Characteristics of

Mammals
AS
 The First Mammals
• Fossil evidence indicates that about
280 million years ago, reptiles called
therapsids existed.
• They were about the size of mice.
• This trait allowed them to look for
food at night.
 Making Milk
• All mammals have mammary glands.
• Mammary glands – in a female
mammal, a gland that secretes milk.
• All female mammals feed their young
with this milk.
 Breathing Air
• All animals need oxygen to get
energy from their food.
• Like birds and reptiles, mammals use
lungs to get oxygen from the air.
• All mammals have a diaphragm,
which is a large muscle that helps
bring air into the lungs.
 Endothermic
• As oxygen helps break down a
mammal’s food, energy is released.
• This keeps mammals warm.
• Like birds, mammals endotherms.
• The ability to stay warm helps them
survive in cold areas.
 Hair
• Mammals have hair, which helps
them stay alive.
 Specialized Teeth
• This kind of teeth can break through
almost everything.