconnaissance to identify man-made objects from natural features of the landscape; a radio direction finder would be triggered by the pigeon's landing, transmitting the information to a remote patrol. In Israel, dogs have been used successfully to detect letter-bombs in the mail. The scent of the explosive is apparently perceptible to a dog even in a sack of 600 letters.

Sources:

Boone, J. Allen. Kinship with All Life. New York: Harper & Brothers, 1954.

Bozzano, Ernesto. "Animals and Psychic Perceptions." Annals of Psychic Science (August 1905).

Burton, Maurice. The Sixth Sense of Animals. New York: Taplinger, 1973; London: Dent, 1973.

Gaddis, Vincent, and Margaret Gaddis. The Strange World of Animals and Pets. 1970. Reprint, New York: Pocket Books, 1971.

Kindermann, Henny. Lola; or, the Thought and Speech of Animals. New York: E. P. Dutton, 1923.

Lilly, J. Man and Dolphin. Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday, 1961.

Lorenz, Konrad. King Solomon's Ring. New York: Time, 1962.

Lubow, Robert. The War Animals. Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday, 1977.

Maeterlinck, Maurice. The Unknown Guest. New Hyde Park, N.Y.: University Books, 1975.

Schul, Bill. The Psychic Power of Animals. Greenwich, Conn.: Fawcett, 1977.

Selous, Edmund. Thought-Transference (or What?) in Birds. London: Constable & Co. Ltd., 1931.

1. a living organism having sensation and the power of voluntary movement and requiring for its existence oxygen and organic food.
2. of or pertaining to such an organism.

• a. behavior — any movement made by an animal, as a result of neurological reflexes, inherited traits, conditioned responses, physiological influences such as hormone levels, and psychological state. It is also influenced by the physical status of the animal.
• a. bite — a wound caused by the bite of an animal. See also animal bite.
• a. boarding establishments — commercial places at which food and accommodation are provided for temporary animal residents at a daily or weekly tariff. They are usually required to be registered by a local government authority so that the premises can be inspected to ensure that the services provided avoid misconduct in terms of animal abuse or cruelty. See also boarding kennels.
• a. breeds — see under species and names of individual breeds.
• a. capture — may be by physical means using trap cages or corrals, nets or other devices, or by the use of chemical restraint. Immobilizing agents are injected into the animal by the use of syringes on long poles, or fired as projectiles from guns using compressed gases or explosive devices as propellants, or from crossbows. The constant problem is the avoidance of fatal capture myopathy or exhaustion.
• a. clinics — conduct of an animal clinic per se by non-veterinarians would not be an offense under most veterinary statutes but conduct of veterinary practice in the premises by unregistered persons would be.
• control a. — an untreated animal otherwise identical in all respects to one that is used for purposes of experiment; used for checking results of treatment.
• a. facilitated therapy — the utilization of animals, usually companion pets, in the treatment or management of human problems, usually physical handicaps or psychiatric disorders. Acceptance of this form of therapy has widened in recent years and there are many examples of recent and current programs based on placement of animals in private homes or institutions such as prisons, nursing homes and hospitals. Although the benefits derived are difficult to assess, there is general agreement that morale and motivation of patients or inmates is improved as a result of these programs. Guide dogs for the blind, hearing dogs and horseback riding for the disabled are also sometimes included in this category.
• a. feed — food materials for animal consumption.
• a. fight injuries — encompass the wide variety of damage that can be done by teeth, horns, claws and hooves, usually complicated by infection.
• a. food — food for humans of animal origin or containing materials of animal origin. See also animal feed (above).
• a. health insurance — comparable to medical insurance in humans. The owner pays a premium in return for disease prevention and health maintenance services at reduced rates. Sometimes used to provide these services to an animal population in a country or state, e.g. Israel, Quebec.
• a. health technician — person other than a veterinarian trained in animal health techniques and bearing accredited qualifications.
• a. housing — see housing.
• a. identification — see identification.
• a. improvement — improvement in production efficiency by genetic means, principally by selection and cross-breeding, to a less extent by inbreeding, all facilitated by artificial insemination and embryo transfer.
• a. insurance — includes insurance against loss by death as a financial asset or against loss of function, especially with respect to reproduction in the case of a male animal. See also animal health insurance (above).
• a. liberation — a group of animal lovers with activist proclivities who oppose domination of animals by humans. In particular, the movement opposes animal experimentation and close confinement.
• a. medicines — must be labeled as being for animal use only. Their manufacture and sale is controlled by legislation in most countries. The objective is to protect the human population and the subject animals also.
• a. models of human disease — diseases of animals which are suitable models for diseases which occur in humans; often used for experimental studies.
• a. nurses — training programs lasting usually for two years of full-time study are available in most countries for aspiring animal nurses. The term veterinary nurse is used in some countries but avoided in others because of the confusion that it might cause in the minds of the public about who is qualified to do what. Animal nurses are qualified to assist veterinarians to perform acts of veterinary science.
• a. nursing auxiliaries — see animal nurses (above).
• a. oil — lard, whale oil, wool fat.
• performing a. — see performing animals.
• a. pound — see animal shelter (below).
• a. protein — protein for animal feed derived from abattoirs, meat-packing plants, fish processors, dairy manufacturers.
• a. protein factor — a term previously used for an unknown factor present in feeds of animal origin and necessary for growth in swine and poultry. Now known to be vitamin B₁₂. Called also APF.
• a. rights — a commonly held view is that animals have rights in much the same way as people do. There is no legal support for that view, other than that embodied in legislation dealing with matters of abuse.
• a. shelter — accommodation provided for and to maintain custody of discarded and unwanted pets, usually provided by animal welfare societies or local government authorities. An unpleasant corollary of this system is the euthanizing of large numbers of dogs and cats because the amount of accommodation is limited. Called also animal pound.
• a. technician — a person trained in the care of animals including feeding, breeding, housing, training, use, health maintenance. Oriented towards healthy animals in groups or institutions with a particular involvement with laboratory animals. See also animal nurses (above) who are oriented more towards sick animals.
• a. use — comparable to occupation in humans. Classifications include beef cattle, dairy cattle, dairy or milk goats, fiber goats, wool sheep, mutton or meat sheep, pleasure horse, draft horse, event horse, cattle dogs, companion dogs and so on.
• a. welfare — the avoidance of abuse and exploitation of animals by humans by maintaining appropriate standards of accommodation, feeding and general care, the prevention and treatment of disease and the assurance of freedom from harassment, and unnecessary discomfort and pain. A code of practice, aimed at owners and custodians, is necessary for each animal species. A more complex problem, which is still to be resolved, is that of infringement of animal rights in law.
— Proper application of the principles of animal welfare includes the continuous surveillance of the environment that human beings provide for animals that are in their care, and the promotion of what are considered by the community to be adequate rewards to the animals for the contribution that they make to the physical and psychological well-being of humans.
• a. welfare codes of practice — rules for the care of animals which set out what is expected by the local community of persons who have animals in their care. Not a legal document but likely to be used as a guide by the courts. They specify feeding, housing, surgical alteration, transport and so on. See also code of practice/conduct.

