Definition of mammals. Class mammals

Class characteristics.Mammals- warm-blooded (homeothermic) amniotes; the body is covered with hair; viviparous; the cubs are fed milk. They have a large brain; its anterior section (hemisphere) has a “new cortex” - neopallium - made of gray medulla; it provides a high level of nervous activity and complex adaptive behavior.

The organs of smell, vision and hearing are well developed. There is an external ear; There are three bones in the middle ear cavity: the malleus, the incus and the stirrup. Bats, dolphins and some other mammals use ultrasonic echolocation to navigate. Skin with numerous sebaceous and sweat glands, some of which are transformed into milk and odorous glands. The skull is synapsid, articulated with the spine by two condyles; heterodont teeth sit in the alveoli; the lower jaw is made only of dentary bone. They breathe with lungs that have an alveolar structure. The body cavity is divided by the diaphragm into the thoracic and abdominal sections. The intestinal tube becomes more complicated, sometimes a multi-chamber stomach is formed, and the cecum becomes enlarged. Herbivorous animals develop symbiotic digestion.

African elephant(Loxodonta africana)

The heart has four chambers, two circles of blood circulation, only the left aortic arch is preserved; erythrocytes are anucleate. The kidneys are metanephric. Distributed everywhere; inhabit all environments, including soil (soil), water bodies and ground layers of the atmosphere. Very influential members of almost all biocenoses. They are important for humans: farm animals, commercial species, guardians of human and domestic animal diseases, pests of agriculture and forestry, etc.

Origin and evolution of mammals. Mammals descended from theromorphic (animal-like) reptiles that appeared in the Upper Carboniferous, which had a number of primitive characteristics: amphicoelous vertebrae, mobile cervical and lumbar ribs, and small brain sizes. At the same time, their teeth sat in the alveoli and began to differentiate into incisors, canines and molars. Many animal-like reptiles had a secondary bony palate, and the occipital condyle was bi-tripartite; they formed a double articulation of the lower jaw with the skull: through the articular and quadrate and through the dental and squamosal bones. In this regard, the dentary bone in the lower jaw increased, and the quadrate and articular bone, on the contrary, decreased; however, the latter did not grow to the lower jaw. Theromorphic reptiles differed little from their ancestors - cotylosaurs who lived in humid biotopes - and retained many of the organizational features of amphibians. This may explain the presence of skin with numerous glands and other features in mammals.

For a long time during the Permian and most of the Triassic periods, theromorphic reptiles, having formed a number of groups of herbivorous, predatory and omnivorous species, flourished in terrestrial biocenoses and died out only in the Jurassic period, unable to withstand the competition with the progressive archosaurs that had appeared by that time (see above the origin of reptiles ). Relatively small theromorphs were apparently pushed by competitors and enemies into less favorable biotopes (swamps, thickets, etc.). Life in such conditions required the development of sensory organs and the complication of behavior, strengthening the communication of individuals. In these groups of small and less specialized beast-toothed (theriodont) reptiles, a new line of development began.. It is important to note that in different groups of theromorphic reptiles, characters and structures developed independently of each other (convergently), which later became characteristic of the class of mammals: formation in the nasal cavity the upper olfactory concha, which provided heating and humidification of the inhaled air; appearance of tricuspid teeth; enlargement of the cerebral hemispheres of the forebrain, the formation of soft lips, which opened up the possibility of sucking milk by the cubs; the emergence of an additional articulation of the lower jaw with the skull, accompanied by a reduction of the quadrate and articular bones, etc. However, the assumptions of G. Simpson (1945, 1969) about the polyphyletic (from different groups of theromorphic reptiles) origin of individual subclasses of mammals were not justified.

Cheetah(Acinonyx jubatus)

It can be considered proven that both subclasses of mammals arose in the Triassic period from one original group of animal-like reptiles with primitive tricuspid teeth - predatory cynodonts (Tatarinov, 1975). By this time, they had acquired a secondary palate, which strengthened the jaw apparatus, a differentiated dental system, and a physique that resembled mammals (in particular, the placement of paired limbs under the body). Apparently, they had a diaphragm dividing the body cavity and other characteristics of mammals. The oldest known mammal, Erythrotherium, was small, smaller than a rat. The paths and timing of the further formation and evolution of the two subclasses of mammals remain unclear.

Upper Triassic mammals are already divided into two branches (subclasses), in each of which a double articulation of the jaws arose and the formation of the dental system and the formation of “occlusion” - the close closure of the teeth of the upper jaw with the lower, increasing the possibility of mechanical processing of food - proceeded unequally. The first branch is a subclass of the primal beast - Prototheria known from deposits of the Triassic period by the remains of small animals with three-vertex molars - Triconodontia. From them came multitubercular - Multituberculata(extinct at the end of the Cretaceous) and monotremes - Monotremata, currently represented by the platypus and echidnas. The second branch - real animals - Theria- gave rise to the vast majority of modern mammals (infraclasses - marsupials - Metatheria and placental - Eutheria).

It took a lot of time for the formation of a new class - mammals. Brain development also progressed slowly.

In theromorphic reptiles, the most developed part of the brain was the cerebellum. For this reason, cynodonts (like all animal-like reptiles) should be called “metencephalic animals.” On the way to mammals there was a consistent increase in the forebrain. In this way, mammals differ sharply from theromorphic reptiles, earning the name telencephalic group.

For two-thirds of their geological history, mammals remained small, rat-like creatures and did not play a significant role in nature. Their rapid progress in the Cenozoic was obviously associated not only with the consistent accumulation of many adaptations, which led to the development of warm-bloodedness and an increase in energy level (life energy, according to A.N. Severtsov), viviparity and feeding of young with milk, but especially with the development of organs feelings, central nervous system (cerebral cortex) and hormonal system. Taken together, this led not only to the improvement of the body as an integral system, but also ensured the complication of behavior. The consequence was the development of connections between individuals and the formation of complex dynamic groupings. Such “socialization” of relationships in mammal populations (as well as in birds) created new opportunities in the struggle for existence and position in biocenoses.

The Alpine mountain building cycle at the end of the Mesozoic and at the beginning of the Cenozoic era changed the face of the Earth; High ridges rose, the climate became more continental, its seasonal contrasts increased, and a significant part of the Earth's surface became colder. Under these conditions, the modern flora took shape with the dominance of angiosperms, especially dicotyledonous plants, and the flora of cycads and gymnosperms became poorer. All this put large and low-fertility herbivorous and predatory reptiles in a difficult position, while smaller warm-blooded birds and mammals more easily adapted to the changes. Switching to a diet of small animals and high-calorie fruits, seeds and vegetative parts angiosperms, they multiplied intensively, successfully competing with reptiles. The result was the reptile extinction discussed above; it ended the Mesozoic era, and a broad adaptive radiation of mammals and birds opened the Cenozoic era.

Bottlenose dolphin or bottlenose dolphin(Tursiops truncatus)

In the Jurassic period, 6 orders of mammals were formed, and in the Paleocene (60 million years ago) there were no less than 16 orders, 9 of which were Monotremata, Marsupialia, Insectivora, Dermoptera, Primates, Edentata, Lagomorpha, Rodentia, Carnivora- have survived to this day. The first marsupials were found in the Upper Cretaceous deposits of North America and the Lower Tertiary layers of America and Eurasia; Some species still live in America today. The preservation of a variety of marsupials in Australia is explained by the fact that it separated from other continents even before the spread of placentals. Having apparently emerged no later than marsupials, placental mammals developed slowly at first. But their main advantage - the birth of more formed young, which reduced infant mortality, made it possible to replace marsupials almost everywhere. In our time, they form the core of the mammalian fauna and are represented by a wide variety of life forms that have occupied almost all the landscapes of the Earth.

Various adaptations of mammals contributed to the development of not only land, but also fresh and sea water bodies, soil, and air. They provided an unusually wide use of food resources compared to other vertebrates - the nutritional spectrum of mammals is more diverse than the composition of food of other terrestrial and aquatic vertebrates, which increases the importance of mammals in the biosphere and their role in the life of various biocenoses.

Mammalian class system and overview of modern groups. The class mammals is divided into two subclasses and includes 19 modern and 12-14 extinct orders. There are 257 families (139 extinct) and about 3000 genera (about 3/4 extinct); About 6,000 species have been described, of which 3,700-4,000 are living. In the modern fauna, there are approximately 2 times fewer mammal species than birds (8600). At the same time, the more significant role of mammals (besides humans) in the life of the biosphere is obvious. This can be explained by the fact that the ecological niches of mammal species are, on average, wider than those of birds.

Accordingly, their biomass (the total mass of all individuals in a given biocenosis) is usually higher than that for birds.

The related relationships between orders of placental mammals are not sufficiently clarified. Undoubtedly, the order of insectivores (remains from the Cretaceous period) is close to the ancestral forms; it has survived to this day and, in addition, gave rise to woolly wings,

Number of species: more than 5 thousand

Habitat: inhabit all seas, oceans and continents, with the exception of Antarctica.

Features of the structure:

The body is covered with skin and is divided into a head, neck, torso, tail and four limbs with five fingers. The skin consists of the epidermis and dermis, and includes glands (sweat, sebaceous). Hair forms a scalp, there are guard hairs (determine the direction of fur laying), down hairs (participate in thermoregulation), and vibrissae (organs of touch). Hair may be lost (cetaceans).

Skeleton. The spine is divided into the cervical (always 7 vertebrae), thoracic (ribs form the rib cage), lumbar, sacral (all vertebrae fuse to form the sacrum) and caudal.

The skull is massive, with sutures remaining between the fused bones. The respiratory tract is separated from the oral cavity by the hard (bone) palate, which allows you to simultaneously breathe and chew food.

Digestive system. The mouth is surrounded by soft lips necessary for sucking mother's milk. The ducts of four pairs of salivary glands flow into the oral cavity. Teeth are differentiated - they differ in shape and structure. There are incisors, canines, premolars and molars involved in food processing. Next comes the pharynx, esophagus, stomach. The ducts of the liver and pancreas flow into the anterior section of the small intestine - the duodenum. At the border of the small and large intestines is the cecum, which can reach significant sizes in herbivores. Bacteria that process fiber develop in it. The large intestine ends at the anus.

Internal structure of a dog

Respiratory system represented by paired lungs and airways. The lungs have an alveolar structure - they consist of alveoli - thin-walled vesicles capable of stretching. Thanks to this, the lungs have a larger surface area for gas exchange. Inhalation is carried out actively; the intercostal muscles and the diaphragm, a specialized muscular septum, take part in its implementation. Air enters the lungs through the nasal openings, nasal cavity, larynx, trachea and the two main bronchi. Exhalation occurs passively, the intercostal muscles and diaphragm relax.

Circulatory system. The heart is four-chambered, consists of two atria and two ventricles, two circles of blood circulation. The heart is located in the pericardium, a sac around the heart. The systemic circulation begins in the left ventricle, from which the largest artery, the aorta, departs. The aorta splits into a series of large arteries that carry oxygenated blood to the internal organs. The blood then collects in the vena cava and returns to the right atrium. The pulmonary circulation begins in the right ventricle, when the pulmonary artery departs from it, carrying blood with a high concentration of carbon dioxide to the lungs. Gas exchange occurs in the lungs, blood is released carbon dioxide and is saturated with oxygen, and returns through the pulmonary vein to the left atrium.

Red blood cells (erythrocytes) differ from the red blood cells of other vertebrates - they lose their nucleus and become biconcave.

Excretory system. Paired pelvic kidneys, ureters, bladder, urethra, which in placental mammals opens outwards with its own opening.

Nervous system mammals achieve exceptional development and complexity. Consists of central (brain and spinal cord) and peripheral (nerves) parts. Compared to other groups of animals, the forebrain is the most developed - the cerebral hemispheres, which are covered with a cortex. In highly organized mammals, the surface of the cortex is folded, forming grooves and convolutions, which ensures higher nervous activity and complex behavior.

