Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Class Mammalia
Class Mammalia
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.
They have mammary glands that help them produce milk to feed their
younger ones to nourish them. This characteristic is what sets them
apart among other classes.
Most mammals are viviparous, who give birth to live young, as opposed
to laying eggs. However, there are exceptions, such as monotremes
(e.g., platypus, echidna), which lay eggs.
The fur of hair throughout the body which helps animals adapt to their
environment. This fur serves various purposes, including insulation,
camouflage, and protection.
They are heterodonts, meaning they possess different types of teeth.
The skull is dicondylic, the presence of inter-parietal and occipital bones that
form the cranium or the skull cavity for housing the brain.
Mammals also possess cervical vertebrae, making them vertebrates.
Good sense of hearing as mammals are aided with 3 middle ear bones
red kangaroo