Quotes:

"Animals, in their generation, are wiser than the sons of men; but their wisdom is confined to a few particulars, and lies in a very narrow compass." - Joseph Addison

"Of all the wonders of nature, a tree in summer is perhaps the most remarkable; with the possible exception of a moose singing Embraceable You in spats." - Woody Allen

"We know what the animals do, what are the needs of the beaver, the bear, the salmon, and other creatures, because long ago men married them and acquired this knowledge from their animal wives. Today the priests say we lie, but we know better." - Native Americans

"At his best, man is the noblest of all animals; separated from law and justice he is the worst." - Aristotle

"Drinking, when we are not thirsty and making love all year round, madam; that is all there is to distinguish us from other animals." - Pierre De Beaumarchais

"The dog is the god of frolic." - Henry Ward Beecher

See more famous quotes about Animals

"Animalia" redirects here. For other uses, see Animalia (disambiguation).

For other uses, see Animal (disambiguation).

Animals Fossil range: Ediacaran - Recent, PreЄ Є O S D C P T J K Pg N
Left to right: Hapalochlaena lunulata (a mollusk), Sphodromantis viridis (an arthropod), Lumbricus terrestris (an annelid), Panthera tigris (a chordate), and Chrysaora colorata (a cnidarian).
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukarya
(unranked)	Opisthokonta
(unranked)	Holozoa
(unranked)	Filozoa
Kingdom:	Animalia Linnaeus, 1758
Phyla
Subkingdom Parazoa Porifera Placozoa Subkingdom Eumetazoa Radiata (unranked) Ctenophora Cnidaria Bilateria (unranked) Orthonectida Rhombozoa Acoelomorpha Chaetognatha Superphylum Deuterostomia Chordata Hemichordata Echinodermata Xenoturbellida Vetulicolia† Protostomia (unranked) Superphylum Ecdysozoa Kinorhyncha Loricifera Priapulida Nematoda Nematomorpha Lobopodia Onychophora Tardigrada Arthropoda Superphylum Platyzoa Platyhelminthes Gastrotricha Rotifera Acanthocephala Gnathostomulida Micrognathozoa Cycliophora Superphylum Lophotrochozoa Sipuncula Hyolitha† Nemertea Phoronida Bryozoa Entoprocta Brachiopoda Mollusca Annelida Echiura

Animals are a major group of mostly multicellular, eukaryotic organisms of the kingdom Animalia or Metazoa. Their body plan eventually becomes fixed as they develop, although some undergo a process of metamorphosis later on in their life. Most animals are motile, meaning they can move spontaneously and independently. All animals are also heterotrophs, meaning they must ingest other organisms for sustenance.

Most known animal phyla appeared in the fossil record as marine species during the Cambrian explosion, about 542 million years ago.

