BIO113 Studying Mammals Unit 1: A Winning Design - OPEN University

   

Open University

S182_1
10 Hours 

Level
Introductory

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Course Description

Mammals come in a bewildering variety of shapes and sizes and yet all of the 4700 or so species have some characteristics in common. Indeed, it's the existence of these common features that justifies the inclusion of all such diverse types within the single taxonomic group (or class) called the Mammalia.

This is the first in a series of units about studying mammals. To get the most from these units, you will need access to a copy of The Life of Mammals (2002) by David Attenborough, BBC Books (ISBN 0563534230), and The Life of Mammals (2002) on DVD, which contains the associated series of ten BBC TV programmes. OpenLearn unit S182_8 Studying mammals: life in the trees contains samples from the DVD set. You should begin each unit by watching the relevant TV programme on the DVD and reading the corresponding chapter in The Life of Mammals. You will be asked to rewatch specific sequences from the programme as you work through the unit.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this unit you should be able to:

  • explain the distinctive biological features of monotremes;
  • distinguish contrasting modes of reproduction in monotremes, marsupials and placental mammals;
  • describe the cellular basis of lactation and explain the benefits of an early diet of milk;
  • explain the significance of mammalian metabolic rate;
  • explain how and why the thermogenic response differs amongst species;
  • distinguish between behavioural and physiological temperature regulation;
  • describe, with examples, the insulating properties of hair;
  • distinguish between appropriate and inappropriate uses of the terms ‘primitive’ and ‘successful’.

 

Introduction

  • Introduction Resource
  • Mammals come in a bewildering variety of shapes and sizes and yet all of the 4700 or so species have some characteristics in common. Indeed, it's the existence of these common features that justifies the...

 

1 Overview

  • 1 Overview Resource
  • As you work through this unit you will come across boxes, like the one below, which give you advice about the study skills that you will be developing as you progress through the unit. To avoid breaking...

 

2 How should we think of monotremes?

  • 2 How should we think of monotremes? Resource
  • This section contains the first of the activities, Activity 1. If possible, you should do each activity as you come to it; the text that follows it assumes you have done so. However, if this is not possible,...

 

3 Reproduction in marsupials

  • 3 Reproduction in marsupials Resource
  • The study of mammals requires you to deal with measurements, which we call numerical ‘data’, and you will get practice with compiling and analysing data if you work through all the units in this series....

 

4 Milk production (lactation)

  • 4 Milk production (lactation) Resource
  • In this section, you are presented with a fairly complex diagram, Figure 1. The first thing to do when you come to any diagram is to read the caption (i.e. the title), which explains what it shows. Then...

 

5 Metabolism and body temperature

  • 5.1 Warm-blooded vs cold-blooded Resource
  • This section is concerned with another key mammalian characteristic. LoM highlights some of the essential terms and ideas – such as the notion of warm-bloodedness – but for more thorough study, some technical...
  • 5.2 Metabolism Resource
  • Scientific data are often presented in the form of a table, with the data arranged in columns (running vertically) and rows (running horizontally). You will find Table 1 below. As with diagrams, a table...
  • 5.3 Heat production Resource
  • There are two graphs in this section, Figure 2 and Figure 3. Graphs are often used to display data in a way that makes trends easier to see than in a table. Simple graphs have two axes, one running horizontally...
  • 5.4 Coping with heat Resource
  • Not only are there the mechanisms to generate extra heat, but there are cooling mechanisms too, of which sweating is just one example.

 

6 Thermoregulation and mammalian fur

  • 6 Thermoregulation and mammalian fur Resource
  • A coat of profuse mammalian body hair is commonly called fur. Fur provides insulation, which is a property that one first thinks of as useful for mammals to help retain body heat. Fur is a unique and fundamental...

 

7 What's special about placental mammals?

  • 7 What's special about placental mammals? Resource
  • As a pointer to the later units in this series, it's helpful to end this unit (as LoM and the TV programme do) by stressing the differences between marsupials and the placental mammals – the mammals that...

 

References and Acknowledgements


Citation: administrator. (2010, January 30). BIO113 Studying Mammals Unit 1: A Winning Design - OPEN University. Retrieved July 31, 2010, from Free University Courses OCW Courses OpenCourseWare Freeversity Foundation Web site: http://www.freeversity.org/science-and-mathematics/biology/bio113-studying-mammals-unit-1-a-winning-design-open-university.
Copyright 2007, by the Contributing Authors. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License. Creative Commons License