Sense organs. The organ of smell is the nose. The olfactory receptors are located at the back of the nasal cavity. The outer ear (pinna and external auditory canal) appears for the first time. In the middle ear there are 3 auditory ossicles - the malleus, the incus and the stapes, which amplify sound vibrations. To protect the eyes, eyelids with eyelashes appear. The organs of touch in the form of numerous nerve endings are located in the internal organs and skin, allowing you to feel pain, heat, cold, touch and pressure. The taste organs - taste buds - are located on the tongue.

Reproductive system. All representatives are dioecious animals. In males, paired testes are usually located in the scrotum, the vas deferens open into the urethra. Females have paired ovaries in the abdominal cavity, which are connected by oviducts to the uterus, a specialized muscular organ for bearing offspring.

Fertilization is internal and occurs in the upper parts of the oviduct. The fertilized egg descends into the uterus, attaches to its wall and develops into an embryo. In placental animals, the placenta is formed, through which the exchange of substances takes place between the mother and the fetus.

The cubs feed on milk, which is produced in the mammary glands of females.

Taxonomy of Mammals

There are 3 subclasses of mammals:

1. Oviparous (echidna, prochidna, platypus) - live in Australia and New Guinea. The female lays eggs and feeds the hatched cubs with milk, which is secreted on a special area of ​​​​the skin of her abdomen - the “milky field”. Instead of the anus there is a cloaca.
2. Marsupials (kangaroos, koalas, wombats, marsupial mice) have a very short gestation period. The placenta is missing. A newborn underdeveloped cub is carried in a special pouch on the stomach.
3. Placental or Higher mammals are the most numerous subclass. There are 17 orders of animals.

Some units:

1. Chiroptera (bats, fruit bats, flying foxes) – capable of flight. The forelimbs are transformed into wings. The sternum is keeled.
2. insectivores (hedgehogs, shrews, moles) are small animals with hemispheres almost without convolutions. The teeth are the same type.
3. rodents (squirrels, beavers, hamsters, rats) – incisors are highly developed and grow throughout life.
4. lagomorphs (hares, rabbits, pikas) - two pairs of upper incisors, one located behind the other.
5. predatory (bears, wolves, lynxes) – fangs are developed. Mostly carnivores.
6. artiodactyls (elks, deer, giraffes, antelopes) - four toes on the limb, the second and third are developed. The toes are covered with horny hooves. There are no collarbones. Complex stomach, usually consisting of several sections.
7. odd-toed ungulates (horses, donkeys, tapirs, rhinoceroses) - one finger is well developed, usually with a hoof. The stomach is simple.
8. proboscis (elephants) - the nose and upper lip grow together into a trunk. Paired upper incisors are tusks.
9. primates (lemurs, monkeys, humans) – limbs of the grasping type. The brain is highly developed.

New terms: warm-bloodedness, four-chambered heart, mammary glands, lips, vibrissae, alveoli, diaphragm, convolutions of the cerebral cortex, external ear, auditory ossicles (hammer, incus and stapes), placenta.

Questions for consolidation:

• Why are mammals considered the most highly organized animals among chordates?
• What are the structural features of the brain in mammals?
• Why hasn't a transitional form between birds and mammals been found in paleontological excavations?
• What is the difference between marsupials and placental mammals?
• What sense organs are most developed in different groups of mammals?
• What role do mammals play in human life?

Literature:

1. Bilich G.L., Kryzhanovsky V.A. Biology. Full course. In 3 volumes - M.: LLC Publishing House "Onyx 21st century", 2002
2. Biology: A guide for applicants to universities. Volume 1. - M.: Novaya Volna Publishing House LLC: ONICS Publishing House CJSC, 2000.
3. Kamensky, A. A. Biology. Reference manual / A. A. Kamensky, A. S. Maklakova, N. Yu. Sarycheva // Complete course of preparation for exams, tests, testing. - M.: JSC "ROSMEN-PRESS", 2005. - 399 p.
4. Konstantinov V.M., Babenko V.G., Kuchmenko V.S. Biology: Animals: Textbook for 7th grade students of secondary schools / Ed. V.M. Konstantinova, I.N. Ponomareva. – M.: Ventana-Graf, 2001.
5. Konstantinov, V. M. Biology: animals. Textbook for 7th grade general education schools /V. M. Konstantinov, V. G. Babenko, V. S. Kuchmenko. - M.: Ventana-Graf, 2001. - 304 p.
6. Latyushin, V.V. Biology. Animals: textbook. for 7th grade general education institutions / V.V. Laktyushin, V.A. Shapkin. - 5th ed., stereotype. - M.: Bustard, 2004. - 304 p.
7. Pimenov A.V., Goncharov O.V. Biology manual for applicants to universities: Electronic textbook. Scientific editor Gorokhovskaya E.A.
8. Pimenov A.V., Pimenova I.N. Zoology of invertebrates. Theory. Assignments. Answers: Saratov, OJSC publishing house "Lyceum", 2005.
9. Taylor D. Biology / D. Taylor, N. Green, W. Stout. - M.:Mir, 2004. - T.1. - 454s.
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11. www.collegemicrob.narod.ru
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MAMMALS
animals (Mammalia), a class of vertebrates, the most famous group of animals, including more than 4,600 species of the world's fauna. It includes cats, dogs, cows, elephants, mice, whales, people, etc. In the course of evolution, mammals have carried out the broadest adaptive radiation, i.e. adapted to a wide variety of ecological niches. They inhabit polar ice, forests of temperate and tropical latitudes, steppes, savannas, deserts and reservoirs. With a few exceptions (such as anteaters), their jaws are armed with teeth, and mammals can feed on meat, plants, invertebrates, and even blood. The animals range in size from the tiny pig-nosed bat (Craseonycteris thonglongyai) with a length of only approx. 29 mm and weighing 1.7 g, to the largest animal known to science - the blue whale (Balaenoptera musculus), reaching a length of approx. 30 m with a mass of 190 tons. Only two fossil brontosaurus-like dinosaurs could compete with it. The length of one of them - Seismosaurus - is at least 40 m from nose to tip of tail, but it weighed, according to some experts, approx. 55 t, i.e. three times smaller than the blue whale. The second dinosaur, Ultrasaurus, is known from a single pelvic bone, but it is believed to have been both longer and heavier than the blue whale. However, until this is confirmed by additional fossil remains, the blue whale remains the champion of all animals that have ever inhabited the Earth. All mammals have a number of characteristic features of their class. The name of the class Mammalia comes from Lat. mamma - female breast, and is associated with the presence of glands in all animals that secrete milk. This term was first used in 1758 by the Swedish botanist Linnaeus in the 10th edition of his book The System of Nature. However, the scientific definition of mammals as a separate group was given even earlier (1693) by the English botanist and zoologist J. Ray in his work Methodological Review of the Origin of Four-Legged Animals and Snakes, and the everyday view of animals as a group of closely related creatures developed at the dawn of human history.
Origin. The basic structure of modern mammals was inherited by them from their reptilian ancestors, the so-called. synapsids, or animal-like lizards. The age of their oldest known remains is approximately 315 million years, which corresponds to the Pennsylvanian (Upper Carboniferous) period. It is believed that synapsids appeared soon after the appearance of the very first reptiles (anapsids), in the Mississippian (Lower Carboniferous) period, i.e. OK. 340 million years ago, and became extinct approx. 165 million years ago, in the middle of the Jurassic period. The name "synapsids" refers to the presence of a pair of holes in the skull, one on each side behind the eye socket. It is believed that they made it possible to increase the mass of the jaw muscles, and therefore their power, compared to animals without such temporal openings (anapsids). Synapsids (class Synapsida) are divided into two orders - pelycosaurs (Pelycosauria) and therapsids (Therapsida). The immediate ancestors of mammals were one of the suborders of therapsids - small predatory reptiles cynodontia (Cynodontia). Their various families and genera combined in one way or another the characteristics of both reptiles and mammals. It is assumed that at least the most evolutionarily advanced representatives of cynodonts had such animal characteristics as the presence of wool, warm-bloodedness and the production of milk to feed their young. However, paleontologists do not base their theories on assumptions that are not confirmed by facts, in particular by fossilized bones and teeth, which mainly remain from extinct vertebrates. Therefore, to distinguish reptiles from mammals, they use several key skeletal features, namely the structure of the jaws, the structure of the jaw joint (i.e., the type of attachment of the lower jaw to the skull) and the skeletal system of the middle ear. In mammals, each branch of the lower jaw consists of a single bone - the tooth, and in reptiles it includes several more, including the so-called. articular. In mammals, the jaw joint is formed by the dentary bone of the lower jaw and the squamosal bone of the cranium, and in reptiles by the articular and quadrate bones, respectively. Mammals have three bones in the middle ear (the malleus, the incus, and the stapes), but reptiles have only one (a homolog of the stapes, called the column). Two additional auricular bones arose from the quadrate and articular bones, which became the incus and malleus, respectively. Although it is possible to build a whole sequence of synapsids that are increasingly approaching mammals, up to almost complete similarity with them in appearance and biology, the emergence of animals as a separate group is considered associated with the transformation of the reptilian type of jaw joint, which moves from an articular-quadrate position to an articulation between dental and squamosal bones. Apparently, this happened in the middle of the Triassic period, approximately 235 million years ago, but the earliest fossil remains of real mammals are known only from the end of the Triassic, i.e. they're ok. 220 million years.
GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS OF MAMMALS
Some parts of the mammalian skeleton, especially the skull, are simpler than those of their reptile ancestors. For example, as already mentioned, each branch (right and left) of their lower jaw consists of one bone, while in reptiles it consists of several. In animals, the upper jaw (premaxillary bone in front and maxillary bone in back) is completely fused with the cranium, while in some reptiles it is connected to it by movably elastic ligaments. In mammals upper teeth are found only on the premaxillary and maxillary bones, and in primitive vertebrates they can also be on other bony elements of the roof of the oral cavity, including the vomers (near the nasal passages) and the palatine bones (next to the maxillary bones). Mammals typically have two pairs of functional limbs, but some aquatic forms, such as whales (Cetacea) and sirenians (Sirenia), retain only the forelimbs. All animals are warm-blooded and breathe atmospheric air. They differ from all other vertebrates, with the exception of birds and crocodiles, by a four-chambered heart and the complete separation of arterial and venous blood in it. However, unlike birds and crocodiles, mature red blood cells (erythrocytes) of mammals lack nuclei. With the exception of the most primitive representatives of the class, all mammals are viviparous and feed their young with milk produced by the mother's mammary glands. First animals, or monotremes, such as the platypus, lay eggs, but the young that hatch from them also feed on milk. In some species, although they are born fully formed, they are naked (without fur) and helpless, and their eyes remain closed for some time. In other animals, especially ungulates (goats, horses, deer, etc.), cubs are born completely covered in hair, with with open eyes and are almost immediately able to stand and move around. In marsupials, such as kangaroos, the young are born underdeveloped and are carried for some time in a pocket on the mother's stomach.
Wool. The presence of hair covering the body is a distinctive feature of animals: only they form hair, i.e. thread-like keratinized outgrowths of the skin (epidermis). The main function of the coat is to insulate the body, facilitating thermoregulation, but it also serves many other purposes, in particular, it protects the skin from damage, can camouflage the animal due to its color or configuration, or demonstrate its gender. In many mammals, the hair on certain parts of the body has changed significantly and specialized during evolution, becoming, for example, the protective quills of a porcupine, the horn of a rhinoceros, the whiskers (sensitive “whiskers”) of cats and the winter “snowshoes” (edges of the legs) of a snowshoe hare. Individual hairs are in most cases cylindrical or oval in cross-section, although in some species they are almost flat. Microscopic examination shows that the hair shaft (above and directly below the skin) is a compact flexible rod consisting of hardened dead cells. A typical hair shaft consists of three concentric layers: a central spongy core formed by loosely lying rectangular cells, often with small layers of air between them, a middle cortical layer that makes up the main part of the hair and is formed by fusiform cells arranged longitudinally close to each other, and a thin outer skin ( cuticle) of scale-like, overlapping cells, the free edges of which are directed towards the free end of the hair. The delicate primary hairs of the human fetus (lanugo), and sometimes the small down on the adult body, lack a core. Hair cells form under the skin inside the hair follicle (follicle) and are pushed out by new cells that form underneath. As you move away from the root, i.e. source of nutrition, the cells die and are enriched with keratin - an insoluble protein in the form of long thin fibers. Keratin fibers chemically bond with each other, which gives the hair strength. Hair color depends on several factors. One of them is the presence of pigments (coloring substances) called melanins. Although the name of these pigments comes from the word "black", their color varies from yellow to red, brown and black. Melanins can appear in individual hair cells as they grow and move away from the follicle. The presence or absence of melanin, its color and quantity, as well as the proportion of air layers between the cells of the trunk together determine the entire variety of hair colors. In principle, we can say that its color depends on the absorption and reflection of light by the melanin (mainly the cortex) and its scattering by the walls of the air layers of the core. For example, black hair contains optically dense, very dark melanin in both the cortex and the pith, so it reflects only a very small part of the light rays. In contrast, the polar bear's fur is generally devoid of pigment, and its color is determined by the uniform dispersion of light. The diversity of hair structure is primarily associated with the shape of the cuticular cells and the location of the medullary cells. Specific animal species tend to have a specific coat structure, so using a microscope can usually determine its taxonomic nature. A notable exception to this rule is the 150 species of shrews in the genus Crocidura with virtually identical hair. Determination of species by microscopic features of hair is currently being replaced by more accurate methods based on the study of DNA and karyotypes (chromosomal sets). Hair covering the body is usually divided into two types based on length and structure. Some of them are guard - long, shiny, relatively rough. They are usually surrounded by one and a half to two times shorter undercoat hairs. True seals (family Phocidae), also called earless seals, are covered mainly with coarse guard hairs with sparse undercoat. Fur seals, on the other hand, have a very thick undercoat. They belong to the family of eared seals (Otariidae), which also includes sea lions with the same skin as real seals.

