Quite difficult: different scientists have their own views on which animals belong to a particular order, superorder, clade, group, and all other complex terms that biologists use when unraveling the branches of the tree of life. To simplify the classification a bit, in this article you will discover alphabetical list and the characteristics of the orders of mammals, with which most scientists agree.

Afrosoricidae and insectivores

The order of mammals formerly known as insectivores ( insectivora), has undergone major changes in Lately, dividing into two new orders: insectivores ( Eulipotyphia) and afrosoricides ( Afrosoricida). In the last category are two very obscure creatures: bristly hedgehogs from South Africa and golden moles from Africa and Madagascar.

common tenrec

To the squad Eulipotyphia includes hedgehogs, flint-toothed, shrews and moles. All members of this order (and most afrosoricides) are tiny, narrow-nosed, insectivorous animals whose bodies are covered with thick fur or spines.

Armadillos and edentulous

Nine-banded armadillo

The ancestors of armadillos and edentulous first arose in South America about 60 million years ago. Animals from these orders are characterized unusual shape vertebrae. Sloths, armadillos and anteaters, which belong to the superorder edentulous ( Xenarthra) have the most sluggish metabolism of any other mammal in existence. Males have internal testicles.

Today, these animals are on the edge of the mammal class, but at the time, they were among the most large organisms on Earth, as evidenced by the five-ton prehistoric sloth Megatherium, as well as the two-ton prehistoric armadillo Glyptodon.

rodents

spiny mouse

The most numerous order of mammals, consisting of more than 2000 species, includes squirrels, dormice, mice, rats, gerbils, beavers, ground squirrels, kangaroo jumpers, porcupines, striders and many others. All of these tiny, furry animals have teeth: one pair of incisors in the upper and lower jaws? and a large gap (called a diastema) located between the incisors and molars. The incisors grow continuously and are constantly used to grind food.

hyraxes

Daman Bruce

Hyraxes are fat, short-legged, herbivorous mammals that look a bit like a hybrid of a domestic cat and a rabbit. There are four (according to some sources, five) types of hyraxes: tree hyrax, western hyrax, Cape hyrax and Bruce's hyrax, all of which come from Africa and the Middle East.

One of the strangest features of hyraxes is their relative lack of internal temperature regulation; they are warm-blooded, like all mammals, but at night they gather in groups to keep warm, and during the day they warm up in the sun for a long time, like reptiles.

Lagomorphs

Even after centuries of study, scientists are still not sure what to do with hares, rabbits and pikas. These small mammals look like rodents, but have some important differences: Lagomorphs have four, not two, incisors in the upper jaw, and they are also strict vegetarians, while mice, rats and other rodents, as a rule,.

Lagomorphs can be identified by their short tails, long ears, slit-like nostrils, which they can close, and (in some species) have a pronounced tendency to move around by jumping.

Caguana

Malayan woolly wing

Never heard of kaguans? And this wave is possible, because on our planet there are only two living species of woolly wings that live in the dense jungle South-East Asia. Kaguanas have a wide skin membrane that connects all the limbs, tail and neck, which allows them to glide from one tree to another, at a distance of about 60 m.

Ironically, molecular analysis has shown that caguanas are the closest living relatives of our own order of mammals, the primates, but their parenting behavior is most similar to marsupials!

cetaceans

A detachment of almost a hundred species and divided into two main suborders: toothed whales (including sperm whales, beak-winged, killer whales, as well as dolphins and porpoises) and baleen whales(smooth, gray, pygmy and striped whales).

These mammals are characterized by their flipper-like forelimbs, reduced hind limbs, streamlined bodies, and a massive head that extends into a "beak". The blood of cetaceans is unusually rich in hemoglobin, and this adaptation allows them to stay submerged for long periods of time.

Odd-toed ungulates

Compared to their equivalent artiodactyl cousins, they are a rare order consisting exclusively of horses, zebras, rhinos and tapirs - only about 20 species. They have a characteristic odd number of fingers, as well as a very long intestine and a single-chamber stomach containing specialized ones that help digest tough vegetation. Oddly enough, according to molecular analysis, equid mammals may be more closely related to carnivores (predator order) than to artiodactyl mammals.

