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mammalian

mammalian

7 4.8
Animals with hair or fur that feed their babies with milk from their mother
  • adjective
  • /məˈmeɪliən/
  • Specialized
translation icon : mamífero
  • The characteristics of mammalian species include fur, warm-bloodedness, and live births.
  • mammalian predators
  • mammalian carnivores
  • mammalian species

And it turns out that that's true in all mammalian species except two.

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Examples

  • Sleep, at least in humans and in fact in all mammalian species, is broadly separated into two main types.

  • I know that all mammalian species have REM sleep.

  • So the mammalian brain does not speak English in any way.

  • Their research will also help us better understand the molecular nature and development of mammalian hair cells.

    Academic text (2004)
  • It's the oldest mammalian derived life form that we know of.

  • I came here to get my masters and my PhD in mammalian biology.

  • And it turns out that that's true in all mammalian species except two.

  • Neurobiologists previously believed neurogenesis in the mammalian central nervous system generally stopped just after birth.

    Academic text (1992)
  • The very question reveals something of our own mammalian bias, with its mandatory maternal care of young.

    Academic text (1990)
  • To my mind, lekking is the most puzzling of all mammalian mating systems.

    Academic text (1991)

Surface Forms

mammalian positive

Morphology

mammalian = mammal (transparent) = mammal + ian

The adjective is directly formed from the noun 'mammal' with a standard relational suffix '-ian', so the meaning is predictable from the base.

Etymology

The word mammalian comes from mammal, which comes from the Latin mamma meaning 'breast'. So mammalian describes animals that feed their young with milk from the mother.