Teeth, present in the vast majority of mammals, are solid structures that develop from special connective tissue (mesoderm) cells - odontoblasts and consist mainly of calcium phosphate (apatite), i.e. chemical composition is very similar to bones. However, calcium phosphate crystallizes and combines with other substances in different ways, so that the result is the formation of various dental tissues - dentin, enamel and cementum. The tooth is primarily made up of dentin. (Elephant tusks and, accordingly, ivory are solid dentin; the small amount of enamel that initially covers the end of the tusk is quickly worn away.) The cavity in the center of the tooth contains a “pulp” of soft material that feeds it. connective tissue , blood vessels and nerves. Typically, the outward surface of the tooth is at least partially covered with a thin but extremely hard layer of enamel (the hardest substance in the body), which is formed by special cells - ameloblasts (adamantoblasts). The teeth of sloths and armadillos are devoid of it; on the teeth of the sea otter (sea otter) and spotted hyena, which have to regularly chew hard shells of mollusks or bones, its layer, on the contrary, is very thick. The tooth is attached to the cell on the jaw using cement, which in terms of hardness occupies an intermediate position between enamel and dentin. It may also be present inside the tooth itself and on its chewing surface, such as in horses. Mammalian teeth are generally divided into four groups according to their function and location: incisors, canines, premolars (molars, false molars, or premolars), and molars (molars). The incisors are located in the front of the mouth (on the intermaxillary bones of the upper jaw and, like all teeth in the lower jaw, on the dentary bones). They have cutting edges and simple conical roots. They serve mainly to hold food and bite off parts of it. Fangs (who have them) are usually long rods pointed at the end. As a rule, there are four of them (2 upper and lower), and they are located behind the incisors: the upper ones are in the front part of the maxillary bones. Fangs are used primarily for inflicting penetrating wounds in attack and defense, holding and carrying food. Premolars are located between the canines and molars. Some primitive mammals have four of them on each side of the upper and lower jaw (16 in total), but most groups during evolution have lost some of their false root teeth, and in humans, for example, there are only 8. Molars, located in the back of the jaws, along with premolars are combined into a group of cheek teeth. Its elements can vary in size and shape depending on the feeding pattern of the species, but usually have a wide, ribbed or tuberous chewing surface for crushing and grinding food. In piscivorous mammals, such as toothed whales, all teeth are almost identical, approaching a simple cone in shape. They are used only for catching and holding prey, which is either swallowed whole or pre-torn into pieces, but not chewed. Some mammals, notably sloths, toothed whales and the platypus, develop only one set of teeth throughout their lives (in the platypus this is only present during the embryonic stage) and are called monophyodonts. However, most animals are diphyodont, i.e. they have two changes of teeth - the first, temporary, called milk teeth, and the permanent one, characteristic of adult animals. Their incisors, canines and premolars are completely replaced once in a lifetime, and molars grow without milk precursors, i.e. in fact, they are a late developing part of the first change of teeth. Marsupials occupy an intermediate position between monophyodonts and diphyodonts, since they retain all the milk teeth except the removable fourth premolar. (In many of them, the third cheek tooth corresponds to this, since one premolar was lost during evolution.) Since different types mammalian teeth are homologous, i.e. identical in evolutionary origin (with rare exceptions, for example, river dolphins have more than a hundred teeth), each of them occupies a strictly defined position relative to the others and can be designated by a serial number. As a result, the dental set characteristic of a species can be easily written down in the form of a formula. Since mammals are bilaterally symmetrical animals, this formula is compiled only for one side of the upper and lower jaws, remembering that to calculate the total number of teeth it is necessary to multiply the corresponding numbers by two. The expanded formula (I - incisors, C - canines, P - premolars and M - molars, upper and lower jaws - numerator and denominator of the fraction) for a primitive set of six incisors, two canines, eight false roots and six molars is as follows:

However, an abbreviated formula is usually used, which indicates only the total number of teeth of each type. For the above primitive dental set, it looks like this:

For a domestic cow that lacks upper incisors and canines, the entry takes the following form:

and in humans it looks like this:

Since all types of teeth are arranged in the same order - I, C, P, M - dental formulas are often further simplified by omitting these letters. Then for a person we get:

Some teeth that perform special functions during evolution can undergo very strong changes. For example, in the order of carnivores (Carnivora), i.e. in cats, dogs, etc., the fourth upper premolar (designated P4) and the first lower molar (M1) are larger than all other cheek teeth and equipped with sharp, blade-like cutting edges. These teeth, called carnassial teeth, are located opposite each other and act like scissors, cutting the meat into pieces that are more convenient for the animal to swallow. The P4/M1 system is a distinctive feature of the order Carnivora, although other teeth may serve its function. For example, the milk set of Carnivora does not contain molars, and only premolars (dP3/dP4) are used as carnivores, and in some representatives of the extinct order Creodonta, two pairs of molars served for the same purpose - M1+2/M2+3.

Skeleton. In mammals, as in all vertebrates, the skeleton consists of a large number of bones that develop independently and are interconnected by ligaments and connective tissue. In some species it is deeply specialized, but the principle of its structure is the same in all representatives of the class. This fundamental similarity is clearly visible when comparing extremes, such as dolphins, which have virtually no necks with paper-thin vertebrae, and giraffes, which have the same number of necks but have highly elongated neck vertebrae. The mammalian skull articulates with the vertebral column by two rounded bony protrusions in its posterior part - the occipital condyles. For comparison, the reptile skull has only one occipital condyle, i.e. only one point of articulation with the spine. The first two vertebrae are called the atlas and epistropheus. Together with the next five, they make up the seven cervical vertebrae. This number is typical for all mammals except sloths (from six to nine) and, possibly, manatees (according to some experts - six cervical vertebrae). Then comes the largest, thoracic spine; ribs are attached to its vertebrae. Next come the lumbar (between the chest and pelvis) and sacral vertebrae. The latter are fused together and articulated with the pelvic bones. The number of caudal vertebrae varies greatly depending on the type of animal and reaches several dozen. Different mammals have different numbers of ribs surrounding many vital organs. They are usually flat and arched. Each rib is movably articulated at one end (proximal) with the dorsal vertebra, and at the other end (distal) the anterior ribs (in humans - upper) are attached to the sternum using cartilage. They are called true, in contrast to the posterior ones (in humans, the lower ones), which are not connected to the sternum and are called false. The distal end of these ribs is either attached to the cartilaginous part of the last true rib or remains free, in which case they are called oscillating. The sternum consists of a number of more or less flattened bones fused together and is connected on each side by cartilage to the ribs. In bats, it bears a prominent keel for attachment of powerful flight muscles. Flying birds and penguins (which “fly” underwater) have a similar keel on the sternum, while flightless birds like the ostrich do not. The scapula is a wide, flat bone with a median ridge (spine) on the outer surface. The clavicle is connected at one end to the upper edge of the sternum, and at the other to the humeral process (acromion) of the spine of the scapula. The clavicle strengthens the shoulder, so it is primarily characteristic of those mammals (for example, primates) that intensively use the forelimbs for grasping. It is also present in primitive species, particularly monotremes, because it is part of the ancestral (reptilian) pectoral girdle, a skeletal structure that links the forelimb to the axis of the body. The clavicle has been reduced or lost during the evolution of groups of mammals that do not need it. For example, it is vestigial in the horse, since it would only interfere with the lengthening of its stride (only a small strip surrounded by muscles remains), and is absent in whales. The pelvis (pelvic girdle) serves to attach the hind limbs to the spine.

