The order Artiodactyla, or even-toed ungulates, includes mammals that bear weight equally on two central toes, providing unique advantages in locomotion and stability. This group comprises highly successful and diverse families, including Bovidae (cattle, goats, sheep), Cervidae (deer), and Suidae (pigs), each with distinctive adaptations. Even-toed ungulates play crucial ecological roles as herbivores and contribute significantly to human economies through agriculture and domestication.