Contents 1 Etymology 2 Characteristics 2.1 Structure 2.2 Reproduction and development 2.3 Food and energy sourcing 3 Origin and fossil record 4 Groups of animals 4.1 Porifera, Radiata and basal Bilateria 4.2 Deuterostomes 4.3 Ecdysozoa 4.4 Platyzoa 4.5 Lophotrochozoa 5 Model organisms 6 History of classification 7 See also 8 References 8.1 Notes 8.2 Bibliography 9 External links

Etymology

The word "animal" comes from the Latin word animale, neuter of animalis, and is derived from anima, meaning vital breath or soul. In everyday colloquial usage, the word usually refers to non-human animals.^[1] Frequently only closer relatives of humans such as vertebrates or mammals are meant in colloquial use.^{[citation needed]} The biological definition of the word refers to all members of the Kingdom Animalia including humans.^[2]

Characteristics

Animals have several characteristics that set them apart from other living things. Animals are eukaryotic and are multicellular^[3] (although see Myxozoa), which separates them from bacteria and most protists. They are heterotrophic,^[4] generally digesting food in an internal chamber, which separates them from plants and algae (some sponges are capable of photosynthesis and nitrogen fixation though).^[5] They are also distinguished from plants, algae, and fungi by lacking rigid cell walls.^[6] All animals are motile,^[7] if only at certain life stages. In most animals, embryos pass through a blastula stage, which is a characteristic exclusive to animals.

Structure

With a few exceptions, most notably the sponges (Phylum Porifera) and Placozoa, animals have bodies differentiated into separate tissues. These include muscles, which are able to contract and control locomotion, and nerve tissue, which sends and processes signals. There is also typically an internal digestive chamber, with one or two openings. Animals with this sort of organization are called metazoans, or eumetazoans when the former is used for animals in general.

All animals have eukaryotic cells, surrounded by a characteristic extracellular matrix composed of collagen and elastic glycoproteins. This may be calcified to form structures like shells, bones, and spicules. During development it forms a relatively flexible framework upon which cells can move about and be reorganized, making complex structures possible. In contrast, other multicellular organisms like plants and fungi have cells held in place by cell walls, and so develop by progressive growth. Also, unique to animal cells are the following intercellular junctions: tight junctions, gap junctions, and desmosomes.

Reproduction and development

A newt lung cell stained with fluorescent dyes undergoing mitosis, specifically early anaphase.

Nearly all animals undergo some form of sexual reproduction. They have a few specialized reproductive cells, which undergo meiosis to produce smaller motile spermatozoa or larger non-motile ova. These fuse to form zygotes, which develop into new individuals.

Many animals are also capable of asexual reproduction. This may take place through parthenogenesis, where fertile eggs are produced without mating, or in some cases through fragmentation.

A zygote initially develops into a hollow sphere, called a blastula, which undergoes rearrangement and differentiation. In sponges, blastula larvae swim to a new location and develop into a new sponge. In most other groups, the blastula undergoes more complicated rearrangement. It first invaginates to form a gastrula with a digestive chamber, and two separate germ layers - an external ectoderm and an internal endoderm. In most cases, a mesoderm also develops between them. These germ layers then differentiate to form tissues and organs.

Food and energy sourcing

A juvenile Red-tailed Hawk eating a California Vole

All animals are heterotrophs, meaning that they feed directly or indirectly on other living things. They are often further subdivided into groups such as carnivores, herbivores, omnivores, and parasites.

Predation is a biological interaction where a predator (a heterotroph that is hunting) feeds on its prey (the organism that is attacked). Predators may or may not kill their prey prior to feeding on them, but the act of predation always results in the death of the prey. The other main category of consumption is detritivory, the consumption of dead organic matter. It can at times be difficult to separate the two feeding behaviours, for example where parasitic species prey on a host organism and then lay their eggs on it for their offspring to feed on its decaying corpse. Selective pressures imposed on one another has led to an evolutionary arms race between prey and predator, resulting in various antipredator adaptations.

Most animals feed indirectly from the energy of sunlight. Plants use this energy to convert sunlight into simple sugars using a process known as photosynthesis. Starting with the molecules carbon dioxide (CO₂) and water (H₂O), photosynthesis converts the energy of sunlight into chemical energy stored in the bonds of glucose (C₆H₁₂O₆) and releases oxygen (O₂). These sugars are then used as the building blocks which allow the plant to grow. When animals eat these plants (or eat other animals which have eaten plants), the sugars produced by the plant are used by the animal. They are either used directly to help the animal grow, or broken down, releasing stored solar energy, and giving the animal the energy required for motion. This process is known as glycolysis.

Animals who live close to hydrothermal vents and cold seeps on the ocean floor are not dependent on the energy of sunlight. Instead chemosynthetic archaea and bacteria form the base of the food chain.

Origin and fossil record

Further information: Urmetazoon

Dunkleosteus was a gigantic, 10 meter (33 ft) long prehistoric fish.^[8]

Vernanimalcula guizhouena is a fossil believed by some to represent the earliest known member of the Bilateria.

Animals are generally considered to have evolved from a flagellated eukaryote. Their closest known living relatives are the choanoflagellates, collared flagellates that have a morphology similar to the choanocytes of certain sponges. Molecular studies place animals in a supergroup called the opisthokonts, which also include the choanoflagellates, fungi and a few small parasitic protists. The name comes from the posterior location of the flagellum in motile cells, such as most animal spermatozoa, whereas other eukaryotes tend to have anterior flagella.