Limbs. The uppermost bone of the forelimb (human arm) is the humerus. It is attached to the scapula using a ball-and-socket joint, and its lower end is connected to two bones of the forearm (upper arm) - the radius and ulna. The wrist usually consists of six to eight small bones (there are eight in humans) that connect to the bones of the metacarpus, forming the “palm” of the hand. The bones of the fingers are called phalanges. The femur of the hind limb (leg in humans) is articulated by a ball-and-socket joint with the pelvis. The skeleton of the lower leg consists of two bones - the tibia and fibula. Then comes the foot, i.e. tarsus of several bones (in humans - seven), connecting to the bones of the metatarsus, to which the phalanges of the fingers are attached. The number of toes and hands depends on the type of mammal - from one to five. Five is a primitive (ancestral) state, and, for example, a horse, belonging to evolutionarily advanced forms, has only one finger on both the front and hind limbs (anatomically, this is a greatly enlarged middle, i.e., third, finger, and the rest are lost during specialization). The deer has functional large third and fourth toes, forming a cloven hoof; the second and fifth are small, not reaching the ground, and the first (“big”) is missing. In most mammals, the ends of the digits are protected by claws, nails, or hooves, which are keratinized derivatives of the epidermis (the outer layer of the skin). The appearance and function of these structures vary greatly, but their general structure is the same. Mammals that rely on their entire sole when walking, i.e. those on the metacarpus and metatarsus, such as bears and people, are called plantigrade, those moving with support only on the fingers (for example, cats and dogs) are called digitigrade, and hoofed forms (cow, horse, deer) are called phalangeal. The body cavity of all animals is divided in two by a muscular partition called the diaphragm. In front (in humans, on top) is the chest cavity, which contains the lungs and heart, and in the back (in humans, on the bottom) is the abdominal cavity with the rest of the internal organs, except the kidneys. Only mammals have a diaphragm: it is involved in ventilation of the lungs. The mammalian heart is divided into four chambers - two atria and two ventricles. Each atrium communicates with a ventricle on the same side of the body, but this opening is equipped with a valve that allows blood to flow in only one direction. Oxygen-depleted blood returning to the heart from the body's organs enters the right atrium through large veins called vena cava. It is then pushed into the right ventricle, which pumps it to the lungs through the pulmonary arteries. In the lungs, the blood is saturated with oxygen and gives off carbon dioxide. Oxygen-rich blood then flows into the pulmonary veins, and from them into the left atrium. Then it is pushed from it into the left ventricle, which pumps it through the largest artery - the aorta - to all organs of the body. The lungs are a spongy mass consisting of numerous air-filled passages and chambers surrounded by a network of capillaries. Passing through this network, the blood absorbs oxygen from the air pumped into the lungs and at the same time releases carbon dioxide into it.
Normal blood temperature varies from person to person
species of mammals is not the same, and in many bats, rodents and a number of other species it noticeably drops during sleep and seasonal hibernation. Usually close to 38°C, in the latter case it may approach freezing point. “Warm-bloodedness” characteristic of mammals, i.e. The ability to maintain a constant body temperature is a relative concept. Diurnal fluctuations in this temperature are known in many species; in humans, for example, throughout the day it rises from a morning minimum (approx. 36.7 ° C) to approximately 37.5 ° C in the evening. Desert-dwelling animals are exposed to extreme heat every day, which also affects their body temperature; in camels, for example, it can change during the day by almost 6 ° C. And in the rodent naked mole rat, living in the relatively stable microclimatic conditions of the burrow, the latter directly affect body temperature. The stomach of most mammals consists of one section, but some species have several of them, for example, four in ruminants, i.e. artiodactyl animals such as cows, deer and giraffes chewing the cud. Camels and deer are called “false ruminants” because, although they chew the cud, they differ from “true” ruminants in having a three-chambered stomach and some features of teeth, legs and other organs. In a number of whales, the long tubular stomach is divided into several successive chambers. The lower end of the stomach opens into the small intestine, which in turn leads to the large intestine, which leads to the rectum. At the border of the small and large intestines from digestive tract the cecum branches off. In humans and some other animals, it ends in a small rudiment - a vermiform appendix (appendix). The structure and role of the cecum varies greatly depending on the species of animal. For example, in ruminants and horses it performs the important function of a fermentation chamber for the digestion of plant fibers and is extremely long, while in other mammals it is relatively small, although it takes active participation in digestion. The mammary glands produce milk to feed the young. These structures are formed in representatives of both sexes, but are underdeveloped in males. In all mammals, except the platypus and other monotremes, the ducts of the mammary glands open on fleshy outgrowths - nipples, which the young, feeding, capture with their mouths. In some species, such as cows, the mammary ducts first empty into a chamber called a cistern, where milk is stored and then released through long tubular teats. Monoductal nipples do not have nipples, and the milk ducts open into pore-like openings in the skin.
NERVOUS SYSTEM
The nervous system functions as an integral unit with sensory organs, such as the eyes, and is controlled in mammals by the brain. The largest part of the latter is called the cerebral hemispheres (in the occipital region of the skull there are two smaller hemispheres of the cerebellum). The brain connects to the spinal cord. In all mammals, with the exception of monotremes and marsupials, unlike other vertebrates, the right and left cerebral hemispheres are connected to each other by a compact bundle of nerve fibers called the corpus callosum. In the brains of monotremes and marsupials there is no corpus callosum, but the corresponding areas of the hemispheres are also connected by nerve bundles; for example, the anterior commissure connects the right and left olfactory areas with each other. The spinal cord, the main nerve trunk of the body, passes through a canal formed by the foramina of the vertebrae and extends from the brain to the lumbar or sacral spine, depending on the species of animal. On each side of the spinal cord, nerves extend symmetrically to different parts of the body. Touch in general outline is provided by certain nerve fibers, countless endings of which are located in the skin. This system is usually supplemented by hairs that act as levers to press on areas riddled with nerves. Vision is more or less developed in all mammals, although some mole rats have small, underdeveloped eyes covered with skin and are hardly even able to distinguish light from dark. The animal sees light reflected from objects, absorbed by the eye, which transmits corresponding signals to the brain for recognition. In other words, the eyes themselves do not “see”, but act only as converters of light energy. One of the problems in obtaining a clear visual image is overcoming chromatic aberration, i.e. a blurred border of color appearing at the edges of an image formed by a simple lens (a non-composite transparent object with two opposing surfaces, at least one of which is curved). Chromatic aberration is an inherent property of the lens of the eye and occurs because it, like a simple lens, refracts shorter wavelengths of light (such as violet) more strongly than longer wavelengths of light (such as red). Thus, rays of all wavelengths are not focused at one point, giving a clear image, but some are closer, others are further away, and the image turns out blurry. In a mechanical system such as a camera, chromatic aberration is corrected by gluing together lenses with different compensating refractive powers. The mammalian eye solves this problem by "cutting out" most of the short-wavelength light. The yellowish lens acts as a yellow filter: it absorbs almost all of the ultraviolet (which is partly why humans do not perceive it) and part of the blue-violet part of the spectrum. Not all of the light that passes through the pupil and reaches the light-sensitive retina is used for vision. Some of it passes through the retina and is absorbed by the underlying pigment layer. For nocturnal animals, this would mean too much wastage of the small amount of available light, so many such species have a mirrored bottom of the eye, reflecting unused light back onto the retina to further stimulate its receptors. It is this reflected light that causes the eyes of some mammals to “glow” in the dark. The mirror layer is called tapetum lucidum (mirror). Mammals have two main types of speculum. The first is fibrous, characteristic of ungulates. Their mirror mainly consists of a shiny layer of connective tissue fibers. The second type is cellular, for example in carnivores. In this case, it consists of several layers of flattened cells containing fiber-like crystals. The mirror is usually located in the choroid behind the retina, but, for example, in some bats and the Virginia opossum it is embedded in the retina itself. The color that the eyes glow depends on the amount of blood in the capillaries of the choroid and the content of rhodopsin (a purple light-sensitive pigment) in the rod-shaped elements of the retina through which the reflected light passes. Despite the widespread belief that color vision is rare among mammals, most of which supposedly see only shades of gray, accumulating evidence suggests that many species, including domestic cats and dogs, do have at least some color vision. Color vision is probably most developed in primates, but is also known in the horse, giraffe, Virginia opossum, several species of squirrels and many other animals. Hearing is well developed in many mammals, and for 20% of their species it largely replaces vision. A hearing aid consists of three main parts. Mammals are the only group of animals with a well-developed external ear. The auricle picks up sound waves and directs them to the eardrum. On the inner side of it is the next section - the middle ear, an air-filled chamber with three bones (hammer, incus and stirrup), which mechanically transmit vibrations from the eardrum to the inner ear. It includes the cochlea - a spirally twisted, fluid-filled tube with hair-like projections inside. Sound waves cause fluid vibrations and, indirectly, movement of hairs, which serves as stimulation of nerve cells at their base. The frequency range of perceived sounds depends on the type of animal. Many small mammals hear "ultrasound" at frequencies that are too high for human hearing. Ultrasound is especially important for species that use echolocation - capturing reflected sound waves (echoes) to recognize objects in the environment. This method of orientation is characteristic of bats and toothed whales. On the other hand, many large mammals can detect low-frequency “infrasound”, which humans also cannot hear. The sense of smell is associated with thin sensitive membranes (olfactory mucosa) at the back of the nasal cavity. They capture odorant molecules present in the inhaled air. The olfactory mucosa consists of nerve and supporting cells covered with a layer of mucus. The endings of its nerve cells bear bundles of olfactory “cilia”, numbering up to 20, which together form a kind of fleecy carpet. Cilia serve as odor receptors, and the thickness of their “carpet” depends on the type of animal. In humans, for example, there are up to 20 million of them in an area of ​​5 cm2, and in dogs - more than 200 million. Odorous molecules dissolve in mucus and enter special sensitive pits on the cilia, stimulating nerve cells that send impulses to the brain for analysis and recognition.
COMMUNICATION
Sound. Mammals use sounds to communicate, emitting, for example, alarm signals, threats or calls for mating (some animals, in particular certain types of deer, only vocalize during the breeding season). A number of species, including rabbits, have well-developed vocal cords, but use them only under extreme stress. Non-vocal sound communication is known in many mammals: rabbits, for example, knock on the ground with their paws, white-footed hamsters drum their front paws on hollow objects, and male deer rattle their antlers on branches. Sound communication plays an important role in the social interactions of animals, since in general they can express all basic emotions with sounds. Bats and toothed whales make sounds for echolocation, which allows them to navigate in the dark or in turbid water, where vision would be clearly insufficient for this.
Visual. Mammals communicate not only through sounds. For example, in some species, the white underside of the tail is, if necessary, shown to relatives as a visual signal. The "stockings" and "masks" of certain antelopes are also widely used to display their condition. A special example of visual communication is observed in the American pronghorn, which sends messages to other individuals of its species within a 6.5 km radius using a patch of long white fur on the rump. A frightened animal sharply fluffs up these hairs, which seem to flare up in the sunlight, becoming clearly visible at a great distance.
Chemical. Smells, determined by various chemicals in urine, feces and glandular secretions, are widely used by mammals in social interactions, such as marking territory or recognizing suitable mating partners. In the latter case, the smell allows not only to distinguish males from females, but also to determine the stage of the reproductive cycle of a particular individual. Chemical signals used for intraspecific communication are called pheromones (from the Greek pherein - to carry and hormon - to excite, i.e. pheromones “transfer excitement” from one individual to another). They are divided into two functional types: signaling and motivating. Signal pheromones (releasers) cause specific behavioral reactions of another animal, for example, attracting individuals of the opposite sex, forcing them to follow an odorous trail left behind, fleeing, or attacking an enemy. Motivating pheromones (primers) lead to physiological changes in relatives. For example, the achievement of sexual maturity in a house mouse is accelerated by the odor of substances contained in the urine of adult males, and slowed down by pheromones in the urine of adult females.
See also ANIMAL COMMUNICATION.
REPRODUCTION
Fish and amphibians usually lay eggs (eggs) in water. Their eggs are equipped with membranes that help the developing embryos eliminate waste and absorb nutrients, primarily from the calorie-rich yolk. The yolk sac and other membranes of this type are located outside the embryo and are therefore called extraembryonic membranes. Reptiles were the first vertebrates to acquire three additional extraembryonic membranes, which allowed them to lay eggs on the ground and ensure development without an aquatic environment. These membranes made it possible for the embryo to receive nutrients, water and oxygen, as well as to secrete metabolic products while in a non-aqueous environment. The innermost of them, the amnion, forms a sac filled with a brackish fluid. It surrounds the embryo, providing it with a liquid environment similar to that in which embryos of fish and amphibians are immersed in water, and animals that possess it are called amniotes. The outermost shell - the chorion - together with the middle one (allantois) performs other important functions. The shell surrounding the fish egg is also called the chorion, but this structure is functionally comparable to the so-called chorion. the zona pellucida of a mammalian egg, present even before fertilization. Animals inherited extraembryonic membranes from reptiles. In oviparous monotremes, these membranes still perform their ancestral functions, since the energy needs of the embryo are met by the rich reserves of yolk in the large shelled eggs. In the embryos of marsupials and placentals, which receive most of the energy necessary for development from the mother, the eggs contain little yolk, and the embryo soon attaches to the wall of the uterus with the help of chorion outgrowths penetrating into it. In most marsupials and some placentals it merges with yolk sac and forms a primitive placenta called the vitelline placenta. The placenta (also called the placenta or placenta) is a formation that ensures two-way metabolism between the embryo and the maternal body. Through it, nutrients are supplied to the embryo, its respiration and the removal of metabolic products. In most placental mammals, the chorion forms it together with the allantois, and it is called allantoid. The length of the period from fertilization of the egg to the birth of the calf varies from 12 days in some marsupials to about 22 months in the African elephant. The number of newborns in a litter usually does not exceed the number of nipples in the mother and, as a rule, is less than 14. However, some mammals have very large litters, for example, a female Madagascar tenrec from the order of insectivores with 12 pairs of mammary glands sometimes gives birth to more than 25 young. Usually one embryo develops from a fertilized egg, but polyembryony also occurs, i.e. it produces several embryos that separate at the earliest stages of development. Occasionally, this occurs in many species, including in humans, completely identical - identical - twins are born, but in the nine-banded armadillo, polyembryony is a common occurrence, and the litter, as a rule, consists of “quadruplets”. In marsupials, young are born underdeveloped and complete development in the mother's pouch. See also MARSPIALS. Immediately after birth (or, in the case of monotremes, after hatching from eggs), mammals feed on mother's milk. The mammary glands are usually located in pairs, which range from one (for example, in primates) to 12, as in tenrecs. At the same time, many marsupials have an odd number of mammary glands and only one nipple is developed in the middle of the abdomen.

