GENERAL

CHARACTERISTICS
AND CLASSIFICATION
OF MAMMALS
UPTO ORDER LEVEL
 GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS OF MAMMALS:
1. Mammals are warm blooded, hairy and possess milk producing glands which are also known as MAMMARY
GLANDS.
2. Oil glands (Sebaceous Glands) and Sweat glands (Sudoriferous Glands) are present.
3. Mostly diphyodont having two sets of teeth which include milk teeth and permanent teeth. Teeth are embedded
in sockets or jaws (Thecodont) and are heterodont.
4. Except a few mammals, most possess a cervical neck.
5. The skull is dichondylic, and has two occipital lobes.
6. Lungs are used to respire.
7. They possess a muscular diaphragm dividing trunk into thorax and abdomen.
8. The coelom is divided into four cavities; a pericardial cavity lodging the heart, two pleural cavities each
containing the lung and an abdominal cavity having the rest of viscera.
9. The heart is four chambered. Sinus venosus is absent. The red blood corpuscles are without nucleus. Renal
portal system is absent.
10.The brain has large cerebrum and cerebellum. Optic lobes are divided into four lobes called corpora
quadrigemina. Corpus callosum connects the two cerebral hemispheres internally.
11.12 pairs of cranial nerves are present.
12.Each ear consists of three parts: external, middle and internal. Pinna is a part of external ear. Middle ear has 3
bony ear ossicles (malleus— hammer shaped, incus-anvil shaped and stapes-stirrup shaped). Internal ear has
organ of Corti, the actual hearing organ.
13.Except egg laying mammals they are viviparous.
 FLOW CHART

Kingdom Animalia

Phylum

Order
Class Mammalia Prototheria Monotremata
Subclass

Order Theria

Family

Marsupiala Insectivora Chiroptera Dermoptera Pholidota Edentata

Genus Tubulidentata Primata Rodentia Logomorpha Cetacea

Specie
 CLASS : MAMMALIA

PROTOTHERIA THERIA

• Most primitive mammals. • Viviparous mammals.

• Only restricted in Australia and • They produce young ones.
its neighboring islands (Tasmania New
Guinea).
• Egg-laying habits. Eutheria

• Several reptilian characters including a Placental mammals

cloaca.
• They lay eggs containing ample amount of
yolk.
M etatheria
Ornithorhynchus (Platypus)

Pouched M ammals

Tachyglossus (Echidna)
 METATHERIA
ORDER MARSUPIALIA :
•Born in very immature state and complete their development attached to teats in the marsupium.
•3 premolars and 4 molars in each jaw on either side.
Macropus (Kangaroo)

Phascolarctos (Koala)

EUTHERIA
ORDER INSECTIVORA
• Small mammals with long pointed snout.
• Feet plantigrade (walking on the sole of the feet) with claws.
• Molars with pointed peg (a short pin typically tapered at one
end)like cusps (pointed end where two curves meet).
• Placenta discoidal (resembling a disc).
• Nocturnal and terrestrial.
 EUTHERIA

ORDER CHIROPTERA (Flying mammals)

• Forelimbs are modified into wings called patagium (membrane or fold of skin
between fore and hind limbs of a bat or gliding mammal).
• Teeth small, sharp, peg like.
• Sternum provided with keel.
• Eyes are small with weak vision.
• Ear have large pinnae.
• Nocturnal
Myotis (Brown Bat)

ORDER DERMOPTERA

• Four equal sized limbs.

• Tail included in a furry skin fold, the patagium (The
thin membrane that extends between the limbs and
body of a bat or of gliding mammals).
• Incisor teeth 2\3.
• Nocturnal Cynocephalus
 EUTHERIA

ORDER PHOLIDOTA

• Body covered with large overlapping horny scales.

• No teeth.
• Tongue long and protrusible.

Scaly Ant Eater

ORDER EDENTATA

• Teeth absent or reduced to molars,

without enamel.
• Toes with large, strong, curved claws.
• Sometimes they are armored.
Armadillo Giant Ant Eater
 EUTHERIA

ORDER TUBULIDENTATA

• Tongue tough, slender, protrusible.

• No incisors or canines.
• Each jaw with 4-5 teeth, lacking enamel and perforated by numerous fine tubules
of pulp.
• Skin thick covered with hairs.
• Placenta zonary
Cape Ant Eater

ORDER PRIMATES
•Primitive mammals except for the
development of brain.
•Flat nails on fingers and toes.
•First digit usually opposable, an
adaptation for grasping.
•Eyes typically large and turned forward. Homosapien Chimpanzee Lemur
 EUTHERIA

ORDER CARNIVORA

• Small to large predatory flash eating mammals.

• Claws well developed
• Incisors small, canines large, fang like and molars of
cutting type.
• Temporal fossa (a shallow depression) are open
behind.
Walrus Panthera Tigris
• Tympanic bulla (A vesicle, or other thin-walled
(Tiger)
cavity) are large and rounded.

ORDER RODENTIA

• Largest order including usually small gnawing

(chew on, or erode with the teeth) mammals.
• Each jaw with one pair of long, rootless,
chisel(long blade having sharp edge used to chip or
cut solid material) like incisors.
• No canines and digits are provided with claws.
• Space between molars and canine called diastema. Porcupine Rattus
 EUTHERIA
ORDER PROBOSCIDEA

• Largest living land animals having large heads, massive ears, thick hairless
skin, bulky straight legs and 3-5 toes with small, nail like hoofs.
• Conspicuous feature is the nose and upper lip modified as an elongated flexible
proboscis or trunk.
• 2 upper incisors elongated as ivory tusks.
• Cheek teeth lophodont
Elephus
(Elephant)

ORDER ARTIODACTYLA

• The even toed hoofed mammals having an even no. of

toes (2-4).
• Axis of support passes between third and fourth toes.
• All chew their cud (that portion of food which is brought
up into the mouth by ruminating animals from their first
stomach, to be chewed a second time) except pigs and
peccaries (skunk pig).
• Incisors and canines in upper jaw usually lacking.
• Stomach 4 chambered. Many with antlers and horns. Hippopotamus Ovis (Sheep)
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