The first fossils that might represent animals appear towards the end of the Precambrian, around 610 million years ago, and are known as the Ediacaran or Vendian biota. These are difficult to relate to later fossils, however. Some may represent precursors of modern phyla, but they may be separate groups, and it is possible they are not really animals at all. Aside from them, most known animal phyla make a more or less simultaneous appearance during the Cambrian period, about 542 million years ago. It is still disputed whether this event, called the Cambrian explosion, represents a rapid divergence between different groups or a change in conditions that made fossilization possible. However some paleontologists and geologists would suggest that animals appeared much earlier than previously thought, possibly even as early as 1 billion years ago. Trace fossils such as tracks and burrows found in Tonian era indicate the presence of triploblastic worm like metazoans roughly as large (about 5 mm wide) and complex as earthworms.^[9] In addition during the beginning of the Tonian period around 1 billion years ago (roughly the same time that the trace fossils previously discussed in this article date back to) there was a decrease in Stromatolite diversity which may indicate the appearance of grazing animals during this time as Stromatolites also increased in diversity shortly after the end-Ordovician and end-Permian rendered large amounts of grazing marine animals extinct and decreased shortly after their populations recovered. The discovery that tracks very similar to these early trace fossils are produced today by the giant single-celled protist Gromia sphaerica casts further doubt on their interpretation as evidence of early animal evolution.^[10][11]

Groups of animals

Porifera, Radiata and basal Bilateria

Orange elephant ear sponge, Agelas clathrodes, in foreground. Two corals in the background: a sea fan, Iciligorgia schrammi, and a sea rod, Plexaurella nutans.

The sponges (Porifera) were long thought to have diverged from other animals early. They lack the complex organization found in most other phyla. Their cells are differentiated, but in most cases not organized into distinct tissues. Sponges typically feed by drawing in water through pores. Archaeocyatha, which have fused skeletons, may represent sponges or a separate phylum. However, a phylogenomic study in 2008 of 150 genes in 21 genera^[12] revealed that it is the Ctenophora or comb jellies which are the basal lineage of animals, at least among those 21 phyla. The authors speculate that sponges—or at least those lines of sponges they investigated—are not so primitive, but may instead be secondarily simplified.

Among the other phyla, the Ctenophora and the Cnidaria, which includes sea anemones, corals, and jellyfish, are radially symmetric and have digestive chambers with a single opening, which serves as both the mouth and the anus. Both have distinct tissues, but they are not organized into organs. There are only two main germ layers, the ectoderm and endoderm, with only scattered cells between them. As such, these animals are sometimes called diploblastic. The tiny placozoans are similar, but they do not have a permanent digestive chamber.

The remaining animals form a monophyletic group called the Bilateria. For the most part, they are bilaterally symmetric, and often have a specialized head with feeding and sensory organs. The body is triploblastic, i.e. all three germ layers are well-developed, and tissues form distinct organs. The digestive chamber has two openings, a mouth and an anus, and there is also an internal body cavity called a coelom or pseudocoelom. There are exceptions to each of these characteristics, however - for instance adult echinoderms are radially symmetric, and certain parasitic worms have extremely simplified body structures.

Genetic studies have considerably changed our understanding of the relationships within the Bilateria. Most appear to belong to two major lineages: the deuterostomes and the protostomes, the latter of which includes the Ecdysozoa, Platyzoa, and Lophotrochozoa. In addition, there are a few small groups of bilaterians with relatively similar structure that appear to have diverged before these major groups. These include the Acoelomorpha, Rhombozoa, and Orthonectida. The Myxozoa, single-celled parasites that were originally considered Protozoa, are now believed to have developed from the Medusozoa as well.

Deuterostomes

Superb Fairy-wren, Malurus cyaneus

Deuterostomes differ from the other Bilateria, called protostomes, in several ways. In both cases there is a complete digestive tract. However, in protostomes the initial opening (the archenteron) develops into the mouth, and an anus forms separately. In deuterostomes this is reversed. In most protostomes, cells simply fill in the interior of the gastrula to form the mesoderm, called schizocoelous development, but in deuterostomes it forms through invagination of the endoderm, called enterocoelic pouching. Deuterostomes also have a dorsal, rather than a ventral, nerve chord and their embryos undergo different cleavage.

All this suggests the deuterostomes and protostomes are separate, monophyletic lineages. The main phyla of deuterostomes are the Echinodermata and Chordata. The former are radially symmetric and exclusively marine, such as starfish, sea urchins, and sea cucumbers. The latter are dominated by the vertebrates, animals with backbones. These include fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals.

In addition to these, the deuterostomes also include the Hemichordata or acorn worms. Although they are not especially prominent today, the important fossil graptolites may belong to this group.

The Chaetognatha or arrow worms may also be deuterostomes, but more recent studies suggest protostome affinities.

Ecdysozoa

Yellow-winged darter, Sympetrum flaveolum

The Ecdysozoa are protostomes, named after the common trait of growth by moulting or ecdysis. The largest animal phylum belongs here, the Arthropoda, including insects, spiders, crabs, and their kin. All these organisms have a body divided into repeating segments, typically with paired appendages. Two smaller phyla, the Onychophora and Tardigrada, are close relatives of the arthropods and share these traits.