Monotreme or oviparous

These are the most bizarre mammals on our planet. Two families belong to: platypus and echidna. The females of these, and do not give birth to live young. Monotremes are also equipped with cloacae (one hole for urination, defecation and reproduction), they are completely toothless and have electroreceptors, thanks to which they can sense weak electrical signals from afar. Scientists believe that monotremes from an ancestor living in, which preceded the split of the placental and marsupials hence their uniqueness.

Pangolins

steppe lizard

Also known as pangolins, pangolins have large, horny, diamond-shaped scales (composed of keratin, the same protein found in human hair) that overlap and cover their bodies. When threatened by predators, these creatures curl into tight balls, and if threatened, they exude a foul-smelling liquid from their anal glands. Pangolins are native to Africa and Asia, and are almost never found in the Western Hemisphere except in zoos.

artiodactyls

Mountain goat

These are placental mammals that have developed third and fourth fingers, covered with a thick horny hoof. Artiodactyls include fauna such as cows, goats, deer, sheep, antelopes, camels, llamas, pigs, and about 200 species worldwide. Almost all artiodactyls are herbivorous (with the exception of omnivorous pigs and peccaries); some members of the order, like cows, goats and sheep, are ruminants (mammals equipped with additional stomachs).

Primates

pygmy marmoset

It includes about 400 species and in many respects its representatives can be considered the most "advanced" mammals on the planet, especially in terms of the size of their brains. Non-human primates often form complex social units and are capable of using tools, and some species have dexterous hands and prehensile tails. There is no single feature that defines all primates as a group, but these mammals have common features such as binocular vision, hairline, five-fingered limbs, fingernails, developed cerebral hemispheres, etc.

jumpers

short-eared jumper

Jumpers are small, long-nosed, insectivorous mammals native to Africa. Currently, there are about 16 species of jumpers, which are grouped into 4 genera, such as: proboscis dogs, forest jumpers, long-eared jumpers and short-eared jumpers. The classification of these small mammals was the subject of discussion; in the past, they have been presented as close relatives of mammalian ungulates, lagomorphs, insectivores, and arboreal shrews (recent molecular evidence indicates a relationship with elephants).

Bats

Spectacled flying fox

Members of the order are the only mammals that are able to actively fly. The order Chiroptera includes about a thousand species, divided into two main suborders: Megachiroptera(winged) and Microchiroptera(the bats).

fruit bats also known as flying foxes, have a large body size relative to bats, and eat only fruits; bats are much smaller and their diets are more varied, ranging from pasture blood, insects to flower nectar. Most bats, and very few fruit bats, have the ability to echolocate - that is, they pick up high-frequency sound waves from environment to navigate in dark caves and tunnels.

Sirens

The semi-marine mammals known as pinnipeds (including seals, sea lions and walruses) belong to the carnivore order (see below), but dugongs and manatees belong to their own siren order. The name of this unit is associated with the sirens from Greek mythology. Apparently starving Greek sailors mistook dugongs for mermaids!

Sirens are characterized by their lobed tails, almost vestigial hind limbs, and muscular forelimbs, thanks to which they control their bodies underwater. Modern dugongs and manatees have a small body size, however, representatives of a recently extinct family sea ​​cows may have weighed up to 10 tons.

marsupials

An infraclass of mammals that, unlike placental mammals, do not carry their young in the womb, but incubate them in specialized pouches after an extremely short interval of internal gestation. Everyone is familiar with kangaroos, koalas and wombats, but opossums are also marsupials, and for millions of years the largest marsupials on Earth lived in South America.

In Australia, marsupials have managed to displace placental mammals for most of the year, with the only exceptions being jerboas that made their way from Southeast Asia, as well as dogs, cats, and livestock introduced to the continent by European settlers.

Aardvarks

Aardvark

The aardvark is the only living species in the order Aardvark. This mammal is characterized by its long snout, arched back and coarse coat, and its diet consists mainly of ants and termites, which it obtains by tearing open insect nests with its long claws.

Aardvarks live in forests and grasslands south of the Sahara, their range extends from southern Egypt to the Cape of Good Hope, in the south of the continent. The closest living relatives of the aardvark are artiodactyls and (somewhat surprisingly) whales!

Tupai

indonesian tupaya

This order includes 20 species of tupai, which are native to rainforest South-East Asia. Representatives of this order are omnivores, and consume everything from insects to small animals, and flowers such as. Ironically, they have the highest brain-to-body ratio of any living mammal (including humans).

