Mammals Flashcards
What is the largest mammal?
Blue whale
What are the smallest mammals by body mass?
Etruscan Shrew
What are the smallest mammal by body size?
Bumblebee bat
What are features of mammals?
Mammary glands Hair Neocortex 3 middle ear bones Single lower jaw bone attached to skull Complex placenta
What are the three major groups of according to pattern of embryonic development?
Prototheria (monotremes)
Metatheria (marsupials)
Eutheria (placentals)
When did shrew like mammals first appear?
Triassic (225-195mya)
What reptiles did mammals evoke from?
Synapsid reptiles
When did mammals diverse further?
100 million years ago
How many mammal species are there?
5500
How many orders of mammals are there?
28
What are features of monotremes?
Primitive Egg laying 5 species Eg platypus One opening No nipples Spur on the hind leg
What are features of marsupials?
Give birth to poorly developed young
Young develop in the pouch
7 orders
Convergent evolution
What are features of the rodents?
1 pair of continuously growing incisors in each jaw
Many herbivorous but some omnivorous
Hugely dominates mammals (most)
What are features of Lagomorpha?
2 pairs of incisors in upper jaw
Eg rabbits and hares
What are features of Primates?
Distinctive skeletal structure, opposable thumb, large brain
Intelligent
What are features of Insectivores?
Small ground dwelling
Insectivorous
Eg mole shrew
What are features of Chiroptera?
Bats Webbed wings Large fruit bats and echo locating bats Disease vectors Highly diverse
What are features of carnivores?
Distinctive skull structure
Mostly meat eaters
Eg cat dog
Top predators