Mammalia

Taxon level	Class
Taxon name	Mammalia
Closely related taxa
Taxon details	Depending on classification scheme, there are approximately 5,500 species (5,490, according to the IUCN Red List) of mammals, distributed in about 1,200 genera, 153 families, 29 orders The early synapsid mammalian ancestors, a group which included pelycosaurs such as Dimetrodon, diverged from the amniote line that would lead to reptiles at the end of the Carboniferous period. Although they were preceded by many diverse groups of non-mammalian synapsids (sometimes misleadingly referred to as mammal-like reptiles), the first true mammals appeared 220 million years ago in the Triassic period.	Wikipedia entry
Taxon morphology details	Mammals are a class of air-breathing vertebrate animals characterized by the (1) possession of hair, (2) three middle ear bones -malleus, incus and stapes, (3) a neocortex, and (4) mammary glands functional in mothers with young. Mammalian fossils, however, are identified by the presence of the incus and malleus bones in the middle ear. Most mammals also possess sweat glands and specialized teeth, and the largest group of mammals, the placentals, have a placenta which feeds the offspring during gestation. The mammalian brain regulates endothermic and circulatory systems, including a four-chambered heart. Mammals range in size from the 30–40 millimeter (1- to 1.5-inch) Bumblebee Bat to the 33-meter (108-foot) Blue Whale. (Source:Wikipedia)	Wikipedia entry
Species belonging to this taxon	Acinonyx jubatus (Cheetah), Ailurus fulgens (Red Panda), Antilope cervicapra (Blackbuck), Arctictis binturong (Binturong, Asian Bearcat,Palawan Bearcat), Arctogalidia trivirgata (Small-toother palm civit), Axis axis (Chital, Cheetal, Chital stag,Spotted deer,Axis deer), Axis porcinus (Hog Deer), Balaena mysticetus (Bowhead whale, Greenland right whale, Arctic whale), Balaenoptera acutorostrata (Northern minke whale, Common minke whale), Balaenoptera borealis (Sei whale), Balaenoptera edeni (Bryde's whale), Balaenoptera musculus (Blue whale), Balaenoptera physalus (Finback whale, Fin whale, Razorback, Common rorqual), Bos frontalis (Gaur, Indian bison), Bos grunniens (Yak,Grunting ox), Boselaphus tragocamelus (Nilgai,Blue bull), Bubalis bubalis (Water buffalo,Wild Asian buffalo,Wild Asiatic buffalo), Budorcas taxicolor (Takin), Canis aureus (Golden Jackal), Canis lupus (Gray Wolf), Capra falconeri (Markhor), Capra sibirica (Siberian Ibex), Caprolagus hispidus (Hispid Hare, Bristly Rabbit, Assam Rabbit), Caracal caracal (Caracal, Persian Cat), Catopuma temminckii (Asian Golden Cat, Temminck's Golden Cat), Cervus elaphus (Kashmir Stag, Hangul, Red Deer), Cervus eldi (Eld's Deer, Thamin, Brow-antlered Deer), Cervus unicolor (Sambar), Crocidura andamanensis (Andaman shrew), Crocidura attenuata (Asian grey shrew), Crocidura fuliginosa (Southeast Asian Shrew), Crocidura hispida (Andaman spiny shrew), Crocidura jenkinsi (Jenkin's Shrew), Crocidura nicobarica (Nicobar Shrew), Crocidura pergrisea (Kashmir rock shrew), Crocidura pullata (Dusky shrew), Cuon alpinus (Dhole), Delphinus delphis (Saddle-backed dolphin), Dugong dugon (Dugong), Elephas maximus (Indian Elephant, Asian Elephant), Equus hemionus (Dziggetai, Onager, Wild Asian Ass), Equus kiang (Kiang, Tibetan wild ass), Felis chaus (Jungle Cat), Felis manul (Pallas's Cat, Manul), Felis silvestris (Common Wild Cat), Globicephala macrorhynchus (Short-finned pilot whale), Helarctos malayanus (Malayan Sun bear, Sun bear), Hyaena hyaena (Striped hyaena), Hylobates hoolock (White-browed Gibbon, Hoolock gibbon), Kogia breviceps (Pygmy sperm whale) … further results