Predatory

and domestic cats), but also hyenas, civets and mongooses.

Canids include dogs, wolves, as well as bears, raccoons, and a variety of other carnivores, including seals, sea lions, and walruses. As you may have guessed, carnivores are characterized by sharp teeth and claws; they also possess at least four toes on each foot.

proboscis

bush elephant

You may be surprised to learn that all the worlds from the order are divided into only three species (or two according to some sources): the African bush elephant, the African forest elephant and the Indian elephant.

Mammals are the most highly organized class of vertebrates. They are characterized by highly developed nervous system(due to an increase in the volume of the cerebral hemispheres and the formation of the cortex); relatively constant body temperature; four-chambered heart; the presence of a diaphragm - a muscular partition separating the abdominal and chest cavities; development of cubs in the mother's body and breastfeeding (see Fig. 85). The body of mammals is often covered with hair. The mammary glands appear as modified sweat glands. The teeth of mammals are peculiar. They are differentiated, their number, form and function differ significantly in different groups and serve as a systematic feature.

The body is divided into head, neck and torso. Many have a tail. Animals have the most perfect skeleton, the basis of which is the spinal column. It is subdivided into 7 cervical, 12 thoracic, 6 lumbar, 3-4 sacral fused and caudal vertebrae, the number of the latter is different. Mammals have well-developed sense organs: smell, touch, sight, hearing. There is an auricle. The eyes are protected by two eyelids with eyelashes.

With the exception of oviparous, all mammals carry their young in uterus- a special muscular organ. Cubs are born alive and fed with milk. The offspring of mammals are more in need of further care than those of other animals.

All of these features allowed mammals to gain a dominant position in the animal kingdom. They are found all over the globe.

The appearance of mammals is very diverse and is determined by the habitat: aquatic animals have a streamlined body shape, flippers or fins; land dwellers - well-developed limbs, dense body. Inhabitants air environment the front pair of limbs is transformed into wings. A highly developed nervous system allows mammals to better adapt to environmental conditions, contributes to the development of numerous conditioned reflexes.

The mammalian class is divided into three subclasses: oviparous, marsupials, and placentals.



1. Oviparous, or first animals. These animals are the most primitive mammals. Unlike other representatives of this class, they lay eggs, but they feed their young with milk (Fig. 90). They have preserved a cloaca - a part of the intestine, where three systems open - digestive, excretory and sexual. Therefore they are also called single pass. In other animals, these systems are separated. Oviparous are found only in Australia. These include only four species: echidnas (three species) and platypus.

2. Marsupials more highly organized, but they are also characterized by primitive features (see Fig. 90). They give birth to live, but underdeveloped cubs, practically embryos. These tiny cubs crawl into the pouch on the mother's belly, where, feeding on her milk, they complete their development.

Rice. 90. Mammals: oviparous: 1 - echidna; 2 - platypus; marsupials: 3 - opossum; 4 - koala; 5 - dwarf marsupial squirrel; 6 - kangaroo; 7 - marsupial wolf

Kangaroos, marsupial mice, squirrels, anteaters (nambats), marsupial bears (koala), badgers (wombats) live in Australia. The most primitive marsupials live in Central and South America. This is an opossum, a marsupial wolf.

3. Placental animals have a well developed placenta- an organ that attaches to the wall of the uterus and performs the function of exchanging nutrients and oxygen between the mother's body and the embryo.

Placental mammals are divided into 16 orders. These include insectivores, bats, rodents, lagomorphs, carnivores, pinnipeds, cetaceans, ungulates, proboscis, primates.

Insectivores mammals, which include moles, shrews, hedgehogs, and others, are considered the most primitive among placentals (Fig. 91). They are quite small animals. The number of teeth they have is from 26 to 44, the teeth are undifferentiated.

Bats- the only flying animals among animals. They are mainly crepuscular and nocturnal animals that feed on insects. These include fruit bats, bats, evenings, vampires. Vampires are bloodsuckers, they feed on the blood of other animals. The bats have echolocation. Although their eyesight is poor, due to their well-developed hearing, they pick up the echo from their own squeak, reflected from objects.

rodents- the most numerous detachment among mammals (about 40% of all animal species). These are rats, mice, squirrels, ground squirrels, marmots, beavers, hamsters and many others (see Fig. 91). characteristic feature rodents are well-developed incisors. They do not have roots, grow all their lives, grind down, there are no fangs. All rodents are herbivores.