A KOALA has been caring for her “bear cub” for almost four years.

LOCOMOTION
In general, the mechanism of movement (locomotion) is the same in all mammals, but its specific methods have developed in many divergent directions. When the ancestors of animals first crawled onto land, their fore and hind limbs were short and widely spaced, making movement on land slow and clumsy. The evolution of mammalian locomotion was aimed primarily at increasing speed by lengthening and straightening the legs and raising the torso above the ground. This process required certain skeletal changes, including the loss of a number of elements of the reptilian shoulder girdle. Thanks to the diversity of specialization, the animals have mastered all possible ecological niches. Modes of locomotion in modern mammals include digging, walking, running, jumping, climbing, gliding, flapping, and swimming. Burrowing forms, such as moles and gophers, move below the soil surface. The powerful forelimbs of these mammals are extended forward so that the paws can work in front of the head, and the shoulder muscles are very well developed. At the same time, their hind limbs are weak and unspecialized. The hands of such animals can be very large, adapted for raking soft soil, or armed with powerful claws for “drilling” hard soil. Many other mammals dig holes in the ground, but digging, strictly speaking, is not one of their methods of locomotion.

Many small species, such as rats, mice and shrews, are characterized by a relatively massive body with short limbs and usually move in sprints. It’s hardly worth talking about any locomotor specialization. Some mammals, such as bears, are best adapted to walking. They belong to the plantigrade type and rest on their feet and palms when walking. If necessary, they can run hard, but they do it clumsily and cannot maintain high speed for long. Very large animals are also adapted to walking, for example elephants, in which there is a tendency to lengthen and strengthen the upper bones of the legs while shortening and widening the lower ones. This turns the limbs into massive columns that support the enormous mass of the body. In contrast, in fast-running animals such as horses and deer, the lower segments of the legs are rod-shaped, capable of quickly moving forward and backward. The muscles of the limbs are concentrated in their upper part, leaving below mainly powerful tendons that slide, as if on blocks, along the smooth surfaces of the cartilage and stretch to the places of attachment to the bones of the feet and hands. Additional adaptations to fast running include the reduction or loss of the outer digits and the convergence of the remaining ones. The need to catch up with agile prey and as soon as possible traveling long distances while searching for it led to the emergence of another method of locomotion in cats and dogs - on the fingers. At the same time, the metacarpus and metatarsus lengthened, which made it possible to increase running speed. Its record for mammals is recorded in cheetahs: approximately 112 km/h. Another major direction in the evolution of rapid movement on land was the development of the ability to jump. Most animals, whose life is directly dependent on the speed of their locomotion, move forward using mainly the pushes of their hind legs. The extreme development of this method of movement, combined with a change in lifestyle, led to profound structural transformations in jumping species. Their main morphological change was the lengthening of the hind limbs, primarily their lower parts, which led to increased propulsion and the ability to soften the blow when landing. To provide the force necessary for long, successive leaps, the muscles of these limbs have grown greatly in the transverse direction. At the same time, their outer fingers were reduced or disappeared altogether. The limbs themselves spread widely to increase stability, and the animal as a whole became digitigrade. In most cases, the forelimbs are greatly reduced and the neck is shortened. The tail of such species is very long, like that of a jerboa, or relatively short and thick, like that of a kangaroo. It serves as a balancer and to some extent a steering device. The jumping method of locomotion allows for maximum acceleration. Calculations show that the longest jump is possible at a take-off angle from the ground of 40-44°. Rabbits use a method of movement that is intermediate between running and jumping: powerful hind legs push the body forward, but the animal lands on its front paws and is ready to repeat the jump, only once again grouped in its original position. To lengthen their jumps and thus cover distance more efficiently, some animals acquired a parachute-like membrane running along the body between the fore and hind limbs and attached to the wrists and ankles. When the limbs are spread out, it straightens out and provides sufficient lift for gliding from top to bottom between branches located at different heights. The rodent American flying squirrel is a typical example of animals that move in this way. Similar gliding membranes have independently evolved in other groups, including African spinytails and the Australian flying squirrel. The animal can start flying from almost any position. Stretching its head forward, it glides through the air, gaining speed under the influence of gravity sufficient to turn its body upward before landing, so that it lands in an upright position. After this, the animal is ready to climb up the tree trunk and, having climbed to the required height, repeat the flight. Among mammals, the most advanced adaptation for gliding is possessed by caguans, or woolly wings, that live in the Far East and the Philippine Islands. Their lateral membrane continues along the neck and tail, reaches the big toes and connects the other four. The bones of the limbs are long and thin, which ensures maximum stretching of the membrane when the limbs are straightened. With the exception of gliding, which evolved as a special type of locomotion, modern mammals show no transition from terrestrial locomotion to flapping flight. The only mammals that are actually capable of flight are bats. The oldest known fossil representatives already had well-developed wings, the structure of which has remained almost unchanged over 60 million years. It is assumed that these flying mammals descended from some primitive group of insectivores. The forelimbs of bats are transformed into wings. Their most noticeable feature is the strongly elongated four fingers with a flight membrane between them. However thumb protrudes beyond its leading edge and is usually armed with a hook-shaped claw. The long bones of the limbs and their main joints have undergone significant changes. The humerus is distinguished by large outgrowths (trochanters) to which muscles are attached. In some species, the trochanters are long enough to form a secondary articulation with the scapula, which gives the shoulder joint extraordinary strength, but limits movement in it to one plane. The elbow joint is formed almost exclusively by the humerus and radius bones, and the ulna is reduced and practically non-functional. The flying membrane usually stretches between the ends of the 2nd-5th fingers and then along the sides of the body, reaching the legs at the feet or ankles. In some species it continues between the legs from ankle to ankle, surrounding the tail. In this case, a cartilaginous process (spur) extends from the inside of the ankle joint, which supports the posterior membrane. The flight patterns of bats of different genera and species are not the same. Some of them, such as fruit bats, flapping their wings measuredly. Folded lips fly very quickly, and the flight speed of, for example, bagwings can change dramatically. Some fly smoothly, like moths. Be that as it may, flight is the main method of locomotion of bats, and it is known that some migratory species cover up to several hundred kilometers without rest. At least one representative of almost every order of mammals is a good swimmer. In fact, all animals, even bats, can float on water if necessary. Sloths move even faster in it than on land, and some rabbits have mastered this environment no worse than muskrats. There are various levels of special adaptation of mammals to life in water. For example, a mink does not have any special devices for this, with the exception of fur lubricated with fat, and whales have a body shape and behavior that resembles fish rather than animals. In semi-aquatic forms, the hind feet are usually enlarged and equipped with a membrane between the toes or a rim of coarse hair, like an otter. Their tail can be modified into a paddle blade or rudder, becoming flattened vertically, like a muskrat's, or horizontally, like a beaver's. Sea lions have adapted to life in water even better: their front and hind legs are extended and turned into flippers (the upper segments of the limbs are immersed in the fatty layer of the body). At the same time, they still retain thick fur to retain heat and are able to move on land on all fours. Real seals took the path of specialization further. For swimming, they use only their hind limbs, which can no longer turn forward to move on land, and their thermal insulation is provided mainly by a layer of subcutaneous fat (blub). Cetaceans and sirenians demonstrate complete adaptation to life in water. It is accompanied by profound morphological changes, including the complete disappearance of the external hind limbs, the acquisition of a streamlined, fish-like body shape and the disappearance of hair. The thick layer of blubber surrounding the body helps whales keep warm, just like real seals. Forward movement in the water is provided by horizontal fins with a cartilaginous frame located in the back of the tail.
SELF-PRESERVATION
All mammals have developed certain self-preservation mechanisms, and many have acquired special protective devices during evolution.

The AFRICAN CRESTED PORCUBE is protected by a mane (“comb”) of flexible spines and sharp quills. Having spread them out, he turns his tail towards the enemy and makes a sharp movement back, trying to prick the aggressor.

