Mammalogy Glossary
25 essential terms — because precise language is the foundation of clear thinking in Mammalogy.
Showing 25 of 25 terms
The rapid diversification of a lineage into many ecologically different species, often following a mass extinction or colonization of new habitat.
The order of even-toed ungulates, including pigs, deer, cattle, and hippopotamuses, now often merged with Cetacea as Cetartiodactyla.
The study of the geographic distribution of species and the processes that shape distribution patterns across space and time.
The order of fully aquatic mammals including whales, dolphins, and porpoises, descended from terrestrial artiodactyl ancestors.
The order of bats, the only mammals capable of true sustained powered flight, comprising over 1,400 species.
The condition of having two successive sets of teeth during an organism's lifetime: deciduous and permanent.
A biological sonar system in which an animal emits sounds and interprets returning echoes to detect and locate objects.
A measure of relative brain size calculated as the ratio of actual brain mass to predicted brain mass for an animal of a given body size.
The physiological ability to maintain a stable internal body temperature through metabolic heat production.
The infraclass of placental mammals in which the embryo develops in the uterus, nourished by a chorioallantoic placenta.
Having teeth differentiated into distinct types (incisors, canines, premolars, molars) for specialized functions.
A prolonged state of inactivity and reduced metabolism that allows animals to survive extended periods of cold and food scarcity.
The class of vertebrate animals characterized by mammary glands, hair, three middle ear ossicles, and a neocortex.
An exocrine gland that produces milk for nourishing offspring, the defining feature of all mammals.
A mammal of the infraclass Marsupialia whose young are born at an early developmental stage and typically continue development in a pouch.
An egg-laying mammal belonging to the order Monotremata, including the platypus and echidnas.
The six-layered outermost part of the mammalian cerebral cortex, involved in higher-order brain functions.
The coat of hair or fur covering a mammal's body, serving functions in thermoregulation, camouflage, and sensory perception.
A vascular organ that develops during pregnancy, connecting the developing fetus to the uterine wall for nutrient and gas exchange.
Differences in size, appearance, or behavior between males and females of the same species, often driven by sexual selection.
The clade of amniotes that includes mammals and their extinct relatives, characterized by a single temporal fenestra.
An order of synapsids that includes the ancestors of mammals, showing progressive development of mammalian features.
A short-term state of decreased physiological activity, typically characterized by reduced body temperature and metabolic rate.
An ecological phenomenon in which changes at one trophic level propagate through the food web, affecting multiple levels.
Specialized sensory hairs (whiskers) found on most mammals, richly supplied with nerve endings for tactile perception.