Rice. 91. Mammals: insectivores: 1 - shrew; 2 - mole; 3 - tupaya; rodents: 4 - jerboa, 5 - marmot, 6 - nutria; lagomorphs: 7 - hare, 8 - chinchilla

Close to rodents detachment lagomorphs(see fig. 91). They have a similar structure of teeth, and also eat plant foods. These include hares and rabbits.

To the squad predatory belongs to more than 240 animal species (Fig. 92). Their incisors are poorly developed, but there are powerful fangs and predatory teeth used to tear apart the meat of animals. Predators feed on animal and mixed food. The detachment is divided into several families: canine (dog, wolf, fox), bear ( polar bear, Brown bear), feline (cat, tiger, lynx, lion, cheetah, panther), mustelids (marten, mink, sable, ferret), etc. Some predators are characterized by hibernation(the Bears).

pinnipeds are also carnivores. They have adapted to life in the water and have specific features: streamlined body, limbs turned into flippers. The teeth are poorly developed, with the exception of the fangs, so they only grab food and swallow it without chewing. They are excellent swimmers and divers. They feed mainly on fish. They breed on land, along the shores of the seas or on ice floes. The order includes seals, walruses, fur seals, sea lions, etc. (see Fig. 92).


Rice. 92. Mammals: carnivores: 1 - sable; 2 - jackal; 3 - lynx; 4 - black bear; pinnipeds: 5 - harp seal; 6 - walrus; ungulates: 7 - horse; 8 - hippopotamus; 9 - reindeer; primates: 10 - marmoset; 11 - gorilla; 12 - baboon

To the squad cetaceans the inhabitants of the waters also belong, but, unlike the pinnipeds, they never go to land and give birth to their young in the water. Their limbs have turned into fins, and in the shape of the body they resemble fish. These animals mastered the water for the second time, and in connection with this, they developed many features characteristic of aquatic life. However, the main features of the class have been preserved. They breathe atmospheric oxygen through their lungs. Cetaceans include whales and dolphins. The blue whale is the largest of all modern animals (length 30 m, weight up to 150 tons).

Ungulates subdivided into two orders: equine and artiodactyl.

1. TO equids include horses, tapirs, rhinos, zebras, donkeys. Their hooves are modified middle fingers, the remaining fingers are reduced to varying degrees in various kinds. Ungulates have well-developed molars, as they feed on plant foods, chewing and grinding it.

2. At artiodactyls the third and fourth fingers are well developed, turned into hooves, which account for the entire body weight. These are giraffes, deer, cows, goats, sheep. Many of them are ruminants and have a complex stomach.

To the squad proboscis belong to the largest of land animals - elephants. They live only in Africa and Asia. The trunk is an elongated nose, fused with the upper lip. Elephants do not have fangs, but powerful incisors have turned into tusks. In addition, they have well-developed molars that grind plant food. These teeth change in elephants 6 times during their lives. Elephants are very voracious. One elephant can eat up to 200 kg of hay per day.

Primates combine up to 190 species (see Fig. 92). All representatives are characterized by a five-fingered limb, grasping hands, nails instead of claws. The eyes are directed forward (primates have a developed binocular vision). These are inhabitants of tropical and subtropical forests, leading both arboreal and terrestrial lifestyles. They feed on plant and animal food. The dental apparatus is more complete and differentiated into incisors, canines, molars.

There are two groups: semi-monkeys and monkeys.

1. TO semi-monkeys include lemurs, loris, tarsiers.

2. Monkeys subdivided into broad-nosed(marmosets, howler monkeys, coatats) and narrow-nosed(macaques, monkeys, baboons, hamadryas). To the group higher narrow-nosed great apes include gibbon, chimpanzee, gorilla, orangutan. Humans also belong to primates.

BASICS OF ECOLOGY

Mammals are warm-blooded vertebrates. Their heart is four-chambered. Skin with big amount glands. Developed hairline. Cubs are fed with milk, which is produced in the mammary glands of the female. The central nervous system is highly developed. Mammals inhabit land, seas and fresh water. All of them descended from terrestrial ancestors. More than 4000 species are known.