Protective covers. Some animals, such as the hedgehog, are covered with spines and, in case of danger, curl up into a ball, exposing them in all directions. A similar method of protection is used by armadillos, which are able to completely isolate themselves from the outside world with a horny shell, which also protects the body from the sharp thorns of cacti, which are the most common vegetation in the habitats of these animals. The North American porcupine has gone even further in developing protective coverings. It is not only covered with jagged needles, which, if stuck in the body of an enemy, can lead to his death, but also very deftly wields its barbed tail, delivering quick and accurate blows to the enemy.
Glands. Mammals also use chemical weapons for protection. This method is most mastered by the skunk, which produces a caustic and very smelly liquid in the paired anal glands at the base of the tail. By contracting the muscles surrounding the glands, he can throw a thin stream of it at a distance of up to 3 m, aiming at the enemy’s most vulnerable places - the eyes, nose and mouth. Keratin is an important component of the outer layer of skin (epidermis) of mammals. It is a strong, elastic and water-insoluble protein. It is extremely necessary for the protection of animals, since it protects underlying tissues from chemical irritants, moisture and mechanical damage. Areas of the skin that are particularly susceptible to aggressive environmental influences are protected by a thickened epidermis with an increased content of keratin. An example is calloused growths on the soles. Claws, nails, hooves and horns are all specialized keratin formations. Claws, nails and hooves are composed of the same structural elements, but differ in their location and degree of development. The claw consists of two parts - the upper plate, called the ungual, and the lower plantar. In reptiles they usually form two halves of a conical cap enclosing the fleshy end of the finger. In the claws of mammals, the lower plate is reduced and practically does not cover the finger. The upper plate of the nail is wide and flat, and the narrow remainder of the lower one is hidden between its edge and the pad of the finger. In the hoof, both plates are enlarged, thickened and curved, with the upper one (the wall of the hoof) surrounding the lower one (its sole). The fleshy end of the finger, called the frog in horses, is pushed back and upward. The claws are used primarily for digging, climbing and attacking. A beaver combs its fur with a forked claw of its hind paw. Cats usually keep their claws retracted in special sheaths to avoid dulling their ends. Deer often defend themselves with axe-sharp hooves and can kill snakes with them. The horse is famous for the powerful kick of its hind legs, and is capable of kicking with each leg separately and with both legs at once. In defense, she can also rear up and sharply strike the enemy from top to bottom with her front hooves.
Horns. In the process of evolution, mammals very early acquired skull projections used as weapons. They were present in some species already in the Eocene (about 50 million years ago) and have since become increasingly characteristic of many ungulates. In the Pleistocene (began about 1.6 million years ago), these outgrowths reached fantastic sizes. In many cases, they are more important for fights with relatives, for example when males compete for a female, than as a means of protection from predators. Basically, all horns are hard outgrowths on the head. However, they developed and specialized in two different directions . One type can be called true horns. They consist of a usually unbranched bone core extending from the frontal bones, covered with a sheath of hard keratinized horny tissue. This hollow case, removed from the cranial outgrowths, is used to make various “horns” into which they blow a trumpet, pour wine, etc. True horns are usually present in animals of both sexes and are not shed throughout their lives. The exception is the antlers of the American pronghorn. Their horny sheath, like that of real horns, not only bears a small process (sometimes more than one), forming a “fork,” but is also shed (replaced) every year. The second type is deer antlers, which in their fully developed form consist only of bone without a horny covering, i.e. Actually, they are called “horns” incorrectly. These are also processes of the frontal bones of the skull, usually branched. Only males have stag-type antlers, although caribou (reindeer) are an exception here. Unlike real ones, such horns are shed and grow back every year. Rhino horn is also not real: it consists of hardened keratinized fibers ("hairs") glued together. Giraffe horns are not horny structures, but bony processes covered with skin and regular hair. True horns are characteristic of the bovid group - cattle, sheep, goats and antelope. In wild buffalo-like mammals they are often very thick at the base and form a kind of helmet, for example in the musk ox and the black African buffalo. In most types of cattle they are only slightly curved. The ends of the horns of all species point upward to one degree or another, which increases their effectiveness as weapons. The horns of the bighorn sheep are the heaviest and largest in relation to the overall size of the animal. In males they are massive and twisted into a spiral, changing their shape as they grow, so that their ends can eventually describe more than one full circle. In combat, these horns are used as battering rams rather than as piercing weapons. In females they are smaller and almost straight. The horns of wild goats specialized differently. The length makes them impressive. Arched, widely diverging in the mountain goat and straight, corkscrewed in the horned goat, they are very different from the mutton ones, which, even with a greater overall length, seem smaller, since their ends are closer to the base due to the spiral bend. Horns appear at an early stage of development of an individual. In very young animals, their rudiments are loosely attached to the frontal bones, can be separated from the skull, and even more or less successfully transplanted onto the head of another animal. The practice of horn transplantation originated in India or the Far East and may be associated with the origin of legends about unicorns.
Teeth. Most hornless mammals have teeth as their main weapons. However, some species, such as anteaters, lack them, and, say, rabbits with perfectly developed teeth never use them for defense, no matter how great the danger. Most rodents, when threatened, find good use for their chisel-shaped incisors. Bats can bite, but in most cases their teeth are too small to cause serious wounds. Predators use mainly sharp, long fangs in battle, which are vital for them. Cat fangs are dangerous, but the bite of dogs is more powerful, since in a fight these animals are not able to help themselves with their claws. Some mammals have evolved highly specialized teeth called tusks. They are used mainly for obtaining food, but can also serve as weapons. Most wild pigs, such as the European wild boar, dig up edible roots with their long tusks, but can also use these teeth to inflict a serious wound on an enemy. Walrus tusks are used to tear apart the seabed in search of bivalves. They are well developed in both sexes, although in females they are usually thinner. Such a tooth can reach a length of 96 cm and weigh more than 5 kg. Narwhal is the only cetacean with a tusk. It is usually developed only in males and arises from the left side of the upper jaw. This is a forward-protruding straight, spirally twisted rod that can exceed 2.7 m in length and weigh more than 9 kg. Since it is normally present only in males, one of the ways it is probably used is in fighting for females. African elephants have the largest tusks among living mammals. They use them in combat, for digging and marking territory. A pair of such tusks can reach a total length of 3 m, yielding more than 140 kg of ivory.
AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIOR
Based on the aggressive behavior of mammals, they can be divided into three main groups: harmless (never attacking warm-blooded animals with the purpose of killing), indifferent (capable of provoked attacks and murders) and aggressive (killing regularly).
Harmless. Rabbits are perhaps the most harmless of all mammals: they do not even pretend to fight, no matter how desperate their situation. Rodents are generally harmless, although some species, such as the American red squirrel, can kill and eat small animals on occasion. The blue whale is the largest and strongest mammal that has ever lived, but it feeds on small crustaceans and fish, thus being one of the most harmless creatures.
Indifferent. This category includes large herbivores that are aware of their strength and can attack in case of provocation or danger threatening the young. Male deer are harmless nine months of the year, but become extremely unpredictable and dangerous during the rutting season. In a group of cattle, the bulls are ready to fight at any time. The fact that the color red makes them furious is a misconception: the bull attacks any object moving in front of its nose, even white. An Indian buffalo can rush at a tiger without provocation on his part, perhaps following the instinct of protecting the young. A wounded or cornered African buffalo is considered one of the most dangerous animals. Elephants, except for some angry individuals, are harmless outside the mating period. Oddly enough, a passion for killing can develop in donkeys, and in them it takes on the character of purely sporting passion. For example, on the island of Mona off the coast of Puerto Rico there lived a donkey who spent his free time hunting wild pigs.
Aggressive. Typical aggressive animals include representatives of the order Carnivora. They kill to get food, and normally do not go beyond purely nutritional needs. However, a dog that loves to hunt can destroy more game than it can eat at one time. The weasel strives to strangle all the mice in the colony or the chickens in the chicken coop and only then take a “break for lunch.” The shrew, despite its small size, is extremely pugnacious and is capable of killing a mouse twice its size. Among cetaceans, the killer whale is not without reason called the killer whale. This sea predator can attack literally any animal it encounters. Killer whales are the only whales that regularly feed on other warm-blooded animals. Even huge right whales, faced with a pod of these killers, take flight.
SPREADING
The distribution areas (areas) of individual mammal species are extremely diverse and are determined both by climatic conditions and by the isolation of large land masses from each other caused by tectonic processes and continental drift.
North America. Since the isthmus between North America and Eurasia disappeared relatively recently (rising sea levels flooded the Bering Strait land bridge that existed 35,000-20,000 years ago), and both regions are in the Northern Hemisphere, between their faunas, including mammals, there is great similarity. Typical animals include moose, reindeer and red deer, mountain sheep, wolves, bears, foxes, wolverines, lynxes, beavers, marmots, and hares. Large bulls (bison and bison, respectively) and tapirs live in Eurasia and North America. However, only in North America are species found such as pronghorn and big goat, puma, jaguar, black-tailed and white-tailed (virgin) deer and gray fox.
South America. This continent is very unique in its mammal fauna, although many forms migrated from here across the Isthmus of Panama to North America. One of the features of many local arboreal animals is the presence of a prehensile tail. Only in South America do rodents of the pig family (Caviidae) live, which includes, in particular, the Patagonian mara, which looks more like a hare than its closely related species, the guinea pig. The capybara is also found here - the largest modern rodent, reaching a mass of 79 kg. Guanaco, vicuna, alpaca and llama, unique to the Andes, are South American representatives of the camelid family (Camelidae). Anteaters, armadillos and sloths come from South America. There are no local species of cattle or equines here, but there are many deer and their own species of bear - the spectacled one. Pig-like forms are represented by peculiar peccaries. Opossums, some felids (including the jaguar and puma), canids (including the large red wolf), rabbits and broad-nosed monkeys (which differ from Old World species in a number of significant characteristics) are found here, and squirrels are well represented. The mammals of Central America are mainly of South American origin, although some species, such as the large climbing hamsters, are unique to this region.
Asia. Asia has a particularly diverse range of large mammals, including elephants, rhinoceroses, tapirs, horses, deer, antelope, wild oxen, goats, sheep, pigs, felids, canines, bears, and primates including gibbons and orangutans.
Europe. In terms of fauna, Europe is part of Eurasia, but large mammals are almost extinct here. Deer and fallow deer are still found in protected forests, while wild boars and chamois still live in the Pyrenees, Alps and Carpathians. Mouflon, believed to be a close relative of domestic sheep, is known from Sardinia and Corsica. The wild bison virtually disappeared from Europe during World War II. From small mammals to limited quantities still preserved, for example, otter, badger, fox, forest cat, ferret, weasel; Squirrels and other rodents, hares and rabbits are quite common.
Africa. A very spectacular mammal fauna still inhabits Africa, where antelopes are especially diverse. Zebras still form large herds; There are a lot of elephants, hippos and rhinoceroses here. Most groups of mammals are represented in Africa, although northern forms such as deer, sheep, goats and bears are either absent or very few in number. Unique to this continent are the giraffe, okapi, African buffalo, aardvark, gorilla, chimpanzee and warthog. Most "African" lemurs live on the island of Madagascar.
Australia. The Australian region for a long time (possibly at least 60 million years) was isolated from the rest of the continents and, naturally, is strikingly different from them in terms of mammal fauna. The animals characteristic of this region are monotremes (echidna, prochidna and platypus) and marsupials (kangaroos, bandicoots, possums, koalas, wombats, etc.). The wild dingo dog appeared in Australia relatively recently: it was probably brought here by primitive people. Local rodents and bats are found here, but wild ungulates are absent. Distribution across climatic zones. The habitats of wild animals are largely determined by climate. The Arctic and Subarctic are characterized by musk ox, caribou, polar bear, walrus and lemmings. The northern temperate regions are home to most deer, bears, sheep, goats, bison and horses. Felines and canines also have northern origins, but they have spread almost throughout the world. Antelopes, tapirs, zebras, elephants, rhinoceroses, wild pigs, peccaries, hippopotamuses and primates are typical for the tropics. The southern temperate regions are small in area and are characterized by only a few specialized forms.
CLASSIFICATION
The class of mammals (Mammalia) is divided into two subclasses - the first animals (Prototheria), i.e. monotremes, or oviparous animals, and true animals (Theria), to which all other modern orders belong. Marsupials and placental mammals have much in common and are closer in origin to each other than each of these groups is to monotremes. All these animals are viviparous and have a simplified shoulder girdle that is not rigidly attached to the axial skeleton. The subclass is divided into two modern infraclasses - Metatheria (lower animals, i.e. marsupials) and Eutheria (higher animals, i.e. placentals). In the latter, the cubs are born at relatively late stages of development, the placenta is of the allantoid type, teeth and general structure are usually highly specialized, and the brain is usually quite complex. The following are the orders of living mammals. SUBCLASS PROTOTHERIA - PRIMARY Beasts
The order Monotremata (monotremes) includes two families - platypus (Ornithorhynchidae) and echidnas (Tachyglossidae). These animals reproduce in the same way as their reptilian ancestors, i.e. laying eggs. They combine the characteristics of mammals (fur, mammary glands, three ear bones, diaphragm, warm-bloodedness) with some features of reptiles, for example, the presence of a coracoid (a bone that strengthens the shoulder between the shoulder blade and sternum) in the shoulder girdle. Modern monotremes are found only in New Guinea and Australia, but the remains of a 63-million-year-old fossil platypus were found in Patagonia (South America). Echidnovae are terrestrial and feed on ants and termites, while the platypus is a semi-aquatic animal that eats earthworms and crustaceans.
INFRACLASS METATHERIA - LOWER BEASTS
Marsupials have long been classified as a single order, Marsupialia, but modern research has shown that within this group there are seven clear evolutionary lines, which are sometimes distinguished as independent orders. In some classifications, the term "marsupials" denotes the infraclass as a whole, the name of which is changed from Metatheria to Marsupialia. The order Didelphimorphia (American possums) includes the oldest and least specialized marsupials, probably originating in North America in the mid-Cretaceous period, i.e. almost 90 million years ago. Modern forms, such as the Virginia opossum, are indiscriminate in their diet and live in a wide variety of conditions. Most of them are omnivorous (some eat mainly fruits or insects) and inhabit tropical latitudes from southern Mexico to northern Argentina (some reach Canada and Chile). Several species bear their young in a pouch, but most do not have one. The order Paucituberculata (little tuberculates) was most rich in forms in the Tertiary period (approximately 65-2 million years ago), but is now represented by only one family Caenolestidae, the species of which lack a true bag. Caenolestes are small animals that live on the ground, feed exclusively on insects and live in the temperate forests of the South American Andes. The order Microbiotheria is represented by the only living species - the Chilean opossum from the family Microbiotheriidae, limited in its distribution to the southern beech (nothofagus) forests of southern Chile and Argentina. Its relationship with the rest of the marsupials of the New World and Australia, as well as placental mammals, is completely unclear. It is a small animal with a true pouch that feeds on insects and builds nests on branches in the bamboo undergrowth. The order Dasyuromorphia (carnivorous marsupials) includes the least specialized Australian marsupials and consists of three families, two of which have only one species. The Talitsin, or Tasmanian wolf, from the family of marsupial wolves (Thylacinidae) is a large predator that used to live in Tasmania. The nambat, or marsupial anteater (family Myrmecobiidae), feeds on ants and termites and lives in the woodlands of southern Australia. Family Dasyuridae, including marsupial mice, marsupial rats, marsupial martens and the marsupial (Tasmanian) devil, unites a wide range of insectivorous and predatory forms inhabiting New Guinea, Australia and Tasmania. All of them are without a bag. The order Peramelemorphia (bandicoots) includes the families of bandicoots (Peramelidae) and rabbit bandicoots (Thylacomyidae). These are the only marsupials that have acquired a chorioallantoic placenta, which, however, does not form the finger-shaped villi that characterize the placenta of the same type in higher animals. These small to medium-sized animals with an elongated snout walk on four legs and feed mainly on insects and other small animals. They live in Australia and New Zealand. The order Notoryctemorphia (marsupial moles) includes a single representative, the marsupial mole (family Notoryctidae), which resembles true moles in size and body proportions. This insectivorous animal inhabits the sand dunes of the inland regions of Australia and literally swims in the thickness of the sand, which is facilitated by the large claws of its forelimbs and a hard leathery scute on the nose. The order Diprotodontia comprises most of the mammals characteristic of Australia. The families Koalas (Phascolarctidae), Wombatidae (Vombatidae), climbing marsupials (Phalangeridae), marsupial flying squirrels (Petauridae) and kangaroos (Macropodidae) include mainly herbivorous forms, while pygmy gliders (Burramyidae) and some marsupial flying squirrels prefer insects, and gliders prefer insects. -Honeyeaters (Tarsipedidae) specialize in pollen and nectar. SUBCLASS THERIA - REAL BEASTS.
INFRACLASS EUTHERIA - HIGHEST BEASTS
As already noted, higher animals are placental mammals. The order Xenarthra (incomplete teeth), formerly called Edentata, is one of the most ancient evolutionary lineages of placentals. It radiated during the Tertiary period (65 - approximately 2 million years ago) in South America, occupying very unique ecological niches. Incomplete edentates include anteaters (Myrmecophagidae) that specialize in feeding on ants and termites, herbivorous sloths (families Megalonychidae and Bradypodiidae) and mainly insectivorous armadillos (Dasypodidae). These animals have a specially strengthened spine (vertebrae with additional joints), the skin is strengthened by bone scutes or additional layers of connective tissue, and the teeth are without enamel and roots. The group's distribution is mainly limited to the New World tropics; only armadillos penetrated the temperate zone.

