Physiology, Ethology, and Ecology of mammals

About the Study

Mammalogy is the study of mammals, a group of animals having features including fur, a fosur-chambered heart, and complex nervous systems. Mammalogy is a branch of zoology. Quadrupeds are the most common body form, and most animals move on land by using all four of their extremities. Shrews have a maximum life span of two years, while bowhead whales have a maximum life span of 211 years. With the exception of the five species of monotremes, which are egg-laying mammals, all modern mammals give birth to live infants. The cohort of mammals known as placentals, which has the highest diversity of species, has a placenta that allows the foetus to be fed throughout gestation. The terms "Mastology," "Theriology," and "Therology" have all been used to refer to mammalogy.

Although the list of mammal species on the planet is continually expanding, it is presently at 6,495, including recently extinct species. On Earth, there are 5,416 identified living mammals, and since 2006, 1,251 have been found for the first time. Natural history, taxonomy and systematics, anatomy and physiology, ethology, ecology, management, and control are the main subfields of mammalogy. Typical tasks for mammalogists include preparing proposals, managing staff, and doing research. Mammals are studied and observed by a mammalogist. Mammals can be studied to learn about their habitats, ecosystem contributions, interactions, and morphology and physiology. Within the field of mammals, a mammalogist is capable of performing a wide range of tasks.

Primatology (the study of primates) and cetology are two subfields of mammalogy that are taxonomically focused (study of cetaceans). Mammalogy, like other fields of study, is a subfield of zoology, which itself is a subfield of biology, the study of all living things.

The ancient Greeks were the first people known to have studied animals, and they left behind records on both local and non-native mammals. Since the majority of research was conducted using taxonomy up until the 18th century, Aristotle was one of the first to recognise whales and dolphins as mammals.

Since Carl Linnaeus first defined the class of mammals, the categorization of mammals has undergone numerous changes, and no methodology is now accepted by all scientists. Recent compendiums by McKenna, Bell, Wilson and Reeder are both helpful. Up to the end of the 20^th century, Systematics of animal origins and relationships has been introduced around the world. However, after 1945, a significant amount of fresh knowledge and more thorough data has steadily been discovered: The paleontological record has been modified, and in the years thereafter, there has been much discussion and advancement about the theoretical foundations of systematisation itself, in largely due to the novel idea of cladistics.

The Neolithic Revolution could see primary means of human subsistence shift from hunting and gathering to farming as a result of human domestication of numerous species of mammals. Due to this, human societies underwent a significant transformation from nomadic to sedentary, increasing cooperation among increasingly large groups and ultimately leading to the creation of the first civilizations. Animals that have been domesticated have provided and still offer energy for transportation, agriculture, food (meat and dairy products), fur, and leather. Additionally, mammals are utilised as model creatures in science and are hunted and raced for entertainment. Since the Paleolithic era, mammals have been portrayed in art. They also feature in literature, mythology, and religion.