A
mammal
(from
Latin
mamma
'breast') is a
vertebrate
animal of the
class
Mammalia
(
). Mammals are characterized by the presence of
milk
-producing
mammary glands
for feeding their young, a
neocortex
region of the brain,
fur
or
hair
, and three
middle ear bones
. These characteristics distinguish them from
reptiles
and
birds
, from which their ancestors
diverged
in the
Carboniferous
Period over 300 million years ago. Around 6,400
extant
species
of mammals have been described and divided into 29
orders
.
The largest orders of mammals, by number of species, are the
rodents
,
bats
, and
Eulipotyphla
(including
hedgehogs
,
moles
and
shrews
). The next three are the
primates
(including
humans
,
monkeys
and
lemurs
), the
even-toed ungulates
(including
pigs
,
camels
, and
whales
), and the
Carnivora
(including
cats
,
dogs
, and
seals
).
Mammals are the only living members of
Synapsida
; this
clade
, together with
Sauropsida
(reptiles and birds), constitutes the larger
Amniota
clade. Early synapsids are referred to as "
pelycosaurs
". The more advanced
therapsids
became dominant during the
Middle Permian
. Mammals originated from
cynodonts
, an advanced group of therapsids, during the Late
Triassic
to Early
Jurassic
. Mammals achieved their modern diversity in the
Paleogene
and
Neogene
periods of the
Cenozoic
era, after the
extinction of non-avian dinosaurs
, and have been the
dominant
terrestrial animal group from 66 million years ago to the present.
The basic mammalian body type is
quadruped
, and most mammals use their four extremities for
terrestrial locomotion
; but in some, the extremities are adapted for
life at sea
, in
the air
,
in trees
,
underground
, or
on two legs
. Mammals range in size from the 30?40 mm (1.2?1.6 in)
bumblebee bat
to the 30 m (98 ft)
blue whale
?possibly the largest animal to have ever lived. Maximum lifespan varies from two years for the shrew to 211 years for the
bowhead whale
. All modern mammals give birth to live young, except the five species of
monotremes
, which are egg-laying mammals. The most species-rich group of mammals, the
infraclass
called
placentals
, have a
placenta
, which enables the feeding of the fetus during
gestation
.
Most mammals are
intelligent
, with some possessing large brains,
self-awareness
, and
tool use
. Mammals can communicate and vocalize in several ways, including the production of
ultrasound
,
scent-marking
,
alarm signals
,
singing
,
echolocation
; and, in the case of humans, complex
language
. Mammals can organize themselves into
fission?fusion societies
,
harems
, and
hierarchies
?but can also be solitary and
territorial
. Most mammals are
polygynous
, but some can be
monogamous
or
polyandrous
.
Domestication
of many types of mammals by humans played a major role in the
Neolithic Revolution
, and resulted in
farming
replacing
hunting and gathering
as the primary source of food for humans. This led to a major restructuring of human societies from nomadic to sedentary, with more co-operation among larger and larger groups, and ultimately the development of the first
civilizations
. Domesticated mammals provided, and continue to provide, power for transport and agriculture, as well as food (
meat
and
dairy products
),
fur
, and
leather
. Mammals are also
hunted
and raced for sport, kept as
pets
and
working animals
of various types, and are used as
model organisms
in science. Mammals have been depicted in
art
since
Paleolithic
times, and appear in literature, film, mythology, and religion. Decline in numbers and
extinction
of many mammals is primarily driven by human
poaching
and
habitat destruction
, primarily
deforestation
. (
Full article...
)
The
Blue Whale
(
Balaenoptera musculus
) is a
marine mammal
belonging to the suborder of
baleen whales
. At up to 33
metres
(110 ft) in length and 181 metric
tonnes
(200
short tons
) or more in weight, it is believed to be the
largest animal
to have ever lived, though some fragmentary
dinosaur
discoveries such as the colossal
Amphicoelias
fragillimus
may challenge this long-held belief. Long and slender, the Blue Whale's body can be various shades of bluish-gray. There are at least three distinct subspecies:
B. m. musculus
of the north Atlantic and north Pacific,
B. m. intermedia
, of the
Southern Ocean
and
B. m. brevicauda
(also known as the
Pygmy Blue Whale
) found in the
Indian Ocean
and
South Pacific Ocean
.
B. m. indica
found in the Indian Ocean, may be another subspecies. As with other baleen whales, its diet consists mainly of small
crustaceans
known as
krill
, as well as small fish and squid. lue Whales were abundant in nearly all oceans until the beginning of the twentieth century. For over 40 years they were hunted almost to
extinction
by
whalers
until protected by the international community in
1966
. A 2002 report estimated there were 5,000 to 12,000 Blue Whales worldwide located in at least five groups. More recent research into the Pygmy subspecies suggests this may be an underestimate. Before whaling the largest population was in the Antarctic, numbering approximately 239,000 (range 202,000 to 311,000). There remain only much smaller (around 2,000) concentrations in each of the North-East
Pacific
,
Antarctic
, and
Indian Ocean
groups. There are two more groups in the North
Atlantic
and at least two in the
Southern Hemisphere
.
