Questions tagged [mammals]
Questions related to mammals, animals that nurse their young, have a neocortex, and three middle ear bones.
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What pigment is responsible for the formation of blue skin color in some animals?
Not long ago I read about Vervet monkey. Here's picture:
My question is what causes this blue coloration of the scrotum? I don't mean evolutionary need (e.g. attracting females), but what pigment or ...
4
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0answers
31 views
Why is there such a long interval between ages of sexual maturity and of reproduction in female chimpanzees?
There seems to be some disagreement on the ages at which female chimpanzees typically reach sexual maturity and when they typically first give birth, but regardless, different sources seem to agree ...
2
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0answers
20 views
Do animals like Seals feel cold on their skin?
Whenever there is a documentary about animals and you get to the colder regions, you will hear about Seals and their layer of blubber keeping them warm.
But the skin is on top of the blubber, in ...
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29 views
Petting sensation of mammals
Do other mammals get a similar enjoyment from petting as we get from scratching an annoying itch? Maybe a stronger version of it? Since dogs do emulate scratching themselves with their hind legs when ...
2
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0answers
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What kind of skull is this-I found it on the beach in Cape May
I am hoping someone can help identify this skull! We found it on the beach in Cape May. The skull size is about 4 inch in length. Thank you.
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Age until physical growth ceases, mammals
Fairly basic, but I am seeking a table showing how many years from birth it takes for the best-known mammals to stop growing. (Including the latest on humans - ie. 0-17..?).
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1answer
75 views
What are the differences between mammal and insect digestion of cellulose?
I know that digestion of cellulose is difficult in mammals and requires a lot of steps. But I am fascinated by the idea of one day achieving human digestion of cellulose.
Which got me thinking about ...
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1answer
95 views
Do male skunks have teats?
Simple question. Do male skunks (striped skunk, eastern US/Canada if it matters) have teats? Occasionally want to identify road-kill, but don't know if teats are diagnostic for females. I believe ...
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53 views
Mammal Statistics about Natural Death Versus Being Killed?
Is there data determining what percentage of mammals die a natural death (disease, old age) and what percentage die due to being killed and/or eaten by other mammals?
In watching wildlife ...
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Are there poisons that affect only mammals but not reptiles
Are there poisons that affect only mammals but not reptiles or crustaceans?
E.g. hemotoxins which affect hemoglobin but not hemocyanin or specific Na+ channels?
Looking for a "nice" poison/disease as ...
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13 views
Non-hair synapsid integument
Anybody noticed that mammal skin (both with hair and without hair) has an irregular scaly pattern when seen up really close? If so, may it have been retained from its pelycosaur and even reptiliomorph ...
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1answer
96 views
How exactly does symbolic language for apes work?
I'm talking about the panels with lots of colored symbols on them you sometimes see in documentaries and the like. Apes point at the symbols in a specific order and in this way can communicate with ...
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1answer
37 views
Limbs in synapsids
Within synapsids, there was a change from a lizard-like sprawling posture (like in pelycosaurs) to a more erect stance. Non-eucynodont eutherapsids seem to have had a facultatively erect hindlimb and ...
4
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1answer
75 views
How are the first mammary glands thought to have functioned?
I happened upon a book (not about biology) containing this text:
A life-changing birth occurred on the planet about 190 million years ago [...] the first tiny shrew like creature brought forth an ...
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2answers
131 views
Why aren't mammals and reptiles considered amphibians?
We've all heard it: birds descend from dinosaurs, so they're dinosaurs too. But this got me thinking: doesn't this mean that, for instance, all terrestrial vertebrates – including humans – are ...
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1answer
153 views
Why do some animals have beards?
Why do some animals such as some Goats, Ibex, Orangutan etc, have long well-shaped beard like men?
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1answer
53 views
Are there known life expectancy differences in non human mammals by sex?
