Mammalogy

High school (ages 12+)
Animals & Nature

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/mammalogy

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the scientific discipline?Mammalogy is the branch of zoology concerned with the study of mammals
2. What is the estimated living species?Approximately 5,416 living mammal species have been identified globally
3. What does the word "mammalogy" mean?Mammalogy is the study of mammals. The word comes from Latin for breast and Greek for study.
4. What are some special features that all mammals have?All mammals keep a steady body temperature, have hair or fur, a heart with four chambers, and a very smart brain part called the neocortex.

Endothermy: The physiological ability to generate and retain internal body heat, maintaining a stable temperature.
Adaptive Radiation: The rapid diversification of a lineage into new forms, each adapted to different ecological niches.
Ethology: The scientific study of animal behavior, particularly in natural environments.
Conservation Biology: The scientific study of the nature and status of Earth's biodiversity with the aim of protecting it.