The ecdysozoans also include the Nematoda or roundworms, perhaps the second largest animal phylum. Roundworms are typically microscopic, and occur in nearly every environment where there is water. A number are important parasites. Smaller phyla related to them are the Nematomorpha or horsehair worms, and the Kinorhyncha, Priapulida, and Loricifera. These groups have a reduced coelom, called a pseudocoelom.

The remaining two groups of protostomes are sometimes grouped together as the Spiralia, since in both embryos develop with spiral cleavage.

Platyzoa

Bedford's flatworm, Pseudobiceros bedfordi

The Platyzoa include the phylum Platyhelminthes, the flatworms. These were originally considered some of the most primitive Bilateria, but it now appears they developed from more complex ancestors.^[13] A number of parasites are included in this group, such as the flukes and tapeworms. Flatworms are acoelomates, lacking a body cavity, as are their closest relatives, the microscopic Gastrotricha.^[14]

The other platyzoan phyla are mostly microscopic and pseudocoelomate. The most prominent are the Rotifera or rotifers, which are common in aqueous environments. They also include the Acanthocephala or spiny-headed worms, the Gnathostomulida, Micrognathozoa, and possibly the Cycliophora.^[15] These groups share the presence of complex jaws, from which they are called the Gnathifera.

Lophotrochozoa

Roman snail, Helix pomatia

The Lophotrochozoa include two of the most successful animal phyla, the Mollusca and Annelida.^[16][17] The former, which is the second-largest animal phylum by number of described species, includes animals such as snails, clams, and squids, and the latter comprises the segmented worms, such as earthworms and leeches. These two groups have long been considered close relatives because of the common presence of trochophore larvae, but the annelids were considered closer to the arthropods,^[18] because they are both segmented. Now this is generally considered convergent evolution, owing to many morphological and genetic differences between the two phyla.^[19]

The Lophotrochozoa also include the Nemertea or ribbon worms, the Sipuncula, and several phyla that have a fan of cilia around the mouth, called a lophophore.^[20] These were traditionally grouped together as the lophophorates.^[21] but it now appears they are paraphyletic,^[22] some closer to the Nemertea and some to the Mollusca and Annelida.^[23][24] They include the Brachiopoda or lamp shells, which are prominent in the fossil record, the Entoprocta, the Phoronida, and possibly the Bryozoa or moss animals.^[25]

Model organisms

Main articles: Model organism and Animal testing

Because of the great diversity found in animals, it is more economical for scientists to study a small number of chosen species so that connections can be drawn from their work and conclusions extrapolated about how animals function in general. Because they are easy to keep and breed, the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster and the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans have long been the most intensively studied metazoan model organisms, and were among the first life-forms to be genetically sequenced. This was facilitated by the severely reduced state of their genomes, but the double-edged sword here is that with many genes, introns and linkages lost, these ecdysozoans can teach us little about the origins of animals in general. The extent of this type of evolution within the superphylum will be revealed by the crustacean, annelid, and molluscan genome projects currently in progress. Analysis of the starlet sea anemone genome has emphasised the importance of sponges, placozoans, and choanoflagellates, also being sequenced, in explaining the arrival of 1500 ancestral genes unique to the Eumetazoa.^[26]

An analysis of the homoscleromorph sponge Oscarella carmela also suggests that the last common ancestor of sponges and the eumetazoan animals was more complex than previously assumed.^[27]

Other model organisms belonging to the animal kingdom include the mouse (Mus musculus) and zebrafish (Danio rerio).

Carolus Linnaeus known as the father of modern taxonomy

History of classification

Aristotle divided the living world between animals and plants, and this was followed by Carolus Linnaeus (Carl von Linné), in the first hierarchical classification. Since then biologists have begun emphasizing evolutionary relationships, and so these groups have been restricted somewhat. For instance, microscopic protozoa were originally considered animals because they move, but are now treated separately.

In Linnaeus's original scheme, the animals were one of three kingdoms, divided into the classes of Vermes, Insecta, Pisces, Amphibia, Aves, and Mammalia. Since then the last four have all been subsumed into a single phylum, the Chordata, whereas the various other forms have been separated out. The above lists represent our current understanding of the group, though there is some variation from source to source.

See also

Animals portal

Wikipedia:Books has a book on: Animal

Wikispecies has information related to: Animalia

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Animal

• Animal behavior
• Animal rights
• Fauna
• List of animal names
• List of animals by number of neurons
• Lists of animals
• Plant

