The Mammals

photo from The Animal Diversity Web

Most of us are familiar with the term "Mammal". If asked, we could come up with a list of animals that belong to the class Mammalia and probably come up with a few characteristics that distinguish mammmals from other types of animals. In this investigation you will take a look at what thoses characteristics are and what groups of animals comprise the very diverse class we call mammals. You never know, you might be in for some surpirses.

What is a Mammal?

What exactly are the characteristics that separate mammals from other animals. To answer this question go to the Animal Diversity Web and find your way to the Mammalia page.

Now that you are familiar with the general characteristics of mammals, lets look at the three groups in a little more detail.

I. Go to the Hall of Mammals and start with the Monotremes.

  1. What is a monotreme?
  2. What are the representative monotreme species?
  3. What are the distinquishing characteristics of monotremes?
  4. Why are they classified with the mammals?
  5. Describe their place in the fossil record.

II. Go back to the main page and click on Marsupials

  1. What is a marsupial?
  2. What are the general characteristics of marsupials
  3. Why are they classified with the mammals?
  4. Are all marsupials found in Australia?
  5. Describe their place in the fossil record.
  6. What is convergent evolution and how does that relate to marsupials and placental mammals?

III. Now go back to the main page and click on Placental mammals

  1. What is a placental mammal?
  2. What is the scientific name for placental mammals?
  3. Describe their place in the fossil record.

Let's look at some of the placental mammals in more detail.

From the Placental mammal page click on the Systematics box. You will find yourself on a page with a web diagram showing the various orders of placental mammals. Not all of the sites have information, some have more than others. Do some exploring if you like and then follow this path.

IV. Go to the Artiodactyla site and answer these questions.

  1. What does Artiodactyla mean?
  2. What are some representative species?

V. Now using the links to the fossil record and systematics answer these questions.

  1. Trace the evolutionary development of the Artiodactyla
  2. Why was the Miocene so good for this group?
  3. Why do you think the smaller members of this group disappeared?

VI. Next take a look at the link to "The Case of the Irish Elk" found on the fossil record page.

  1. What is the significance of the Irish Elk to paleontologists?
  2. What is orthogenesis?
  3. What is the most likely explanation for the animals giant antlers.
  4. Who wrote this passage?

Let's look at another group that is realted to the Artiodactyla.You need to find your way back to the systematics web that showed the different orders of placental mammals.

VII. Follow the link to the Mesaxonia

  1. What animals are in this order?

VIII. From here go to the site on Perissodactyla.

  1. What does Perissodactyla mean?
  2. Who was Indricotherium?
  3. What is the quagga and what is its significance?
  4. Trace the evolutionary devolopment of this group.

Ok. One more set of links to explore at this site:The bats or Chiroptera. Not many people are as familiar with this mammal group as they are with others, and I am sure some are very happy with that. However, this is a nice site with good information and at least one of the bat facts might surprise you.

XI. Click on Chiroptera to begin.

  1. What does Chiroptera mean?
  2. What other group of mammals are bats thought to be related to? Was that surprising?

X. Go to the fossil record

  1. Trace the evolutionary development of this group.
  2. Why are there so few bat fossils?

XI. Go to systematics

  1. What are the two taxa and what are their general characteristics?
  2. What is symplesiomorphies and how is it used in this page?
  3. Look at the cladogram and describe how bats fit in with other mammmal groups.

XII. Finally, check out the morphology link. There is a very cool picture of a bat skeleton.

Go back to the Animal Diversity Web . On the Mammal page explore the rest of the mammal orders. Pick two that you found interesting and describe their member species and give a general description of each.

And now for something completely different

Check this site out: Strange Science. Do you recogonize any of the pictures? Give a general critique of this site using the skills that you have been developing over the quarter.