There are five things all mammals have in comman. 5. What are the five basic characteristics of ALL mammals? But certain characteristics are common in all the mammals. There are only three characteristics that are unique to mammals: the presence of hair in their bodies, three middle ear bones, and mammary glands. What characteristics make a mammal a mammal? Another characteristic is that they have either fur or hair on their body. These are the common characteristics of mammals. There are thousands of types of mammals. Discuss the mammals that are found in Illinois (see list on pages iv-v). If they talk about any mammal species that … STUDENT’S GUIDE. One of the characteristics is that all mammals are endotherms, or warm blooded. Fishy: I would disagree with the live birth as a unique characteristics; some snakes, sharks, and even some nematodes give birth to live young. Every mammal has a unique placement of scent glands. Most mammals communicate through complex odors which is produced by the sweat glands or sebaceous. Mammals are warm blooded . The later synapsids, which had more-evolved characteristics unique to mammals, possess cheeks for holding food and heterodont teeth (specialized for chewing by mechanically breaking down food to speed digestion and releasing the energy needed to produce heat). 11) Mammals developed from the therapsid ancestors during the Triassic period. They are the only animals which nourish their young ones with milk. Two, mammals are warm-blooded. The later synapsids, which had more evolved characteristics unique to mammals, possess cheeks for holding food and heterodont teeth, which are specialized for chewing, mechanically breaking down food to speed digestion and releasing the energy needed to produce heat. 13) Reptiles and fish have teeth that are all basically the same, though they can vary in size throughout the mouth. These are the common characteristics of mammals. Mammals [1] are animals belonging to the class Mammalia. In addition to these characteristic milk glands, mammals are distinguished by several other unique features. Mammal, (class Mammalia), any member of the group of vertebrate animals in which the young are nourished with milk from special mammary glands of the mother. There are about 4,000 species of mammals found in the world. Give birth to young ones and also feed them them with milk produce Mammals are warm blooded . 12) Mammals are heterodontic, meaning that their teeth are different shapes, except those with no teeth at all. One, mammals have fur or hair. All Mammals Have Bones Including A Backbone. gestation period mammals mammary gland uterus warm-blooded VOCABULARY What Makes a Mammal a Mammal? So what is a mammal? Although they have many special characteristics, there are several traits that stand out to define the group. Ask students to talk about the Illinois wild mammals they have seen or are familiar with. The three middle ear bones are so reliable for identification of mammals that if a fossil is found with 3 middle ear bones then it is automatically classed as a mammal. All of these characteristics (hair, maintaining a constant body temperature, production of milk, internal fertilization, young born fully developed, highly developed circulatory and respiratory systems, larger brain size, and differences in the size and function of teeth) make mammal species unique among the … The question seems simple enough, but the answer requires an understanding of some of the more obscure characteristics of organisms, such as multicellularity, heterotrophy, motility, and other hard-to-pronounce words used by biologists. The unique characteristics of mammals thus would seem to have evolved as a complex interrelated system. Many have it all over their bodies; we do too, although it shows the most on our heads. We need you to answer this question! Because the characteristics that separate reptiles and mammals evolved at different rates and in response to a variety of interrelated conditions, at any point in the period of transition from reptiles to mammals, there were forms that combined various characteristics of both groups. These animals are warm blooded, hairy and have mammary or milk producing glands, (mammary glands).