Most mammals are quadrupeds. The body of these animals is raised high above the ground. The limbs have the same sections as the limbs of amphibians and reptiles, but are located not on the sides of the body, but under it. Such structural features contribute to a more perfect movement on land. Mammals have a well-defined neck. The tail is usually small and. sharply separated from the body. The body is covered with hair. Hair on the body is not uniform. Distinguish between undercoat (protects the body from cooling) and awn (does not allow the undercoat to fall off, protects it from pollution). The molt inherent in mammals is expressed in the loss of old hair and its replacement with new ones. Most animals have two molts during the year - in spring and autumn. Hair is made up of horny matter. Horny formations are nails, claws, hooves. The skin of mammals is elastic and contains sebaceous, sweat, milk and other glands. The secretions of the sebaceous glands lubricate the skin and hair, making them elastic and non-wettable. Sweat glands secrete sweat, the evaporation of which from the surface of the body protects the body from overheating. The mammary glands are present only in females and function during the period of feeding the cubs.

Most mammals have five-fingered limbs. However, in connection with adaptation to movement in different environments, changes in their structure are observed. For example, in whales and dolphins, the forelimbs have changed into flippers, in bats - into wings, and in moles they look like spatulas.

The mouth of mammals is surrounded by fleshy lips. The teeth located in the mouth serve not only to hold prey, but also to grind food, and therefore they are differentiated into incisors, canines and molars. The teeth have roots which they are fixed in the sockets of the jaws. Above the mouth is a nose with a pair of external nasal openings - nostrils. The eyes have well developed eyelids. The nictitating membrane (third eyelid) is underdeveloped in mammals. Of all animals, only mammals have an outer ear - the auricle.

The skeleton of mammals is similar to that of reptiles and consists of the same sections. However, there are also some differences. For example, the skull in mammals is larger than in reptiles, which is associated with large sizes brain. Mammals are characterized by the presence of seven cervical vertebrae (38). The thoracic vertebrae (usually 12-15 of them), together with the ribs and sternum, form a strong chest. Massive lumbar vertebrae are movably articulated with each other. The number of lumbar vertebrae can be from 2 to 9. The sacral region (3-4 vertebrae) fuses with the bones of the pelvis. The number of vertebrae of the caudal region varies considerably and can be from 3 to 49. The belt of the forelimbs of mammals consists of two shoulder blades with crow bones attached to them and two clavicles. The belt of the hind limbs - the pelvis - is formed by three pairs of usually fused pelvic bones. The skeletons of the limbs of mammals are similar to those of reptiles. Most mammals have well developed muscles of the back, limbs and their belts.

Digestive system.

Almost all mammals bite off food with their teeth and chew it. At the same time, the food mass is abundantly moistened with saliva secreted into the oral cavity. salivary glands. Here, along with grinding, digestion of food begins. The stomach in most mammals is single-chambered. In its walls are glands that secrete gastric juice. The intestine is divided into small, large and rectum. In the intestines of mammals, as well as in reptiles, the food mass is exposed to the action of digestive juices secreted by the intestinal glands, liver and pancreas. The remains of undigested food are removed from the rectum through the anus.

In all animals, the chest cavity is separated from the abdominal cavity by a muscular septum - the diaphragm. It protrudes into the chest cavity with a wide dome and is adjacent to the lungs.

Breath.

Mammals breathe atmospheric air. respiratory system constitute nasal cavity, larynx, trachea, lungs, characterized by a large branching of the bronchi, which end in numerous alveoli (pulmonary vesicles), braided with a network of capillaries. Inhalation and exhalation are carried out by contraction and relaxation of the intercostal muscles and the diaphragm.

Circulatory system. Like birds, the mammalian heart consists of four chambers: two atria and two ventricles. Arterial blood does not mix with venous blood. Blood flows through the body in two circles of blood circulation. The mammalian heart provides intensive blood flow and supply of body tissues with oxygen and nutrients, as well as the release of tissue cells from decay products.

The excretory organs of mammals are the kidneys and skin. A pair of bean-shaped buds is located in abdominal cavity on the sides of the lumbar vertebrae. The resulting urine passes through the two ureters to the bladder, and from there through the urethra is periodically brought out. Sweat released from the sweat glands of the skin also removes a small amount of salt from the body.

Metabolism. A more perfect structure of the digestive organs, lungs, heart and others ensures a high level of metabolism in animals. Due to this, the body temperature of mammals is constant and high (37-38°C).

