Mammals

• Discussion: what the major distinguishing features of

mammals from their ancestors/ reptiles
Mammals

• Possession of fur/hair, secretion of milk and constant body temperature

(endotherm)
• Outstanding features of mammals from that of reptiles are:
- Larger brain size
- Single bone in the lower jaw (dentary) as opposed to several bones in reptiles
- Shape of the skull and neck bones
- Secondary palate
- Double knobs occipital condyles
• Evolved from synapsid (cynodonts) during the Mesozoic and diversified in
the Cainozoic
Mammals
Mammals
- Lower jaw articulates directly to the skull
- Teeth differentiated into biting and chewing one with the
later having divided roots unlike in reptiles which are
similar
- Two sets of teeth develops (milk teeth and adult teeth) yet
in reptiles they are uniform and can be replaced
indefinitely
- A double knob for the articulation of the skull to the
backbone. Reptile has single knob
Mesozoic Mammals
• Mammals first appeared in the upper Triassic
• Teeth, jaws and skulls parts are the most skeletal
elements that are preserved
Mesozoic Mammals
Classification of early mammals in the Mesozoic is
based on the nature of tooth cusps (sharp peaks)
(i) Therian with triangular arrangement of three cusps
–insect or flesh eaters
(ii) Non therians with different pattern of tooth cusps –
vegetation eaters
Cainozoic Mammals
Three extant groups which appeared in Cretaceous are
classified into three groups namely (i) placentals (man),
(ii) marsupials (kangaroo) (iii) monotremes
Monostremes:
• Are the most primitive mammals
• They lay eggs and their body temperature fluctuates
Cainozoic Mammals
• First appeared in the Cainozoic era and are confined
to Australia
• Extant forms are the duck-billed platypus and spiny –
ant eater echidna
Cainozoic Mammals
Marsupials
• Key feature is the pouch which carries the young ones
(kangaroo)
• Extant forms are confined to the Australian region
• First appeared in Cretaceous in North America and
then spread to Europe, S America and Australia in
Cainozoic
Placental mammals
• Discussion: placental features
Cainozoic Mammals
Placentals
• Presence of a placenta which feeds a young one in the
mother’s womb is the main feature
• First appeared in Cretaceous and diversified in the
Palaeocene
• The early fauna was dominated by insectivores and
herbivores (condylarths)
Cainozoic Mammals
• The skeleton was modified in relation to development of
the brain, locomotion and diet
(i) Brain – enlarged and more complex (improved co-
ordination and development of sensory organs
(ii) Limbs hinged lifting up the body. Modification in order
increase speed, carrying weight, flight, swimming . Both
plantigrade and digitigrade (walking on digits or even on
tips of digits) forms
(iii) Teeth gives a guide to relationship of placentals
Cainozoic Mammals
Cainozoic Mammals
- incisors, canines, premolars, molars
- 44 in primitive forms (3Inc, 1 C, 7 cheek)
- Reduced in numbers (man 32, whale 0)
- Modified for herbivorous and carnivorous diets
• Herbivorous teeth - Alterations in cheek teeth (Molars and
premolars) developed surfaces for cropping and gridding of
vegetation
- Had high surfaces with transverse ridges.
Cainozoic Mammals
• Carnivores – only require teeth that can cut off meat into small pieces
for swallowing
- Fewer massive cheek teeth
- Modification of premolars and molars of carnivores in order to slice
off meat
- A pair of opposed teeth(from upper and lower) jaw developed cusps
(projections) which form a sharp jagged cutting edge which on
occlusion slice through flesh and shear it off as well as crushing bones
- Such teeth are called Carnassial Teeth
Cainozoic Mammals
Teeth
-
Adaptive Radiation of placental
mammals
Assignment: Trace the adaptive radiations of placental
mammals during the Cainozoic period (elephants,
carnivores, horses, pigs, cattle, hippos)
Adaptive Radiation of placental
mammals
• More modifications took place to improve efficacy in
locomotion, feeding, coordination and intelligence
• Changes occurred on
- Limbs
- Teeth
- Brain capacity
- Skull bones
- Size
Adaptive Radiation of placental
mammals
Primates
- majority are arboreal (monkeys), quadrupedal
- Were adapted for climbing, leaping and swinging
- Have opposable thumbs and toes (grasping), five
digits with nails
- Teeth reduced in numbers and modified for a mixed
diet (omnivorous diet)
Adaptive Radiation of placental
mammals
- Expansion of brain leading the enlargement of braincase e.g.. in
hominids ranging from 600cm3 in Australopithecus to 1500cm3
in Homo sapiens
- Development of binocular vision plus visual acuity, colour vision
- Skull features modified in higher forms( shortened face,
modified teeth, orbits directed forward
- Developed from an ancestral stock in Palaeocene
- Group divided into prosimians (lemurs and tarsiers),
Anthropoids (monkeys, apes and man)
Adaptive Radiation of placental
mammals

