Questions tagged [mammals]
For questions about mammals as they evolved on Earth. This may include, but is not limited to, warm-bloodedness, the possession of fur, the ability to secrete milk, and the bearing of live young.
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How Would the Multituberculates Survive Longer Than in Our Timeline?
In exploring likely candidates for an alternate Earth without rodents, someone suggested multituberculates to me. Here's a little summary as to who the multituberculates were for anyone not in the ...
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Adjusting from Quadruped to Biped [closed]
You are a intelligent adult quadruped; suddenly, you find yourself in a humanoid body due to magic! How long does it take you to learn how to move in your new body?
Imagine a race of sapient ...
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Egg pouch: Chest or Abdomen? [closed]
My aliens in my generation ship story are reptilian with some mammal characteristics.
They have 2 hands, each of which has 6 fingers. 2 of those fingers are thumbs and the thumbs are on opposite ...
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Could an Ice Age Extinction Wipe Out All Marsupials?
Say the word "Australia", and one of the first things to come to your mind would be the marsupials.
Of the 334 species of pouched mammals whose earliest ancestors witnessed the fall of the dinosaur ...
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Is the evolution of my aliens realistic?
So, I have thought about the evolution of my aliens and how they could evolve things like lactation but still retain their reptilian characteristics.
Here is my best thought about it so far:
...
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Whale-Tail and Seal-Legs in One Animal
In marine mammals, there are two different body types for two different niches:
A long, strong tail for all-marine whales...
...and all four legs modified into flippers for pinnipeds that feed in ...
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Can Pinnipeds Fit in a Worm Forest?
In an alternate Earth, coral has been extinct for over 400 million years. In their place were the following:
Bivalvia (clams, oysters, mussels)
Cirripedia (barnacles)
Canalipalpata (bristle-foot or ...
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What would mammalian dinosaurs look like? [closed]
Here's a crazy idea: What if there were mammals that were designed similarly to dinosaurs? Similar proportions, similar accessories, maybe even similar size...
I was thinking of species to add to my ...
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Gorilla + Orangutan = The Best of Both Worlds
In the great apes, there are two worlds--ground and treetop. Representing the ground is the largest primate on Earth, the genus Gorilla. Representing the treetops is genus Pongo, the orangutan.
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How will these mammal-bugs retain their bug-like features?
As a sequel to my first question, I have decided to ask another! Let's say, that these bugs have evolved to look completely like a mammal. Fur, skin, eyes, etc. What about their internal biology could ...
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Humanity Without STIs [closed]
In the history of disease, ranking high among the list of most deadly are the rogues gallery of sexually transmitted infections--syphilis, genital herpes, chlamydia, gonorrhea, HIV and especially AIDS....
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Ivory Headgear--Likely or Not?
My apologies for not giving you a larger image, but it does show you a compare-and-contrast on what horn is in comparison to what antler is. Basically, it's just a piece of bone covered in softer ...
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A monkey-like creature with no legs?
Is it possible that a monkey-like creature, in the mountains, could evolve to have no legs and a really strong set of fore-arms? I was thinking that this might be possible because of the climbing ...
user18912
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Pinniped Creodonts
Here is all you need to know about the creodonts:
They were a group of carnivorous mammals that, despite having carnassials, had no relation to Carnivora.
They were a global force, occupying ...
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If Mermaids Were Sea Lions Instead of Fish [closed]
The most popular image of the mermaid is a half-girl, half-fish beauty. Biologically, physiologically and evolutionarily, this sort of mixing is 0% compatible.
I'm also not going for the half-girl, ...
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I want to steal a dolphin from captivity and release him in open water. What do I need to know? [closed]
I don't actually want to do this, but I'm writing a story and I'd like it to be scientifically accurate. A marine biologist will be doing the heist, so any advanced and cool knowledge is welcome.
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How many languages would it take to unite the Mammal Kingdom?
The mammilia class is tired of just being a class. They want to be a kingdom. However the problem is: they can't communicate very well. The humans didn't want to give up their powerful syntax, but the ...
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