References

Notes

1. ^ Webster's. "Animal Definition". http://www.yourdictionary.com/animal. Retrieved September 17 2009. 
2. ^ "Animal". The American Heritage Dictionary (Forth ed.). Houghton Mifflin Company. 2006. 
3. ^ National Zoo. "Panda Classroom". http://nationalzoo.si.edu/Animals/GiantPandas/PandasForKids/classification/classification.htm. Retrieved September 30 2007. 
4. ^ Jennifer Bergman. "Heterotrophs". http://www.windows.ucar.edu/tour/link=/earth/Life/heterotrophs.html&edu=high. Retrieved September 30 2007. 
5. ^ Douglas AE, Raven JA, AE (January 2003). "Genomes at the interface between bacteria and organelles". Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological sciences 358 (1429): 5–17; discussion 517–8. doi:10.1098/rstb.2002.1188. ISSN 0962-8436. PMID 12594915. 
6. ^ Davidson, Michael W.. "Animal Cell Structure". http://micro.magnet.fsu.edu/cells/animalcell.html. Retrieved September 20 2007. 
7. ^ Saupe, S.G. "Concepts of Biology". http://employees.csbsju.edu/SSAUPE/biol116/Zoology/digestion.htm. Retrieved September 30 2007. 
8. ^ Monster fish crushed opposition with strongest bite ever, smh.com.au
9. ^ Seilacher, A., Bose, P.K. and Pflüger, F., A (Oct 1998). "Animals More Than 1 Billion Years Ago: Trace Fossil Evidence from India". Science 282 (5386): 80–83. doi:10.1126/science.282.5386.80. ISSN 0036-8075. PMID 9756480. http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/abstract/282/5386/80. Retrieved 2007-08-20. 
10. ^ Matz, MV; Frank, TM; Marshall, NJ; Widder, EA; Johnsen, S (2008-12-09). "Giant Deep-Sea Protist Produces Bilaterian-like Traces". Current Biology (Elsevier Ltd) 18 (18): 1–6. doi:10.1016/j.cub.2008.10.028. ISSN 0960-9822. PMID 19026540. http://www.biology.duke.edu/johnsenlab/pdfs/pubs/sea%20grapes%202008.pdf. Retrieved 2008-12-05. 
11. ^ Reilly, Michael (2008-11-20). "Single-celled giant upends early evolution". MSNBC. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27827279/. Retrieved 2008-12-05. 
12. ^ Dunn et al. 2008. "Broad phylogenomic sampling improves resolution of the animal tree of life". Nature 06614.
13. ^ Ruiz-Trillo, I., I; Ruiz-Trillo, Iñaki; Riutort, Marta; Littlewood, D. Timothy J.; Herniou, Elisabeth A.; Baguñà, Jaume, M (March 1999). "Acoel Flatworms: Earliest Extant Bilaterian Metazoans, Not Members of Platyhelminthes". Science 283 (5409): 1919–1923. doi:10.1126/science.283.5409.1919. ISSN 0036-8075. PMID 10082465. 
14. ^ Todaro, Antonio. "Gastrotricha: Overview". Gastrotricha: World Portal. University of Modena & Reggio Emilia. http://www.gastrotricha.unimore.it/overview.htm. Retrieved 2008-01-26. 
15. ^ Kristensen, Reinhardt Møbjerg (July 2002). "An Introduction to Loricifera, Cycliophora, and Micrognathozoa". Integrative and Comparative Biology (Oxford Journals) 42 (3): 641–651. doi:10.1093/icb/42.3.641. http://icb.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/full/42/3/641. Retrieved 2008-01-26. 
16. ^ "Biodiversity: Mollusca". The Scottish Association for Marine Science. http://www.lophelia.org/lophelia/biodiv_6.htm. Retrieved 2007-11-19. 
17. ^ Russell, Bruce J. (Writer), Denning, David (Writer). (2000). Branches on the Tree of Life: Annelids. [VHS]. BioMEDIA ASSOCIATES. 
18. ^ Eernisse, Douglas J., D. J.; Eernisse, Douglas J.; Albert, James S.; Anderson , Frank E., J. S. (01 Sep 1992). "Annelida and Arthropoda are not sister taxa: A phylogenetic analysis of spiralean metazoan morphology". Systematic Biology 41 (3): 305–330. doi:10.2307/2992569. ISSN 10635157. 
19. ^ Eernisse, Douglas J.; Kim, Chang Bae; Moon, Seung Yeo; Gelder, Stuart R.; Kim, Won (September 1996). "Phylogenetic Relationships of Annelids, Molluscs, and Arthropods Evidenced from Molecules and Morphology" (^{[dead link]}–^{Scholar search}). Journal of Molecular Evolution (New York: Springer) 43 (3): 207–215. doi:10.1007/PL00006079. http://www.springerlink.com/content/xptr6ga3ettxnmb9/. Retrieved 2007-11-19. 
20. ^ [|Collins, Allen G.] (1995). The Lophophore. University of California Museum of Paleontology. http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/glossary/gloss7/lophophore.html. 
21. ^ Adoutte, A., A; Adoutte, André; Balavoine, Guillaume; Lartillot, Nicolas; Lespinet, Olivier; Prud'homme, Benjamin; de Rosa, Renaud, G (April 25, 2000). "The new animal phylogeny: Reliability and implications". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 97 (9): 4453–4456. doi:10.1073/pnas.97.9.4453. ISSN 0027-8424. PMID 10781043. http://www.pnas.org/cgi/content/full/97/9/4453. Retrieved 2007-11-19. 
22. ^ Passamaneck, Yale J. (2003). "Molecular Phylogenetics of the Metazoan Clade Lophotrochozoa" (PDF). pp. 124. http://handle.dtic.mil/100.2/ADA417356. 
23. ^ Sundberg, P; Turbeville, JM; Lindh, S (September 2001). "Phylogenetic relationships among higher nemertean (Nemertea) taxa inferred from 18S rDNA sequences". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 20 (3): 327–334. doi:10.1006/mpev.2001.0982. ISSN 1055-7903. PMID 11527461. 
24. ^ Boore, JL; Boore, Jeffrey L.; Staton, Joseph L, JL (February 2002). "The mitochondrial genome of the Sipunculid Phascolopsis gouldii supports its association with Annelida rather than Mollusca" (PDF). Molecular Biology and Evolution 19 (2): 127–137. ISSN 0022-2844. PMID 11801741. http://mbe.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/reprint/19/2/127.pdf. Retrieved 2007-11-19. 
25. ^ Nielsen, Claus (April 2001). "Bryozoa (Ectoprocta: ‘Moss’ Animals)". Encyclopedia of Life Sciences (John Wiley & Sons, Ltd). doi:10.1038/npg.els.0001613. http://mrw.interscience.wiley.com/emrw/9780470015902/els/article/a0001613/current/abstract. Retrieved 2008-01-19. 
26. ^ N.H. Putnam, et al., NH (July 2007). "Sea anemone genome reveals ancestral eumetazoan gene repertoire and genomic organization". Science 317 (5834): 86–94. doi:10.1126/science.1139158. ISSN 0036-8075. PMID 17615350. 
27. ^ Wang, X., X; Wang, Xiujuan; Lavrov Dennis V., DV (2006-10-27). "Mitochondrial Genome of the Homoscleromorph Oscarella carmela (Porifera, Demospongiae) Reveals Unexpected Complexity in the Common Ancestor of Sponges and Other Animals". Molecular Biology and Evolution (Oxford Journals) 24 (2): 363–373. doi:10.1093/molbev/msl167. ISSN 0737-4038. PMID 17090697. http://mbe.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/24/2/363. Retrieved 2008-01-19. 