- Ape and man

Adaptive Radiation of placental
mammals
• Man and apes (chimpanzees, gorillas) collective
known as hominoids differ in:
(i) development of brain –size (man 1400cm3, gorilla
500-600cm3),
(ii) Man has a chin and jaws less massive
(iii) Posture – erect posture with an s-shaped back bone
(man). Gorilla -c-shaped
Adaptive Radiation of placental
mammals
iv) locomotion-
- large toe not opposable in man
• Earliest anthropoids recorded from Eocene and
further radiations occurred in Miocene
• Hominids first appeared in Pliocene of East Africa and
later S Africa, North Africa
• The hominids had a wide variation of brain sizes
Adaptive Radiation of placental
mammals
Whales
- Adapted to aquatic environment
- Includes blue whale and dolphins
- Developed fin structures and are believed to have
originated from carnivorous forms during late Eocene
Adaptive Radiation of placental
mammals
Carnivores
- Adapted for stalking and burst speed
- Retractable claws
- Well specialised teeth for biting and tearing/slicing.
Front teeth Serrated edges, pointed and cheek teeth
with compressed cusps -carnassial shape
- First appeared in Palaeocene
Adaptive Radiation of placental
mammals
Herbivores
- Includes ungulates (plant eaters with hooves) namely:
(i) Proboscideans (Elephants) with tusks
(ii) Perissodactyls (Horses ) with odd toes
Adaptive Radiation of placental
mammals
iii) Artiodactyls (Cattle ) with even toes (four or fewer
toes)
- Change was due to diet and locomotion
- Body size increases to accommodate more less
nutritious food
- Teeth more modified for cropping and crushing
vegetation (increase in width and development of
ridges)
Adaptive Radiation of placental
mammals

- cheek teeth continue to grow as they worn out

- Limb bone elongated to improve stride, modified
claws (hoofs) for protection on hard surface
- Reduction or lost on side toes
Adaptive Radiation of placental
mammals
Archaic ungulates
- Originated from herbivores during Cretaceous –
Miocene)
- Were long bodied with short limbs, clawed digits,
heavy tail, sharp cusped teeth
- Hooves appeared in U Palaeocene – M Eocene
Adaptive Radiation of placental
mammals
Proboscideans (elephants)
- Extant forms are elephants and loxodonts
- Modified teeth at each time there is only one molar
tooth in each jaw (4 teeth at a time)
- The set of teeth is replaced as they worn out
Adaptive Radiation of placental
mammals
- Teeth replacement took place twice in the whole life
of the animal
- The molars are high crowned with many transverse
ridges
- No canines. One pair of incisors develop into a task
- First appeared in L Eocene
- Modern forms increase in size
Adaptive Radiation of placental
mammals
Perissodactyles (odd toed)
- Extant forms includes horses (Equus), zebra and
rhinocerous
- Had either 3 toes or one toe
- First appear in U Palaeocene and were very abundant
during the late Eocene and Oligocene times
Adaptive Radiation of placental
mammals
- Had varied dentition and the cranium
- Their diversification was driven by change of habitats
from open woodland to savannas and steppes which
coincided with climatic changes during the Miocene-
Pliocene times
- The changes include
Adaptive Radiation of placental
mammals
• Increase in size
• Elongation and reduction of limb bones. Middle digit
enlarged and lateral ones reduced
• Increase in brain size
• Enlargement of the face in front of the eye to accommodate
more teeth
• Enlarged gap between incisors and cheek teeth. Cheek teeth
develop complex ridges and cusps
Adaptive Radiation of placental
mammals
Artiodactyls
- Extant forms include pigs, hippopotamus, deer and
cattle
- Have an even number of toes, two or four
- The teeth are low crowned with rounded cusps, upper
incisors may be replaced by hard pad for cropping
grass and cheek teeth well developed for grinding
(have high crowns with sharp ridges)
Adaptive Radiation of placental
mammals
- Grazers (cattle) have chambered stomach (ruminants)
- First appeared in the Eocene and reached peak in the
Miocene and Oligocene