The nervous system has a structure characteristic of all vertebrates. Mammals have a well-developed cerebral cortex. Its surface is significantly increased due to the formation a large number folds - convolutions. In addition to the forebrain, the cerebellum is well developed in mammals.

Sense organs. Mammals have well-developed sense organs: olfactory, auditory, visual, tactile and gustatory. The organs of vision are better developed in animals living in open areas. Animals living in the forest have better developed organs of smell and hearing. The organs of touch - tactile hairs - are located on upper lip, cheeks, above the eyes.

Reproduction and development of mammals. Mammals are dioecious animals. In the reproductive organs of the female - the ovaries - eggs develop, in the reproductive organs of the male - testicles - spermatozoa. Fertilization in mammals is internal. Mature cells enter the paired oviduct, where they are fertilized. Both oviducts open into a special organ of the female reproductive system - the uterus, which only mammals have. The uterus is a muscular bag, the walls of which are capable of greatly stretching. The ovum that has begun to divide is attached to the wall of the uterus, and all further development of the fetus occurs in this organ. In the uterus, the shell of the embryo is in close contact with its wall. At the point of contact, a child's place, or placenta, is formed. The fetus is connected to the placenta by the umbilical cord, inside which its blood vessels pass. In the placenta through the walls of blood vessels from the mother's blood into the blood of the embryo enter nutrients and oxygen, and carbon dioxide and other waste products harmful to the embryo are removed. The duration of the development of the embryo in the uterus in different mammals is different (from several days to 1.5 years). At a certain stage, the embryo of mammals has the rudiments of gills and, in many other ways, is similar to the embryos of amphibians and reptiles.

Mammals have a well-developed instinct for caring for offspring. Female mothers feed their cubs with milk, warm them with their bodies, protect them from enemies, and teach them to look for food. Care for offspring is especially strongly developed in mammals, whose cubs are born helpless (for example, a dog, a cat).

Origin of mammals.

The similarity of modern mammals with reptiles, especially on early stages embryonic development, indicates the close relationship of these groups of animals and suggests that mammals are descended from ancient reptiles (39). In addition, even now in Australia and on the islands adjacent to it live oviparous mammals, which, in their structure and characteristics of reproduction, occupy an intermediate position between reptiles and mammals. These include representatives detachment of oviparous, or the first animals, the platypus and the echidna.

When breeding, they lay eggs covered with a strong shell that protects the contents of the egg from drying out. The female platypus lays 1-2 eggs in a burrow, which she then incubates. Echidna bears a single egg in a special bag, representing a fold of skin on the ventral side of the body. The hatchlings that hatch from the egg are fed with milk.

Order Marsupials. These include kangaroo, marsupial wolf, marsupial bear koala, marsupial anteaters. In marsupials, unlike the first animals, the development of the embryo occurs in the mother's body, in the uterus. But there is no placenta, or placenta, and therefore the cub does not stay in the mother's body for long (for example, in a kangaroo). The cub is born underdeveloped. Its further development occurs in a special fold of skin on the mother's abdomen - a bag. First animals and marsupials are an ancient group of mammals, widespread in the past.

The importance of mammals and the protection of useful animals.

The importance of mammals for humans is very diverse. Certainly harmful include many rodents that are harmful cultivated plants and destroying food supplies. These animals are also distributors dangerous diseases person. Known harm to the human economy is caused by some predatory mammals(in our country - a wolf), attacking livestock.

The benefits of wild mammals are in obtaining valuable meat, skin and fur from them, and also fat from sea animals. In the USSR, the main game animals are squirrel, sable, muskrat, fox, arctic fox, and mole.

In order to enrich the fauna (fauna is called species composition animal world of any country or region) in our country are constantly taking measures for acclimatization (introduction from other regions or countries) and resettlement of useful animals.

In the USSR, under the protection of the law are many species of mammals, the hunting of which is completely prohibited.

The main orders of placental mammals:

Detachments

Characteristic signs of units

Representatives

Insectivores

The teeth are of the same type, sharply tuberculate. The anterior end of the head is extended into a proboscis. The cerebral cortex is devoid of convolutions

Mole, hedgehog, desman

Bats

The forelimbs are transformed into wings (formed by leathery membranes). Bones thin and light (adaptation for flight)

Ushan, red evening

The incisors are strongly developed, there are no fangs. Reproduce very quickly

Squirrel, beaver, mouse, chipmunk

Lagomorphs

The structure of the teeth are similar to rodents. In contrast, they have two pairs of incisors, one of which is located behind the other.

