Mammals are the only living members of
Synapsida; this
clade, together with
Sauropsida (reptiles and birds), constitutes the larger
Amniota clade. Early synapsids are referred to as "
pelycosaurs". The more advanced
therapsids became dominant during the
Middle Permian. Mammals originated from
cynodonts, an advanced group of therapsids, during the Late
Triassic to Early
Jurassic. Modern mammalian achieved their modern diversity in the
Paleogene and
Neogene periods of the
Cenozoic era, after the
extinction of non-avian dinosaurs, and have been the
dominant terrestrial animal group from 66 million years ago to the present.
The basic mammalian body type is
quadruped, and most mammals use their four extremities for
terrestrial locomotion; but in some, the extremities are adapted for
life at sea, in
the air,
in trees,
underground, or
on two legs. Mammals range in size from the 30–40 mm (1.2–1.6 in)
bumblebee bat to the 30 m (98 ft)
blue whale—possibly the largest animal to have ever lived. Maximum lifespan varies from two years for the shrew to 211 years for the
bowhead whale. All modern mammals give birth to live young, except the five species of
monotremes, which are egg-laying mammals. The most species-rich group of mammals, the
infraclass called
placentals, have a
placenta, which enables the feeding of the fetus during
gestation.
Domestication of many types of mammals by humans played a major role in the
Neolithic Revolution, and resulted in
farming replacing
hunting and gathering as the primary source of food for humans. This led to a major restructuring of human societies from nomadic to sedentary, with more co-operation among larger and larger groups, and ultimately the development of the first
civilizations. Domesticated mammals provided, and continue to provide, power for transport and agriculture, as well as food (
meat and
dairy products),
fur, and
leather. Mammals are also
hunted and raced for sport, kept as
pets and
working animals of various types, and are used as
model organisms in science. Mammals have been depicted in
art since
Paleolithic times, and appear in literature, film, mythology, and religion. Decline in numbers and
extinction of many mammals is primarily driven by human
poaching and
habitat destruction, primarily
deforestation. (Full article...)
The Sumatran Rhinoceros (Dicerorhinus sumatrensis) is a
species of the family
Rhinocerotidae, and one of five extant
rhinoceri. It is the smallest rhinoceros, standing about 120–145 centimetres (3.9–4.8 ft) high at the shoulder, with a body length of 250 centimetres (98 in) and weight of 500–800
kilograms (1100–1760 lb). Like its
African counterparts, the
black and
white rhinoceri, it has two horns; the larger is the nasal horn, typically 15–25 centimetres (6–10 in), while the other is typically a stub. A coat of reddish-brown hair covers most of the rhino's body. Members of the species once ranged throughout
rainforests,
swamps and
cloud forests in
India,
Bhutan,
Bangladesh,
Myanmar,
Laos,
Thailand,
Malaysia, and
Indonesia. They are now
critically endangered, with only six substantial populations in the wild: four on
Sumatra, one on
Borneo, and one on
peninsular Malaysia. Their numbers are difficult to determine because they are solitary animals that are widely scattered across their range, but they are estimated to number around just 300. The decline in the number of Sumatran rhinoceri is attributed primarily to
poaching for their
ivory horns, which are highly valued in
traditional Chinese medicine, fetching as much as
US$30,000 per kilogram on the
black market. The rhinos have also suffered from habitat loss as their forests have been cleared for
lumber and conversion to
agriculture.
...from its discovery by
John Edward Gray in 1850 until a re-assessment in 1981, the Clymene Dolphin was regarded as sub-species of the Spinner Dolphin.
...the Australian Snubfin Dolphin (Orcaella heinsohni) is a recently recognised species of dolphin first described in 2005.
The Eastern Barred Bandicoot (Perameles gunni) is a small, rabbit-sized
marsupial native to Australia and Tasmania. It weighs less than 1 kg (2.2 lb) and has a short tail and three to four whitish bars across the rump. It is classified as
Near Threatened, with one subspecies listed as
Critically Endangered.
A female Siberian tiger (Panthera tigris altaica), a
subspecies of
tiger native to
Central Asia, and her cub. The Siberian tiger is the largest of the extant tiger subspecies as well as the largest
felid, attaining 320 kg (710 lb) in an exceptional specimen. Considered an
endangered subspecies, the wild population is down to several hundred individuals and is limited to eastern
Siberia.