In humans either for biological or cultural reasons there are life expectancy differences by sex. But how about non human mammals? Are there known life expectancy differences in non human mammals by ...
2
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0answers
39 views
What do chimpz/bonobos/orangutangs/gorillas feed their babies with?
I just read this question and it made me curious about what a more original baby diet would look like. So, at what age do our closest relatives in the animal kingdom start giving their offspring more ...
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110 views
Which mammal produces the most milk?
I'm searching for mammal who can produce most milk whenever she lactate. I Googled it but it says dairy cattle which biologically speaking is not right answer, because a baby whale can drink up to 150 ...
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69 views
Are humans the only primates being engaged in group sex?
There are quite many examples of humans being involved in group sex. I won't say it is a common thing and won't say whether it is "natural" or "cultural" (but "cultural" only means induced to majority ...
3
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0answers
205 views
How old is the action of sneezing?
Is there an estimate for when the ability of sneezing evolved? A little bit of research, and some critical review of my memories tell me that:
Many, if not maybe all mammals sneeze.
Some reptiles ...
19
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2answers
5k views
Why is wombat excreta shaped like cubes?
I've heard that wombat excreta is cube shaped, but I don't understand how that can happen. Has anyone studied the phenomenon? What would the evolutionary pressure have been to cause this?
2
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1answer
254 views
Are bears related to dogs in a similar way to how cats are related to 'panthers'?
I've tried searching on Wikipedia but I couldn't find what family dogs belonged to. Ursidae is 'bears' and Canis is 'dogs' ; Panthera is big cats like:- tigers and jaguars is what I know.
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1answer
710 views
Is there any known reason why 6 leg mammals are only found in mutations? [duplicate]
Taking a look in internet you can find photos of mutated mammals with 6 legs. Some cows with legs in unnatural positions were shown in website versions of widely known newspapers (you can easily guess ...
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3answers
80 views
Could a mammal convert ingested dissolved CO2 to usable energy?
I'm trying to find out if it's possible that a mammal could orally ingest dissolved CO2 and convert it to energy for body heat, organ function, etc.
Unfortunately, most of the scientific sources I've ...
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90 views
How “unique” human vagina is?
Regading penis Dixson showed that it is not really unique and complex. This argument (and there were some others) was used against the idea of human polygynandry.
But what about vaginal shape? I know ...
4
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1answer
102 views
How does the bear mother ensure her cubs don't escape during hibernation?
I have some questions relating to bears- more specifically, the brown bears we have in Scandinavia.
When they go into hibernation, do they fall asleep as we know falling asleep? If a bear mother ...
2
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0answers
87 views
What is the closest relative to odd-toed ungulate?
I have seen about 3 variation of phylogenetic tree about odd-toed ungulate and I don't know which one is really updated or outdated or which one have more backed up theory
First is odd-toed ungulate ...
4
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0answers
43 views
What do groundhogs and other subsurface-tunnel dwelling creatures do in heavy rains to avoid harm?
I notice groundhogs and many other tunneling creatures in my yard, the same yard which became pretty flooded during heavy rainfall. I don't see wildlife out during rain storms, but not long after, ...
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Is there any data to explore the heterozygosity of the South African lion over the last 18 years?
Background:
I need to find data on the heterozygosity of the south African lion over the last 18 years... and I'm struggling: so far I have found a single data point.
Question:
Where can I find ...
2
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0answers
30 views
Do marsupials ever die in childbirth?
Question: Do marsupials ever die in childbirth?
Obviously the notion of there being a linear ordering of "least advanced" to "most advanced" life forms isn't correct. Still, often marsupials are ...
8
votes
1answer
382 views
Identify this vertebra
I was walking on the beach in New Jersey (U.S.), at about 40 degrees longitude, and found this bone. It's not a fish. The long process in the front is interesting. It is likely a C2 vertebra. I looked ...
8
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1answer
106 views
Do individual mammal hairs absorb water?