Hares, rabbit

They feed mainly on live food. Strongly developed fangs and carnivorous teeth

wolf, fox, bear

pinnipeds

Most of their lives are spent in water. Both pairs of limbs are converted into flippers

Walrus, seal, cat

cetaceans

They live in water. The forelimbs are transformed into flippers, the hind limbs are reduced

Mammals, considered the most developed animals (including humans as a species), are so named because they have mammary glands that allow females to feed their cubs with their own milk.

Mammals have larger and more developed brains than other animals. Some of them are endowed with amazing abilities and a kind of intelligence, such as primates (chimpanzees) and cetaceans (dolphin). In most mammals, the body is covered with hair. With the exception of man, who walks on two legs, mammals usually move with the help of four limbs, which in different zoological species have different shape(hand, hoof, webbed foot, fin), but always with fingers (from one to five). And finally, almost everyone has teeth.

The class of currently existing mammals includes about 4200 species, extremely diverse in appearance and your behavior. Some animals are very tiny, others are real giants. Some are thriving and ubiquitous, while others are endangered. And although most of them, so to speak, are terrestrial creatures, there are also amphibians (beavers, otters, platypuses), and inhabitants of the sea (whales, dolphins), and some can even fly through the air, like birds (bats).

Mammals are divided into three large groups depending on how they produce offspring: cloacal (first animals), marsupials and placental. It is to the latter that man belongs. The most amazing animals are cloacal, or monotremes: they reproduce by laying large eggs, which then incubate (oviparous reproduction). Egg-laying animals are very few in number. They are represented by only two families living in Australia, Tasmania and New Guinea: echidna and platypus.

In marsupials, the young are born underdeveloped and complete their development in the mother's brood abdominal pouch. They are divided into two groups: one lives in Australia 1 kangaroo), and the other - in South America (possum). As for placental mammals, whose cubs are born fully developed, they are the most. There are several orders: carnivores, insectivores, rodents, ungulates, edentulous, cetaceans, primates.

interesting similarity

Mammals living on different continents are sometimes strikingly similar. Large South American rodents (capybara, agouti, mara, paca) resemble the pygmy hippopotamus or water deer - the inhabitants of Africa. The American feline, the jaguarundi, is very similar to the giant civet cat from Madagascar. It's about about the so-called phenomenon of convergence: animals belonging to different groups, but living in similar conditions, acquire a certain similarity.

Pangolin - dl. from 80 cm to 1.5 m

Flying monkey - dl. 40 cm

Seal - dl. from 1.5 to 4 m

Platypus - dl. 40 cm, tail - 12 cm

Dolphin - dl. from 2 to 4 m

Gorilla - standing height 1.8 m

Elephant - dl. from 2 to 4 m

Lemur - dl. 50cm tail 50cm

Chimpanzee - standing height 1.4 m

Kangaroo - dl. up to 1.5 m, tail up to 1 m

Dwarf bat - dl. 4.5 cm, tail 3 cm, r.k. 20 cm

Bison - dl. 2.6 m, tail 70 cm, c. 1.2 m

Wild boar - dl. from 1.2 to 1.6 m, c. 60 cm to 1 m

Fox - length 70 cm, tail 45 cm

Hedgehog - length. 25 cm

Giraffe - common c. - 5.5 m, tail 80 cm

Camel - common c. 2 m

Leo - dl. 1.7 m, tail 80 cm

Hippo - dl. 4m, tail 40 cm, c. 1.5 m

The most successful group in the animal kingdom are the mammals. In this article, we will briefly talk about the features of these animals, clarify which orders belong to mammals, and determine their habitats.