Close-up of a juvenile Southern Elephant Seal (Mirounga leonina), showing face and mouth detail. This species of
elephant seal is not only the most massive
pinniped, but also the largest member of the order
Carnivora living today. It is found throughout the
subantarctic region.
The Indian Palm Squirrel (Funambulus palmarum) is a
squirrel native to
India and
Sri Lanka. It is relatively small, about the size of a
rat, with three white stripes on its back from head to tail. According to
Hindu legend,
Lord Rama was so pleased with a squirrel's help in the construction of a bridge at
Rameswaram that he stroked the squirrel's back and his fingers left their mark in the form of stripes.
The greater kudu (Tragelaphus strepsiceros) is a species of woodland
antelope in the genus Tragelaphus found throughout eastern and southern Africa. Despite occupying widespread
territory, they are sparsely populated in most areas due to declining habitat, deforestation and poaching. The greater kudu is one of two species commonly known as
kudu, the other being the
lesser kudu, T. imberbis. Greater kudus have a narrow body with long legs, and their coats can range from brown or bluish grey to reddish brown. They possess between four and twelve vertical white stripes along their torso. The head tends to be darker in colour than the rest of the body, and exhibits a small white chevron running between the eyes. The
helical horns of adult males grow as the animal ages, reaching '"`UNIQ--templatestyles-0000000D-QINU`"' 2+1⁄2 rotations at about 6 years old.
This picture shows a greater kudu bull photographed near Groot Okevi in
Etosha National Park, Namibia. Bulls weigh 190–270 kg (420–600 lb), up to a maximum of 315 kg (690 lb), and stand up to 160 cm (63 in) tall at the shoulder.
The meerkat (Suricata suricatta) is a small member of the
mongoose family native to the
Kalahari Desert of southern
Africa. They are
social animals, living underground in
groups of 20 to 50 members. Although the name means "lake cat" in
Dutch, meerkats are not
cats, nor are they attracted to
lakes.
The
cat is a small
felinecarnivorousmammal that has been
domesticated for several millennia. A male cat is usually called a tom cat, a female cat is called a queen. A young cat is called a kitten (as are baby rats, rabbits, hedgehogs and squirrels).
The Zanzibar red colobus (Procolobus kirkii) is a species of
red colobus monkey endemic to
Unguja, the main island of the
Zanzibar Archipelago. Brought to attention of Western science by
Sir John Kirk, this colobus was first described by
John Edward Gray in 1868. It is now considered an endangered species, and extensive conservation efforts have been undertaken since the mid-1990s.
The jaw of Ambondro mahabo, seen in lingual view (from the side of the tongue). The scale bar is 1 mm (0.039 in) long. This
mammal species is known only from this fragmentary
lower jaw with three teeth, interpreted as the last
premolar and the first two
molars. It is the oldest known mammal with putatively
tribosphenic teeth.
A lioness in Ishasha Southern sector of
Queen Elizabeth National Park,
Uganda. Ishasha lions are famed for tree climbing, a trait only shared with lions in the
Lake Manyara region. They often spend the hottest parts of the day in the large
fig trees found throughout the area. It is still unclear why so few lions exhibit this behavior.
A giraffe extending its tongue to feed. Its tongue, lips and palate are tough enough to deal with sharp thorns in trees. Giraffes prefer trees of the genera Acacia, Commiphora and Terminalia. A giraffe requires less food than typical
grazing animals, typically consuming 65 pounds (29 kg) of leaves and twigs daily, because the foliage it eats has more concentrated nutrition and it has a more efficient
digestive system.
This is a list of recognized content, updated weekly by
JL-Bot (
talk·contribs) (typically on Saturdays). There is no need to edit the list yourself. If an article is missing from the list, make sure it is
tagged (e.g. {{
WikiProject Mammals}}) or
categorized correctly and wait for the next update. See
WP:RECOG for configuration options.
A complete list of scientific WikiProjects can be found
here. See also
Wikispecies, a Wikimedia project dedicated to classification of biological species.