In my look into the world of shaving I've seen claims that it is better to shave after a shower because the hairs will absorb water and soften, making the shave easier. Likewise, I've seen it claimed ...
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1answer
104 views
When you lose weight, how does the mass exit your body?
As a thought experiment, consider the case of Angus Barbiery, who allegedly lost almost 200kg in about a year by not eating at all, save for necessary nutrients provided as supplements.
My question ...
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0answers
35 views
Are there mainstream views on the mandrill's coloration's being so unique?
According to the Wikipedia article:
Mandrills are noted as being exceptionally colourful for mammalian
standards. Charles Darwin wrote in The Descent of Man that "no other
member in the whole ...
2
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0answers
61 views
Are insects really strong or just small?
It's a common statement that insects are stronger, faster and jump higher than almost anything by mass.
However, this leaves out that compared to their mass, all large creatures are actually pretty ...
3
votes
1answer
306 views
When did the mammalian outer ear evolve?
All Eutheria and Metatheria have outer ears, and as far as I found out, monotremes once also had them, so they seem to be universal for mammals. Did other synapsids have them, too?
I know that soft ...
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2answers
137 views
Why are monotremes so rare?
There are currently only five species of monotremes remaining, and all of them are found in Australia. Additionally, I read a science article claiming that competition from marsupials essentially ...
4
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1answer
58 views
Can bats echolocation discern what insects they are preying on?
Insectivorous bats feed on many different types of insects such as mosquitoes, moths, beetles, and bees. According to the Bat Conservation Trust, bats can discern insects from other objects but I'm ...
5
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1answer
113 views
Is there any research on wolf and bobcat interactions?
I'm studying interactions between North American predators, specifically wolves, coyotes and bobcats.
There's evidence from data I've collected from game cameras that suggests a significant ...
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2answers
693 views
Why do animals have fur and feathers?
Does it give them protections from harm?
Sphynx cats, being furless, can get hurt from thorns if they go through bushes
So I'm assuming it's more like defense from animals biting them.
A lion mane ...
7
votes
2answers
103 views
What British bat is this?
What kind of bat is this? I saw it flying quickly between trees in Buckinghamshire, UK, at about 4pm in September (so about three hours before sunset). I think it might be a common noctule but I was ...
3
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2answers
131 views
Have there ever been as many mammals as there are now?
I apologize for the weird question, but based on a Google search it looks like this topic hasn't been discussed before. I'm hoping that enough information about population biology is stored in the ...
3
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0answers
121 views
Mammalian scales
Many small mammals have scaly skin on their tails and sometimes limbs. The examples can be found among rodents (rats, degu, scaly-tailed squirrels), insectivores (shrews, desmans), oppossums, musky ...
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1answer
131 views
Do squirrels and blue jays play a role in oak tree distribution?
White oak (Quercas alba) acorns have lower tannin levels than red oak (Quercas rubra) acorns, therefore animals tend to eat the white oak acorns before red oak acorns. Animals such as squirrels and ...
4
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1answer
155 views
Can platypuses communicate via electroreception?
I know at least some electroreceptive fish are capable of basic communication with other members of their species via varying their own bioelectric signals. However, I can't find any information as ...
4
votes
3answers
150 views
What processes regulate the sex of offspring?
It is known that some species are more likely to born male than female (and some maybe vice versa). I understand that it is due to evolutionary perspective (average number of adult males is close to ...
0
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1answer
49 views
Albino elephants
How many albino elephants are there across the world? There is no information on the total number of albino elephants across the world except for the few albino elephants captured by people.
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Tests for object size discrimination in mammals?
Are there common testing protocols for establishing whether an animal (mammals especially) can distinguish the size of objects? In particular, are there procedures or is there good literature on ways ...
8
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1answer
2k views
Picture of a camel's red blood cells
I'm an art student in need of a little help. I'm looking for microscopic pictures of camel's red blood cells, I need their shape for an art project.
The pictures I find on Google seem a little ...
