Mammal

Mammals (class Mammalia /məˈmeɪli.ə/ from Latin mamma "breast") are any members of a clade of endothermic amniotes distinguished from reptiles and birds by the possession of a neocortex (a region of the brain), hair, three middle ear bones, and mammary glands. The mammalian brain regulates body temperature and the circulatory system, including the four-chambered heart.

Mammals include the largest animals on the planet, the rorquals and other large whales, as well as some of the most intelligent, such as elephants, primates, including humans, and cetaceans. The basic body type is a four-legged land-borne animal, but some mammals are adapted for life at sea, in the air, in trees, or on two legs. The largest group of mammals, the placentals, have a placenta, which enables feeding the fetus during gestation. Mammals range in size from the 30–40 mm (1.2–1.6 in) bumblebee bat to the 33-meter (108 ft) blue whale.

The word "mammal" is modern, from the scientific name Mammalia coined by Carl Linnaeus in 1758, derived from the Latin mamma ("teat, pap"). All female mammals nurse their young with milk, which is secreted from special glands, the mammary glands. According to Mammal Species of the World, 5,416 species were known in 2006. These were grouped in 1,229 genera, 153 families and 29 orders. In 2008 the IUCN completed a five-year, 1,700-scientist Global Mammal Assessment for its IUCN Red List, which counted 5,488 accepted species.

Mammalian (film)

Mammalian is a 2010 documentary film that follows Frank Wolf and Taku Hokoyama as they take on a 2,000 km canoe journey through the largest wilderness area in North America. Their route travels from Yellowknife, YT to Rankin Inlet, NT through a region with one of the highest concentrations of land mammals on earth. The pair encounter Arctic wolves, the caribou migration, musk ox and- most importantly- make the first ever recording of a rare and elusive creature not previously thought to exist in northern Canada. With a sense of humour and purpose, they track down politicians, First Nation chiefs, elders and others living in the few communities that frame the wilderness in order to present a clear picture of the area and the issues that face the land and its people. The film was the winner of the 'Best Environment Film' at the 2011 Kendal Mountain Festival and was one of the Top Ten Most Popular Canadian Films of the 2010 Vancouver International Film Festival. It airs on CBC's documentary (TV channel) in Canada multiple times through 2013.