KOMPAS.com – Animals are grouped into several classes, one of which is mammal. Mammals known as mammals. However, do you know what characteristics of mammals?
Characteristics of mammals is:
- Have fur or hair
- Hot Blooded
- Breastfeeding and have mammary glands
- Lower jaw attached to skull
- Has four types of teeth that can be replaced once in a lifetime
- Have a large brain with neocortex
- Has three bones in the middle ear
- Has a four-chambered heart
- Have a diaphragm
- Red blood cells do not have a nucleus
Also read: Types of Animals Mammals
Have fur or hair
The characteristics of mammals are to have fur or hair that covers all or part of the body.
Fur or hair provides protection against cold, mechanical injury, camouflage, as well as sensing in mammals.
However, some mammals have evolved to adapt to their surroundings.
For example, whales that only have feathers when they are in embryo form, or pangolins that turn their feathers into hard scales.
Also read: Evolution and Its Various Theories
Hot Blooded
All mammals are warm-blooded or endothermic animals. That is, they are vertebrates that can regulate their own body temperature balance.
Mammals can produce their own body heat without having to depend on heat from the environment. Meanwhile, they can release heat through their sweat glands.
Breastfeeding and have mammary glands
The characteristics of mammals are breastfeeding their children and have mammary glands.
Reported from Thought Co, Mammal mammary glands are modified sweat glands that are enlarged, have ducts, and glandular tissue that secretes milk through the nipples.
Also read: What Mammals Can Fly?
Lower jaw attached to skull
Mammals have a distinctive lower jaw because it has a hinge that is directly connected to the skull.
This feature is called dentary and is not found in other vertebrates. The dentary shape allows mammals to bite, chew, and also grind their food.
Has four types of teeth that can be replaced once in a lifetime
Mammals have teeth that are different from other vertebrates. While other vertebrates have only one type of tooth, mammals have four types of teeth: incisors, canines, premolars and molars.
Mammal teeth can also only be replaced once in a lifetime. When they are young, mammals have small milk teeth.
However, as you get older, these teeth will be replaced by bigger and stronger permanent teeth.
Also read: Dolphins, Intelligent Mammals
Have a large brain with neocortex
Reported from Biology LibreTextsmammals have a large brain with a complex network and covering called the neocortex.
This structure makes mammalian brains have more complex functions than other animals.
Has three bones in the middle ear
The next characteristic of mammals is that they have three bones in the middle of the ear, namely the incus, malleus, and stapes.
These three bones form chains that work together to transmit sound waves. This causes mammals to have good hearing.
Has a four-chambered heart
The next characteristic of mammals is that they have a four-chambered heart consisting of the right ventricle, left ventricle, right atrium, and left atrium.
Also read: Recognizing the Parts of the Heart
Have a diaphragm
Reporting from the Encyclopedia Britannica, mammals also have a muscular diaphragm that separates the heart and lungs from the abdominal cavity.
Blood cells do not have a nucleus
Mammal characteristics next is to have red blood cells that do not have a nucleus or do not have a nucleus.
Red blood cells release their nucleus and some of their cell organelles in order to bind and carry more oxygen.
Also read: Age of Blood Cells in Humans
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