Re: Are we "special"?

Robin Gripp (tac39@dial.pipex.com)
Sat, 07 Dec 1996 13:21:17 GMT

On 6 Dec 1996 23:33:07 GMT, "Rohinton Collins"
<rohinton@collins.prestel.co.uk> wrote:

>> Somehow every once in a while people forget that kangaroos are mamals

>They're not mammals, they're marsupials.
>
>Roh

As a non-paleoanthropologist, but having a passing knowledge of
mammalian structure, I have always considered that :-

1). Mammals are specifically identified as having the capacity to
suckle their young, and are so equiped to do so through the provision
of mammary glands that produce milk via the process of lactation - as
do kangaroos.

2). Monotremes (allright, I know there are only a couple of them, but
they still exist), Marsupials and the Placental Mammals are all
mammals, no matter what level of development attained when the neonate
is first born (or even laid)

As a passing thought, if we do not think our own species to be
special - even if only to ourselves, why would we even bother to
download this newsgroup ?

Best wishes
Robin .