Bibliography

• Klaus Nielsen. Animal Evolution: Interrelationships of the Living Phyla (2nd edition). Oxford University Press, 2001.
• Knut Schmidt-Nielsen. Animal Physiology: Adaptation and Environment. (5th edition). Cambridge University Press, 1997.

External links

Find more about Animalia on Wikipedia's sister projects:

Definitions from Wiktionary
Textbooks from Wikibooks
Quotations from Wikiquote
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Learning resources from Wikiversity

• Tree of Life Project
• Animal Diversity Web - University of Michigan's database of animals, showing taxonomic classification, images, and other information.
• ARKive - multimedia database of worldwide endangered/protected species and common species of UK.
• Scientific American Magazine (December 2005 Issue) - Getting a Leg Up on Land About the evolution of four-limbed animals from fish.

v • d • e Eukaryota classification Domain : Archaea - Bacteria - Eukaryota Bikonta AH/SAR AH Archaeplastida, or Plantae sensu lato Viridiplantae/Plantae sensu stricto · Rhodophyta  · Glaucocystophyceae Hacrobia, or non-SAR chromalveolata Haptophyta · Cryptophyta · Centroheliozoa SAR SA Heterokont ("S") Ochrophyta · Bigyra · Pseudofungi Alveolata Ciliates · Myzozoa (Apicomplexa, Dinoflagellata) Rhizaria Cercozoa · Retaria (Foraminifera, Radiolaria) Excavata Discoba (Euglenozoa, Percolozoa) · Metamonad · Malawimonas Apusozoa Apusomonadida (Apusomonas) · Ancyromonadida (Ancyromonas) · Hemimastigida (Hemimastix, Spironema, Stereonema) Unikonta Amoebozoa Lobosea · Conosa · Phalansterium Opisthokonta Holozoa Mesomycetozoea Dermocystida · Ichthyophonida Filozoa Filasterea Capsaspora · Ministeria Choanoflagellatea Codonosigidae Metazoa or "Animalia" Eumetazoa (Bilateria, Cnidaria, Ctenophora) · Mesozoa · Parazoa (Placozoa, Porifera) Fungi Dikarya (Ascomycota, Basidiomycota) · Glomeromycota · Zygomycota · Blastocladiomycota  · Chytridiomycota/Neocallimastigomycota  · Microsporidia sister: Nucleariidae (Nuclearia, Micronuclearia)

v • d • e Opisthokonta: Extant phyla of kingdom Animalia by subkingdom Parazoa Porifera (Calcarea, Demospongiae, Hexactinellida) · Placozoa (Trichoplax) Mesozoa Orthonectida · Rhombozoa Eumetazoa Radiata Ctenophora · Cnidaria (Anthozoa, Hydrozoa, Scyphozoa, Cubozoa, Staurozoa, Myxozoa) Bilateria Protostomia Ecdysozoa Cycloneuralia: Scalidophora (Kinorhyncha, Loricifera, Priapulida) · Nematoida (Nematoda, Nematomorpha) Panarthropoda: Onychophora · Tardigrada · Arthropoda Spiralia Platyzoa Platyhelminthes · Gastrotricha Gnathifera: Rotifera · Acanthocephala · Gnathostomulida · Micrognathozoa · Cycliophora Lophotrochozoa Trochozoa (Sipuncula, Nemertea, Mollusca, Annelida, Echiura) · Brachiozoa Lophophorata (Bryozoa, Entoprocta, Phoronida, Brachiopoda) Deuterostomia Ambulacraria Hemichordata · Echinodermata · Xenoturbellida Chordata Craniata (Vertebrata, Hyperotreti) · Cephalochordata · Tunicata Basal/disputed Acoelomorpha (Acoela, Nemertodermatida) · Chaetognatha

