Mammals

Question 1

What are the characteristics of mammals?

Answer 1

Body covered in epidermal hair hair
Milk production from mammary glands (suckling)
4-chambered heart
Endothermy (also birds)
Neocortex (region of the brain)
Skeleton structure (e.g., 7 neck vertebrae, single jaw bone, teeth sit in sockets in jaw & skull)

Question 2

What are the differences between marsupials, monotremes and placentals?

Answer 2

monotremes lay eggs
marsupials give birth to young early and have a pouch
Placentals give birth to fully developed young.

Question 3

What are the characteristics of primates?

Answer 3

Primates: Lemurs, tarsiers, monkeys, apes (humans)
Characteristics:
prehensile digits (adapted for seizing and grasping) and opposable thumb
binocular (use both eyes together) vision, large brain

Question 4

What are the characteristics of hominids?

Answer 4

bipedal gait of hominids frees hands for grasping food, holding young, nest-building and tool-making.

Question 5

What are the major trends in hominid evolution?

Answer 5

Increased brain size
Increased development of areas related to attention, perceptual awareness, reasoning and problem solving, language, consciousness
Reduction in size of teeth and jaws
Changes in pelvis & spine to facilitate true upright stance