Features of mammals

This class of vertebrates belongs to the superclass of tetrapods, in which there are about 5.5 thousand species, including Homo sapiens. The main feature of the representatives of the "Mammals" group is the feeding of cubs with milk.
In addition, there are the following signs:

  • warm-bloodedness;
  • live birth;
  • the body is covered with hair, sweat and sebaceous glands, horn formations are developed;
  • the skull has a zygomatic arch;
  • the spine is clearly divided into five sections;
  • vertebrae of the platelet type;
  • subcutaneous muscles are highly developed, there is a diaphragm;
  • the nervous system is highly developed, which allows you to quickly respond to stimuli from the external environment;
  • special structure of the organ of hearing;
  • the lungs have an alveolar structure;
  • four-chambered heart, blood circulation is divided into two circles;
  • unique structure of jaws and teeth.

The physiology of mammals is not very different from other four-legged representatives, but due to high development some organ systems, this class is considered the highest highly organized among animals.

The Latin name of this class - Mammalia, has become derived from the Latin "mamma" - breast, udder. Russian word"mammals" means - lactating.

Spreading

Representatives of the class can be found everywhere. The only places where there are no mammals are the deep ocean and Antarctica, although seals and whales can be found off its coast.

Many subtypes are limited in distribution due to attachment to environmental conditions. For many animals, temperature, soil and orographic conditions, and the availability of food are important.

A separate class "Mammals" was first described by Carl Linnaeus in 1758. At that time, there were 184 species, in modern times all species are divided into 26-29 orders, which consist of 153 families divided into 1229 genera.

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According to the traditional classification, this class of vertebrates is divided into subclasses "First Beasts" (Prototheria) and "Beasts" (Theria). The latter, in turn, are divided into two infraclasses: Marsupials and Placentals.

Rice. 1. Classification.

Description of the orders of mammals

All members of the class are quite diverse in terms of outward signs. The traditional structure of the body, which consists of a head, neck, torso, two pairs of limbs and a tail, varies in the ratio of shapes and sizes. So, a striking example of such variations can be Long neck giraffe, and the absence of a neck in whales.

Rice. 2. External structure.

The Bat order is very different from other mammals due to the transformation of the forelimbs into wings. Due to this, in the popular classification, bats were classified as birds.

The record holders in terms of size and body weight are: pygmy polytooth (weight up to 1.7 g, length - up to 4.5 cm), savannah elephant (weight - up to 5 tons, height at the shoulders up to 4 m), blue whale(length - 33 m, weight - up to 1.5 tons).

The list of mammals in Russia includes about 300 species. You can find a list of them in the following table:

Detachment

Family

Genus

Representatives

flying squirrel

Squirrel ordinary

Chipmunks

Asian chipmunk

Long-tailed ground squirrel, Caucasian ground squirrel

Steppe, Kamchatka, Altai marmot

hazel, forest, garden dormouse

Sony regiments

dormouse

beaver

Canadian beaver, river beaver

mouse

Forest mouse, steppe, Caucasian mouse, etc.

Jerboas

jerboas

Large and small jerboas

Slepyshovye

Mole rat, Ural

Hamsters

common hamster

mole rats

Slepushenka

Forest, Siberian, Promethean voles

Oriental, forest, house mice

Field, small, forest, house mice

Gray and black rats

Lagomorphs

hare

European Hare, White Hare, Bush Hare

wild rabbit

Altai, northern, small pika

Insectivores

hedgehogs

European hedgehog

eared hedgehogs

eared hedgehog

mole

common moles

muskrat

Russian desman

Shrews

shrews

Siberian, long-tailed shrew

shrews

Far Eastern, giant, middle shrew

Bats

horseshoes

Horseshoe bats

Southern, large horseshoe

smooth-nosed

Long-eared, Amur bat

Vechernitsy

Redhead Oriental Party

Desert leather, leather

raccoons

Raccoon

raccoon dogs

raccoon dog

Wolves and dogs

Jackal, wolf

Fox, corsac

bearish

White, brown bear

Marten

Kharza, sable, martens

Weasels and hori

Weasel, stoat

Forest, steppe cat

Odd-toed ungulates

Equine

wild Horse

artiodactyls

A wild boar

Deer, roe deer, moose

Reindeer, European roe deer, elk

bovids

Mountain goats, sheep

Siberian goat, mountain sheep

cetaceans

Dolphin

White-barreled dolphins, killer whales, whales

Dolphins, killer whales, whales

Rice. 3. Diversity of mammals.

What have we learned?

The most highly developed group of animals are mammals. Representatives of this class can be found everywhere. They received a leading position due to a number of their physiological and external features. Their main features are feeding offspring with milk, as well as warm-bloodedness.

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