The order Insectivora (insectivores) now occupies the ecological niches of the most ancient Mesozoic mammals. In most cases, these are small land-dwelling nocturnal animals that feed on insects, other arthropods and various soil invertebrates. Their eyes are usually quite small, as are the visual areas of the brain, the hemispheres of which are poorly developed and do not cover the cerebellum. At the same time, the olfactory lobes, responsible for the perception of smells, are longer than the rest of the brain. Taxonomists still argue about the number of families of this order, but most often they are six (for modern species). Shrews (Soricidae) are extremely small mammals; in some of them the metabolic rate reaches the highest level known for animals. Other families of insectivores include moles (Talpidae), golden moles (Chrysochloridae), hedgehogs (Erinaceidae), tenrecs (Tenrecidae) and slittooths (Solenodontidae). Representatives of the order live on all continents except Australia and Antarctica. The order Scandentia (tupayaceae) with one family of the same name was not distinguished for a long time special group, classifying its representatives as primitive primates, to which they are indeed closely related, as well as bats and woolly wings. Tupai are similar in size and appearance to squirrels, live only in the forests of East Asia and feed mainly on fruits and insects. The order Dermoptera (wool wings) includes only two species, also called caguans. They live in rain forests Southeast Asia and are characterized by a wide gliding membrane that extends from their neck to the toes of all four limbs and the end of the tail. The comb-like, serrated lower incisors are used as scrapers, and the woolwing's diet consists mainly of fruits, buds and leaves. The order Chiroptera (chiroptera) is the only group of mammals capable of active flight. By diversity, i.e. in number of species, it is second only to rodents. The order includes two suborders: fruit bats (Megachiroptera) with one family of fruit bats (Pteropodidae), uniting frugivorous bats of the Old World, and bats (Microchiroptera), modern representatives of which are usually divided into 17 families. Fruit bats navigate mainly by vision, while bats make extensive use of echolocation. The latter are distributed throughout the world, most of them catch insects, but some are specialized in feeding on fruits, nectar, terrestrial vertebrates, fish or blood sucking. The Primates order includes humans, monkeys and prosimians. Primates have freely rotatable arms, well-developed collarbones, usually opposable thumbs (a climbing device), one pair of mammary glands, and a well-developed brain. The suborder of prosimians includes the monkey, living mainly in Madagascar, lemurs and lorises, galagos from the African continent, tarsiers from the East Indies and the Philippines, etc. To the group broad-nosed monkeys, living in the New World, include howler monkeys, capuchins, squirrel monkeys (saimiri), spider monkeys (koats), marmosets, etc. The group of narrow-nosed monkeys of the Old World includes marmosets (macaques, mangobeys, baboons, thin-bodied monkeys, proboscis monkeys, etc.), anthropoids (gibbons from Southeast Asia, gorillas and chimpanzees from equatorial Africa and orangutans from the islands of Borneo and Sumatra) and you and me. The order Carnivora (carnivores) are carnivorous mammals of various sizes with teeth adapted for eating meat. Their fangs are especially long and sharp, their fingers are armed with claws, and their brain is quite well developed. Most lead a terrestrial lifestyle, but semi-aquatic, aquatic, semi-arboreal and underground species are also known. This order includes bears, raccoons, martens, mongooses, civets, foxes, dogs, cats, hyenas, seals, etc. Pinnipeds are sometimes classified as an independent order Pinnipedia. These are predatory animals, highly specialized for life in the water, but still forced to come to land to reproduce. Their limbs resemble fins, and their fingers are connected by a swimming membrane. Their normal position on land is recumbent; external ears may be absent, the dental system is simplified (they do not survive food), and the hair coat is often reduced. Pinnipeds are found in all oceans, but predominate in cold areas. There are three modern families: Otariidae (eared seals, i.e. fur seals, sea ​​lions etc.), Odobenidae (walruses) and Phocidae (true seals).

The order Cetacea (cetaceans) includes whales, porpoises, dolphins and related animals. They are mammals highly adapted to an aquatic lifestyle. The body shape is similar to that of a fish, the tail bears horizontal fins that are used for movement in the water, the forelimbs are transformed into flippers, there are no external traces left of the hind limbs, and the body is normally hairless. The order is divided into two suborders: toothed whales (Odontoceti), i.e. sperm whales, beluga whales, porpoises, dolphins, etc., and baleen whales (Mysticeti), whose teeth are replaced by baleen plates hanging on the sides of the upper jaw. Representatives of the second suborder are very large: smooth, gray, blue whales, minke whales, humpback whales, etc. Although it has long been believed that cetaceans evolved from four-legged land mammals, until very recently there was no paleontological evidence of this: all known ancient forms already resembled modern ones and did not have hind limbs. However, in 1993, a small fossil whale named Ambulocetus was discovered in Pakistan. He lived in the Eocene, i.e. OK. 52 million years ago, and possessed four functional limbs, representing an important link between modern cetaceans and their four-legged land ancestors. Most likely, Ambulocetus came to land like modern pinnipeds. Its legs were fully developed, but, apparently, they were rather weak, and this ancient whale moved on them in the same way as sea lions and walruses do. The order Sirenia (sirens) are highly specialized aquatic mammals that are unable to live on land. They are large, with heavy bones, a tail-fin flattened in a horizontal plane, and forelimbs transformed into flippers. No traces of hind limbs are visible. Modern representatives of the order are found in warm coastal waters and rivers. The genus Hydrodamalis (sea, or Steller's, cows) is extinct, but until relatively recently it was found in the North Pacific Ocean. The living forms are represented by manatees (Trichechidae), which live in the coastal waters of the Atlantic Ocean, and dugongs (Dugongidae), found mainly in the quiet bays of the Red Sea, Indian and South Pacific Oceans. The order Proboscidea (proboscidea) now includes only elephants, but also includes the extinct mammoths and mastodons. Modern representatives of the order are characterized by a nose extended into a long, muscular, grasping trunk; greatly enlarged second upper incisors forming tusks; powerful columnar limbs with five fingers, which (especially the external ones) are more or less rudimentary and surrounded by a common cover; very large molars, of which only one is used at a time on each side of the upper and lower jaws. Two species of elephants are common in the tropics of Asia and Africa. The order Perissodactyla (odd-toed ungulates) unites ungulates that rest on a greatly enlarged middle (third) toe. Their false-rooted and molar teeth gradually transform into each other, although the latter are distinguished by massive, square-shaped crowns. The stomach is simple, the cecum is very large, the gallbladder is absent. This order includes tapirs, rhinoceroses, horses, zebras and donkeys. Order Hyracoidea(hyraxes) includes the only family distributed in Western Asia and Africa. Hyraxes, or fat hyraxes, are relatively small animals in which the upper incisors grow constantly and are slightly curved longitudinally, like in rodents. Molars and false molars gradually transform into each other; on the front feet the three middle toes are more or less identical, the fifth is smaller and the first is vestigial; hind legs with three well-developed toes, the first missing, the fifth rudimentary. There are three genera: Procavia (rocky or desert hyraxes), Heterohyrax (mountain or gray hyraxes) and Dendrohyrax (tree hyraxes).

The order Tubulidentata (aardvarks) is now represented by a single species - the aardvark, living in sub-Saharan Africa. This medium-sized mammal is covered with sparse, coarse hair; its numerous teeth are highly specialized, its ears are large, the first toe on the front paws is missing, but the hind legs have five approximately equal toes, the elongated snout is elongated into a tube, its lifestyle is terrestrial and burrowing. The aardvark feeds mainly on termites.

The order Artiodactyla (artiodactyls) unites animals that rest on the phalanges of the third and fourth fingers. They are large, approximately equal to each other, and their ends are surrounded by a hoof. False roots and molars are usually clearly distinguishable; the latter have wide crowns and sharp tubercles for grinding plant foods. The collarbone is missing. The lifestyle is terrestrial. Many species belong to the ruminant group. The currently living representatives of the order are pigs, hippopotamuses, camels, llamas and guanacos, deer, deer, buffalo, sheep, goats, antelopes, etc.

The order Pholidota (lizards, or pangolins) includes animals that are probably closely related to edentates: they are devoid of teeth, and their body is covered with scales. The single genus Manis contains seven well-separated species. The order Rodentia (rodents) is the richest in species and individuals, as well as the most widespread group of mammals. Most species are small; Large forms include, for example, the beaver and the capybara (capybara). Rodents are easily recognized by the nature of their teeth, which are adapted for cutting and grinding plant food. The incisors of each jaw (two above and below) are strongly protruding, chisel-shaped and constantly growing. Between them and the molars there is a wide toothless gap - diastema; fangs are always absent. Various species of rodents lead a terrestrial, semi-aquatic, burrowing or arboreal lifestyle. This squad unites squirrels, gophers, mice, rats, beavers, porcupines, guinea pigs, chinchillas, hamsters, lemmings and many other animals. The order Lagomorpha (Lagomorpha) includes pikas, hares and rabbits. Its representatives are most numerous in the Northern Hemisphere, although they are distributed more or less everywhere. They were absent from the Australian region, where they were brought by white colonists. Like rodents, they have two pairs of large, prominent, chisel-shaped incisors, but there is an additional pair on top, located directly behind the front one. Most species are terrestrial, but some American forms are semi-aquatic. The order Macroscelidea (jumpers) includes animals that have long been classified as insectivores (order Insectivora), but are now considered a completely separate line of evolution. Jumpers are distinguished by well-developed eyes and ears, as well as an elongated snout, forming a flexible but incapable of folding proboscis. These features help them find food - various insects. Jumpers live in African semi-deserts and bushes.
Scientific and technical encyclopedic dictionary- (animals), class of vertebrates. Includes oviparous, or cloacal, mammals (proto-beasts) and viviparous mammals (true animals). The first mammals evolved from animal-like reptiles, apparently at the beginning of the Triassic or... Modern encyclopedia

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In elementary school, you need to create different presentations that are designed to develop children. One of the topics of such a presentation is about which animals belong to mammals. Let's look at the main representatives.