-
-
-
Image 3
The
Tasmanian Pademelon
is the only species of
pademelon
endemic
to Tasmania. Pademelons are the smallest of the
macropods
, which also includes
kangaroos
and
wallabies
. Males reach around 12 kg (26 lb) in weight, 1?1.2 m (3.3?3.9 ft) in height, and are considerably larger than the females, which average 3.9 kg (8.6 lb).
-
Image 4
The
proboscis monkey
(
Nasalis larvatus
) is
endemic
to the island of
Borneo
, where it is found predominantly in coastal areas, near rivers and in swamp forests. It is perhaps the most aquatic of the
primates
and is a fairly good swimmer, capable of swimming underwater; apart from this, it is largely arboreal. This image is a composite of three photographs and shows a proboscis monkey jumping between trees in Labuk Bay in the Malaysian state of
Sabah
.
-
Image 5
A domesticated
yak
at
Yamdrok Lake
in Tibet. The animals are important to Tibetan culture, and have been kept for thousands of years. The yaks are a method of transportation and serve as
beasts of burden
. Their feces are a source of fuel, and their milk can be used for
butter
, which is then made into
sculptures
or consumed.
-
Image 6
The
llama
(
Lama glama
) is a domesticated South American
camelid
, widely used as a
meat
and
pack animal
by
Andean cultures
since the
pre-Columbian era
. A full-grown llama can reach a height of 1.7 to 1.8 metres (5 ft 7 in to 5 ft 11 in) at the top of the head, and can weigh between 130 and 200 kilograms (290 and 440 lb). At birth, a baby llama (known as a
cria
) can weigh between 9 and 14 kilograms (20 and 31 lb). Llamas typically live for 15 to 25 years, with some individuals surviving 30 years or more. This photograph shows a dam (female llama) and her cria at
Laguna Colorada
in
Eduardo Avaroa Andean Fauna National Reserve
, Bolivia.
-
Image 7
The
brown-throated sloth
(
Bradypus variegatus
) is the most common species of
three-toed sloth
. It is found in the forests of South and Central America. Males and females are both about 42?80 cm (17?31 in) in total body length and weigh 2.25?6.3 kg (5?14 lb).
-
-
Image 9
A 3-week-old
donkey
(
Equus africanus asinus
), in
Kadzidłowo, Poland
. A female donkey is normally pregnant for about 12 months, and usually gives birth to a single foal; twins are rare.
-
-
Image 11
The
Short-beaked Echidna
(
Tachyglossus aculeatus
), also known as the
Spiny Anteater
because of its diet of
ants
and
termites
, is one of four living species of
echidna
. The species is found throughout
Australia
, where it is the most widespread native
mammal
, and in coastal and highland regions of southwestern
New Guinea
.
-
Image 12
A 2-month old
domestic
goat
(
Capra aegagrus hircus
) kid in a field of
capeweed
. Goats are one of the oldest domesticated species. For thousands of years, goats have been used for their
milk
,
meat
, hair, and skins over much of the world. Female goats are referred to as
does
or
nannies
, intact males as
bucks
or
billies
; their offspring are
kids
.
-
-
Image 14
The head of a
Rothschild's Giraffe
(
Giraffa camelopardalis rothschildi
), a
subspecies
of giraffe found in
Uganda
and north-central
Kenya
. It has deep brown, blotched or rectangular spots with poorly defined cream lines and its
hocks
may be spotted.
-
Image 15
Photo credit: Pascal Blachier
Scientific classification
|
---|
| Yinotheria
| |
---|
Theria
| Metatheria
(
Marsupial
inclusive)
| |
---|
Eutheria
(
Placental
inclusive)
| Xenarthra
| |
---|
Afrotheria
| |
---|
Boreoeutheria
| Laurasiatheria
|
- Eulipotyphla
(Hedgehogs, shrews, moles and relatives)
- Chiroptera
(Bats)
- Pholidota
(Pangolins)
- Carnivora
(Dogs, cats and relatives)
- Perissodactyla
(Horses, rhinoceroses and tapirs)
- Artiodactyla
(Pigs, camels, hippos, deer, buffalo, gazelles, giraffes, whales and dolphins)
|
---|
Euarchontoglires
|
- Rodentia
(Rats, guinea pigs, squirrels, beavers, chinchillas, porcupines, capybaras and relatives)
- Lagomorpha
(Rabbits, hares and pikas)
- Scandentia
(Treeshrews)
- Dermoptera
(Colugos)
- Primates
(lorises, lemurs, tarsiers, monkeys, apes, humans)
|
---|
|
---|
|
---|
|
---|
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