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Dansk (Danish)
n. - dyr, væsen
adj. - dyre-, dyrisk, animalsk

idioms:

• animal abuse    dyremishandling
• animal magnetism    dyretække
• animal pole    den animale pol
• animal spirits    naturlig livsglæde
• animal starch    animalsk stivelse

Nederlands (Dutch)
dier, beest, soort/ ding, dierlijk, vleselijk

Français (French)
n. - animal, bête, brute, bête (péj), (fig) chose
adj. - animal, bête

idioms:

• animal abuse    cruauté envers les animaux
• animal magnetism    sex-appeal
• animal pole    (Biol) noyau cytoplasmique
• animal shelter    refuge pour animaux
• animal spirits    (être) plein d'entrain/de vivacité
• animal starch    amidon (d'origine animale)
• there is no such animal    ça n'existe pas

Deutsch (German)
n. - Tier
adj. - tierisch, animalisch, körperlich, Tier-

idioms:

• animal abuse    Tierquälerei
• animal magnetism    körperliche Anziehungskraft
• animal pole    Eioberflächenpol mit akitvstem Protoplasma
• animal shelter    Tierheim
• animal spirits    Lebensfreude
• animal starch    tierische Stärke
• there is no such animal    es gibt nichts Ähnliches

Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - ζώο, τετράποδο, κτήνος, γομάρι
adj. - ζωικός, ζωώδης

idioms:

• animal abuse    κακομεταχείριση ζώου
• animal magnetism    (φυσιολ.) ζωικός μαγνητισμός, (μτφ.) σεξουαλική έλξη
• animal pole    (εμβρυολογία) ζωικός πόλος
• animal spirits    φυσική ευδιαθεσία, κέφι, ζωντάνια
• animal starch    ζωικό άμυλο

Italiano (Italian)
animale, bestia

idioms:

• animal magnetism    mesmerismo
• animal pole    polo protoplasmatico
• animal spirits    esuberanza naturale
• animal starch    glicogeno
• laboratory animal    cavia
• wild animal    belva
• working animal    bestia da soma

Português (Portuguese)
n. - animal (m), bicho (m), besta (f)
adj. - animal, brutamontes (fig.), sensual, carnal

idioms:

• animal magnetism    magnetismo (m) animal
• animal pole    ponto (m) da superfície do ovo diametralmente oposto ao polo vegetativo (Zool.)
• animal spirits    espírito (m) animal
• animal starch    glicogênio (m) (Bioquím.)
• laboratory animal    animal (m) de laboratório
• pack animal    animal (m) de carga
• wild animal    animal (m) selvagem
• working animal    animal (m) de trabalho

Русский (Russian)
животное, жестокий, грубый человек, естественный, биологический

idioms:

• animal magnetism    животный магнетизм, гипноз
• animal pole    анимальный полюс (яйца)
• animal spirits    получение удовольствия от простых радостей жизни
• animal starch    гликоген
• laboratory animal    лабораторное животное
• pack animal    животное кот. носит груз
• wild animal    дикое животное
• working animal    рабочее животное

Español (Spanish)
n. - animal
adj. - animal, bruto, de los animales

idioms:

• animal abuse    maltrato de animales
• animal magnetism    magnetismo animal, hipnotismo
• animal pole    polo animal, yema, embrión
• animal shelter    asilo de animales, hogar para animales
• animal spirits    exuberancia vital, animación, vitalidad
• animal starch    glicógeno
• there is no such animal    no existe tal animal

Svenska (Swedish)
n. - djur, levande varelse
adj. - animalisk, djur-

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
动物, 牲畜, 兽, 畜牲般的人, 动物的, 肉体的, 兽类的, 肉欲的

idioms:

• animal abuse    虐待动物
• animal magnetism    魅力, 对异性的吸引力
• animal pole    动物性极
• animal spirits    生气, 活力
• animal starch    牲粉, 动物淀粉

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
n. - 動物, 牲畜, 獸, 畜牲般的人
adj. - 動物的, 肉體的, 獸類的, 肉欲的

idioms:

• animal abuse    虐待動物
• animal magnetism    魅力, 對異性的吸引力
• animal pole    動物性極
• animal spirits    生氣, 活力
• animal starch    牲粉, 動物澱粉

한국어 (Korean)
n. - 동물, 문제 사항, 짐승[같은 사람]
adj. - 동물의, 짐승 같은

日本語 (Japanese)
n. - 動物, けだもの, 問題
adj. - 動物の, 動物性の

idioms:

• animal abuse    動物虐待
• animal magnetism    動物磁気, 肉体的魅力
• animal pole    動物極
• animal shelter    動物収容施設
• animal spirits    血気
• animal starch    動物澱粉

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(الاسم) حيوان (صفه) بهيكي, جسدي, شهواني‏

עברית (Hebrew)
n. - ‮בעל-חיים, חיה‬
adj. - ‮חייתי, בשרי, גשמי‬

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