Mammals

Question 1

What are the main features of mammals?

Answer 1

Limbs carried beneath the body

Synapsid skull with large brain case

Jaw consists of a single bone

Ear comprises of 3 ossicles derived from jaw bone

Question 2

What are the two types of mammalian hair?

Answer 2

Thin soft under hair for insulation

Thick long guard hair for protection

Question 3

What teeth do mammals have?

Answer 3

Heterodont teeth

Question 4

What is the dental formula for mammals? How do these differ in different taxa?

Answer 4

I-C-P-M

Placental mammals = 3-1-4-3

Marsupial mammals = 5-1-3-4

Question 5

Do mammals come before to after birds?

Answer 5

After

Oldest fossils are 220 myo

Question 6

What animals come under monotremes? (Prototheria)

Answer 6

Platypus

Echidna

Question 7

What are the four major lineages of placental mammals? (Eutheria)

Answer 7

Afrotheria

Xenarthra

Laurasiatheria

Euarchontoglires

Question 8

What can the four major lineage of eutheria be categorised into?

Answer 8

Euarchontoglires and Laurasiatheria = Boreeoeutheria

Afrotheria and Xenarthra = Atlantogenata

Question 9

What animals come under Afrotheria?

Answer 9

Elephants

Manatees

Question 10

What animals come under Xenarthra?

Answer 10

Sloths, anteaters and armadillos

Question 11

What animals come under Laurasiatheria?

Answer 11

Insectivores, moles, shrews, hedgehogs, bats

Question 12

What specialised teeth do carnivores have?

Answer 12

Incisors for piercing

Carnassial pair for slicing

Question 13

What animals come under Cetaceans?

Answer 13

Whales and dolphins

Question 14

What animals come under Artiodactyls?

Answer 14

Sheep, pigs, deer

Question 15

What animals come under Perissodactyls?

Answer 15

Horses and rhinos