Presentation on the topic of mammals for children

Bats and bears, monkeys and moles, kangaroos and whales - all these animals belong to the group of mammals, humans are also mammals, as are most domestic and farm animals - cats, dogs, cows, sheep, goats, etc. There are about 4,500 species of mammals on our planet.

Strange mammal

This amazing mammal - a giant anteater - lives in the forests of South America. It feeds exclusively on ants and termites. The anteater tears apart insect nests with sharp claws and licks the prey with a long sticky tongue that extends 60 centimeters in length!

Whales, dolphins and seals are aquatic mammals. Unlike other animals, they have no hair, and a thick layer of subcutaneous fat protects them from hypothermia.

Miniature creatures

One of the smallest mammals - . This Mexican leaf-nosed insect, for example, is not the size more shemale(about 2 centimeters).

Good girl!

The brain of mammals is much better developed than that of all other animals. The most intelligent living creatures after humans are monkeys. Some of them use simple tools: for example, chimpanzees remove termites from their nests with a stick.

For comparison

The blue whale is the largest mammal on Earth. Even such a land giant as the elephant looks very small in comparison (see picture below).

MAMMALS AND THEIR CHILDREN

Mammals are the only animals that feed their young with milk. Babies are born completely helpless and require constant care. A baby chimpanzee, for example, stays with its mother until it is six years old.

Giant Cub

The blue whale itself large mammal on Earth, the largest baby is born: the length of a newborn reaches 6-8 meters. The female whale has very nutritious milk, so the baby grows quickly.

Oviparous mammals

Some mammals lay eggs that later hatch into young. One of these unusual animals is one living in Australia. It has a bird-like beak and webbed feet. Baby platypuses suck milk, licking it from their mother's fur.

Marsupials

Kangaroos and koalas are marsupial mammals. Their cubs are born not fully formed and continue to develop in a special pouch on the mother’s stomach. Here the babies suckle and stay until they can take care of themselves.

1. A newborn baby kangaroo climbs into a pocket

2. In his pocket he sucks mother's milk

3. The cub is kept in the pocket until it becomes covered with fur and can take care of itself

Caring for offspring

Most mammals care for their young for some time after birth. Babies, like this cheetah's, are usually entirely dependent on their mother - she feeds and protects them. When the cubs grow up, the mother teaches them to hunt and avoid danger.

This material can be used to answer children's questions about animals, as well as about which animals are mammals. In elementary school, this material will be like a presentation on the topic of mammals. Children, having become familiar with this concept as mammals, presenting their presentation in class, will have to tell in their own words everything that they have learned. Therefore, do not forget to let your child not only read our article, but also retell what he remembers.

Animals or mammals are the most highly organized Developed nervous system, feeding their young with milk, viviparity, and warm-bloodedness allowed them to spread widely throughout the planet and occupy a wide variety of habitats. Mammals are animals that live in forests (wild boars, moose, hares, foxes, wolves), mountains (rams, steppes and semi-deserts (jerboas, hamsters, ground squirrels, saigas), soil (mole rats and moles), oceans and seas ( dolphins, whales). Some of them (for example, bats) spend a significant part of their active life in the air. Today, the existence of more than 4 thousand species of animals is known. Orders of mammals, as well as the characteristic features of animals - we will talk about all this in. in this article. Let's start with a description of their structure.

External structure

The body of these animals is covered with hair (even whales have its remains). There are coarse straight hairs (hair) and fine curly hairs (undercoat). The undercoat protects the hair from contamination and matting. The coat of mammals can consist only of awns (for example, in deer) or from undercoat (as in moles). These animals shed periodically. In mammals, this changes the thickness of the fur, and sometimes the color. The skin of animals contains hair follicles, sweat and sebaceous glands and their modifications (mammary and odorous glands), horny scales (as on the tail of beavers and rats), as well as other horny formations found on the skin (horns, hooves, nails, claws). Considering the structure of mammals, we note that their legs are located under the body and provide these animals with more advanced movement.

Skeleton

They have a highly developed braincase in their skull. In mammals, teeth are located in the cells of the jaws. They are usually divided into molars, canines and incisors. The cervical spine in almost all animals consists of seven vertebrae. They are movably connected to each other, except for the sacral and two caudal ones, which, fused, form the sacrum - a single bone. The ribs articulate with the thoracic vertebrae, which are usually from 12 to 15. In most mammals, the girdle of the forelimbs is formed by paired shoulder blades and clavicles. Only a small proportion of animals have preserved crow bones. The pelvis consists of two pelvic bones fused to the sacrum. The skeleton of the limbs is made of the same bones and sections as those of other representatives of four-legged vertebrates.

What sense organs do mammals have?

Mammals are animals that have ears that help them detect odors and also determine their direction. Their eyes have eyelids and eyelashes. On the limbs, belly, and head there are vibrissae - long, coarse hairs. With their help, animals sense even the slightest touch of objects.

Origin of mammals

Just like birds, mammals are descendants of ancient reptiles. This is evidenced by the similarity of modern animals with modern reptiles. It is especially evident in the early stages of embryonic development. An even greater number of similarities were found in them with wild-toothed lizards, which became extinct many years ago. Also, the relationship with reptiles is evidenced by the fact that there are animals that lay eggs containing many nutrients. Some of these animals have cloaca, developed crow bones and other signs indicating low organization. It's about about the primal beasts (oviparous). Let's tell you more about them.

Primordial beasts

This is a subclass of the most primitive mammals alive today. Along with the signs already mentioned, it should be noted that they do not have a constant body temperature. The mammary glands of primal beasts do not have nipples. The cubs, hatched from the eggs, lick the milk from the mother's fur.

In this subclass, one order is distinguished - Monotremes. It includes 2 species: the echidna and the platypus. These animals can today be found in Australia, as well as on the islands adjacent to it. The platypus is a medium-sized animal. He prefers to settle along the banks of rivers and leads here semi-aquatic image life. He spends most of his time in a hole he dug in a steep bank. In the spring, the female platypus lays eggs (usually two of them) in a special burrow equipped with a nesting chamber. Echidnas are burrowing animals. Their body is covered with hard hair and spines. The females of these animals lay one egg, which they place in a pouch, a fold of skin located on the abdomen. The baby hatched from it remains in the pouch until needles appear on its body.

Marsupials

The order Marsupials includes animals that give birth to underdeveloped young, after which they carry them to term in a special pouch. Their placenta is poorly developed or does not form at all. Marsupials are widespread mainly in Australia, as well as on the islands adjacent to it. The most famous of them are the marsupial and the giant kangaroo.

Insectivores

Insectivores are an order that unites ancient placental primitive animals: hedgehogs, shrews, moles, muskrats. They have an elongated muzzle and an elongated proboscis. Insectivores have small teeth and five-toed feet. Many of them have scent glands near the root of the tail or on the sides of the body.

Shrews are the smallest representatives of insectivores. They live in meadows, bushes, and dense forests. These animals are voracious and attack small animals. IN winter time they make passages under the snow and find insects.

Moles are animals that lead an underground lifestyle. They dig numerous holes with their front legs. The mole's eyes are poorly developed and appear as black dots. The ears are in their infancy. The short, thick coat does not have a specific direction and lies tightly to the body when moving. Moles are active all year round.

Chiroptera

The order Bats or Chiroptera includes animals of medium and small sizes that are capable of long flight. In the subtropics and tropics they are especially numerous. These type of teeth. The most common in our country are earflaps, leather boots, and vechnitsy. They settle in the attics of houses, in tree hollows, and in caves. During the day they prefer to sleep in their shelters, and at dusk they go out to catch insects.

Rodents

This order unites a third of the mammal species inhabiting our planet today. These include squirrels, gophers, rats, mice and other animals of medium and small size. Rodents for the most part are herbivorous animals. They have highly developed incisors (two in each jaw), molars with a flat chewing surface. Rodent incisors have no roots. They constantly grow, self-sharpen and wear off when eating food. Most rodents have a long intestine with a cecum. Rodents lead an arboreal lifestyle (dormouse, flying squirrels, squirrels), as well as a semi-aquatic (muskrat, nutria, beaver) and semi-subterranean (gophers, rats, mice). These are fertile animals. Most of them have cubs born blind and naked. This usually occurs in nests, hollows and burrows.

Lagomorpha

This order unites various pikas and pikas - animals that are similar in many ways to rodents. The main distinguishing feature of lagomorphs is their specific dental system. They have 2 small incisors behind the 2 large upper ones. Hares (hares, hare) feed on the bark of bushes and young trees, and grass. They come out to feed at dusk and at night. Their cubs are born sighted, with thick fur. Unlike hares, rabbits dig deep holes. Before giving birth to naked and blind cubs, the female makes a nest from the fluff that she pulls out of her chest, as well as from dry grass.

Predatory

Representatives of this order (bears, stoats, martens, lynxes, arctic foxes, foxes, wolves) usually feed on birds and other animals. The predatory mammal actively pursues its prey. The teeth of these animals are divided into incisors, molars and canines. The most developed are the canines, as well as 4 molars. Representatives of this order have a short intestine. This is due to the fact that the predatory mammal eats easily digestible and high-calorie food.

Pinnipeds

Let's move on to consider pinnipeds. Their representatives (walruses, seals) are large predatory marine mammals. The body of most of them is covered with sparse coarse hair. The limbs of these animals are modified into flippers. A thick layer of fat is deposited under their skin. The nostrils open only during inhalation and exhalation. When diving, the ear openings close.

Cetaceans

True marine mammals - whales and dolphins - are included in this order. Their body is fish-shaped. These marine mammals for the most part do not have hair on their bodies - they are preserved only around the mouth. The forelimbs have been transformed into flippers, but the hind limbs are missing. In the movement of cetaceans great value has a powerful tail that ends in a caudal fin. It is incorrect to say that marine mammals are fish. These are animals, although in appearance they resemble fish. Representatives of cetaceans are the most large mammals. The blue whale reaches a length of 30 meters.

Artiodactyls

This order includes medium-sized and large omnivorous and herbivorous animals. Their legs have 2 or 4 toes, most of them are covered with hooves. Based on the structural features of the stomach and methods of feeding, they are divided into non-ruminant and ruminant animals. The latter (rams, goats, deer) have incisors only on the lower jaw, and the molars have a wide chewing surface. Non-ruminants have a single-chamber stomach, and their teeth are divided into molars, canines and incisors.

Odd-toed ungulates

Let us continue to describe the orders of mammals. Even-toed ungulates are animals such as horses, zebras, donkeys, tapirs, and rhinoceroses. Most of them have developed toes on their feet, on which there are massive hooves. Today, only Przewalski's horse has survived.

Primates

These are the most highly developed mammals. The order includes prosimians and apes. They have grasping five-fingered limbs, with the thumb opposed to the rest. Almost all primates have a tail. The vast majority of them live in the subtropics and tropics. They inhabit mainly forests, where they live in small family groups or herds.

Mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians - all of them can be described for a very long time. We have only briefly described the animals and described the existing units. The mammal family is diverse and numerous, as you have just seen. We hope that getting to know him was useful to you.