Page 8 - Mammal (DK Eyewitness)

The mammal world

Humans are only one of perhaps 10 million different species, or types, of animals in the
world. With some animals we may feel uneasy, even though there is no reason: a harmless
snake, perhaps, or a slimy snail. Yet others seem to demand our interest. Bush babies, seal cubs,
dolphins, kittens, and koalas - we are drawn by their furriness and their warm bodies, and
the way the mother looks after her babies. These are things that we recognize in ourselves, and
by them we show our membership in the mammal group. For, however much we raise
ourselves above our relatives, the human species is just one of
the 4,000 or so mammal species on our planet. So what is a
mammal? One, mammals have fur or hair. Many have it
all over their bodies; we do too, although it shows
the most on our heads. Two, mammals are warm-
blooded. A more correct term would be

REACHING OUT FOR RELATIVES
To the untrained eye, this 15-month-old baby
human and 2-year-old chimp look quite different.
Yet chimps are probably our closest living relatives.
They share 99 percent of our genes. Their body
structure is startlingly similar to ours. Their behavior,
too, is full of “human” traits. A chimp can solve
problems, talk in sign language, and make and use
tools. As our knowledge widens, it seems that in
many ways humans are not as distinctive among
mammals as we once thought.

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