Podcast
Questions and Answers
Which of the following is a characteristic of mammals?
Which of the following is a characteristic of mammals?
- Endothermic (correct)
- Gills for respiration
- Nostrils on the back
- Ectothermic
What is the function of mammary glands in mammals?
What is the function of mammary glands in mammals?
- To produce scent for communication
- To regulate body temperature
- To nourish the young with milk (correct)
- To produce sweat
How do mammals generally reproduce?
How do mammals generally reproduce?
- Asexual reproduction
- Sex change during life
- External fertilization
- Internal fertilization (correct)
What type of teeth do most mammals have?
What type of teeth do most mammals have?
What is the main nitrogenous waste in mammals?
What is the main nitrogenous waste in mammals?
Which part of the body is mostly covered with hair in mammals?
Which part of the body is mostly covered with hair in mammals?
Which subclass of class Mammalia includes the viviparous mammals?
Which subclass of class Mammalia includes the viviparous mammals?
Which order includes whales, dolphins, and porpoises?
Which order includes whales, dolphins, and porpoises?
What is the feeding specialization for carnivorous mammals?
What is the feeding specialization for carnivorous mammals?
Which type of teeth are called heterodont in mammals?
Which type of teeth are called heterodont in mammals?
What are antlers of the deer family Cervidae composed of when mature?
What are antlers of the deer family Cervidae composed of when mature?
Which type of mammals have a temporary deciduous or milk teeth that are replaced by permanent teeth?
Which type of mammals have a temporary deciduous or milk teeth that are replaced by permanent teeth?
What do bats mainly employ to navigate and feed in darkness?
What do bats mainly employ to navigate and feed in darkness?
Which subclass includes the oviparous, or egg-laying mammals like the platypus?
Which subclass includes the oviparous, or egg-laying mammals like the platypus?
Which order includes elephants?
Which order includes elephants?
What are the glands that mammals have the greatest variety of?
What are the glands that mammals have the greatest variety of?
Study Notes
Mammal Characteristics
- Mammals are warm-blooded vertebrates that possess mammary glands, hair or fur, and give birth to live young.
- Mammary glands are specialized organs in female mammals that produce milk to nourish their offspring.
- Reproduction in mammals is typically viviparous, meaning they give birth to live young after a period of gestation.
- Teeth in most mammals are heterodont, meaning they have different types of teeth adapted for different functions (incisors, canines, premolars, molars).
- Urea is the primary nitrogenous waste product of mammals.
- Hair or fur covers most of a mammal's body, providing insulation and protection.
Mammal Subclasses and Orders
- Subclass Metatheria, also known as marsupials, includes viviparous mammals with a pouch where their young complete development.
- Order Cetacea encompasses whales, dolphins, and porpoises, which are aquatic mammals adapted for life in the ocean.
Feeding Specialization and Structures
- Carnivorous mammals primarily feed on meat, and their teeth are adapted for tearing and shearing flesh.
- Antlers, present in deer (family Cervidae), are bony structures that are shed and regrown annually. They are covered in velvet during growth and are composed of bone when mature.
- Deciduous teeth are temporary milk teeth that are later replaced by permanent teeth in mammals.
- Echolocation is the process used by bats to navigate and find food in darkness. They emit high-frequency sounds and use the echoes to locate prey.
- Subclass Prototheria includes the oviparous (egg-laying) mammals, such as the platypus and echidnas.
- Order Proboscidea includes elephants, which are characterized by their long trunks.
Mammalian Glands
- Mammals have a variety of glands besides mammary glands, including sweat glands, sebaceous glands, scent glands, and others.
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Description
Test your knowledge of the characteristics of mammals including body coverings, glands, endothermy, skeletal features, teeth, and brain development. Explore the unique traits that define the class Mammalia in the animal kingdom.
