Further Reading / Supplemental Links
- Unabridged Dictionary, Second Edition. Random House, New York, 1998.
- http://en.wikipedia.org
- http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/Animals
- http://kids.yahoo.com/animals/mammals
- http://nationalzoo.si.edu/Animals/SmallMammals/ForKids
- http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/mammal/mammal.html
- http://www.americazoo.com/goto/index/mammals/classification.htm
Vocabulary
estrus A period of time when the female has maximum sexual receptivity.
harem A group of females followed or accompanied by a fertile male; this male excludes
other males access to the group.
mammary glands Specialized sweat glands that produce milk.
marsupial Atypeofmammalwherethefemalehasanabdominalpouchorskinfoldwithin
which are mammary glands and a place for raising the young.
monotremes A group of mammals that lays eggs and feeds their young by “sweating”
milk from patches on their bellies.
neocortex Site of the cerebral cortex where most of higher brain functions occur.
placental A type of mammal that has a placenta that nourishes the fetus and removes
waste products.
vivipary A reproductive system in most mammals and some reptiles and fish, in which
living young are produced rather than eggs laid.
Points to Consider
- Rats are considered to be highly intelligent as they can learn and perform new tasks,
an ability that may be important when they first colonize a fresh habitat. Think about
what kind of increased learning takes place with an increased brain size, as we will see
in primates. - Think of some significant similarities between the mammals you read about in this
lesson with those in the next lesson, particularly human beings. - What are some significant adaptations in the evolution of primates?