According to modern estimates of biologists, there are about 5.5 thousand species of mammals in nature, and man himself completes this imaginary pyramid (along with higher primates and dolphins). The total number of their species, including extinct ones, is more than 20 thousand (380 species live on the territory of modern Russia). The main distinguishing feature, in addition to quadrupeds and the presence of a spine, skin and hairline, is the ability to feed their babies with milk (hence the generalizing name). Currently, the importance and protection of mammals in the wild (and in the household) are of paramount importance for many people, because some wild species are on the verge of extinction, and some are listed in the Red Book.
Class Mammals
The importance of mammals in nature and human life is great. Wild species are distributed on land, air and water almost everywhere, performing certain functions assigned to them by nature. And domesticated animals have been solving the problem of food and clothing for all mankind since ancient times. Their appearancequite diverse, but in general they correspond to the type of structure of the four-legged inhabitants of the planet Earth. It is characteristic that this class is recognized by scientists as the most highly organized. And its most developed representatives, for example, dolphins, are recognized in modern research science as carriers of the rudiments of intelligence comparable to that of a human. The same story is with the higher primates, who, with the help of appropriate exercises, are taught to distinguish colors, melodies and even letters, to execute the simplest human commands.
The Importance of Mammals in Nature
In the wild, this class performs many functions and tasks, depending on the predatory or carnivorous representatives. They are mobile and consume a large amount of food, animal and vegetable, thereby already influencing the environment. The importance of mammals in nature lies in the fact that they are important links in food chains. Mammalian predators deter and stabilize the reproduction and spread of carnivores. For example, wolves, generally recognized orderlies in the forest, remove weak or sickly individuals, which leads to a higher quality population of certain animals. Remove wolves from the forest, hares begin to breed, which leads to the destruction of certain tree species, as well as cultural crops. And if the foxes disappear, then the mice can multiply so that the grain will not have time to ripen in the fields. In nature, everything is interconnected, and the absence of a predator means a violation of a certain balance, originally conceived.
Environment-forming role
In this regard, the importance of mammals in nature and human life is also great. Many carnivorous mammals living in the wild are directly involved in the reproduction and development of plants, carrying seeds and fruits. And some play an invaluable role in the formation of the habitat. For example, burrowing animals - moles or others - loosen the soil, saturating it with air, helping to increase the fertility and reproduction of plants and other less developed animals: insects, arachnids. In turn, this contributes to the filling of the food chain for birds of various species. And the activity of construction beavers can change the water regimes and the landscape of the habitat itself.
Rodents
The importance of mammals in nature and human life is not always so great, and some of the representatives of the class cause great harm to humanity. So, for example, rodents are a real misfortune of fields sown with cereals, cultivated by people for a long time. Mouse-like damage many crops of agricultural plants, eat stems and foliage, grains and fruits. And yet, many rodents are carriers of diseases that are deadly for both humans and domestic animals. Scientists believe that the European plague epidemics in the Middle Ages, for example, were provoked by a huge population of rats and mice that inhabited cities and villages. In the modern world, rats and mice also cause significant harm, damaging communications laid in tunnels and underground: electrical wiring, television and Internet communications.
The importance of mammals inhuman life
But still, some mammals are of great benefit to humans. We are talking about domestic animals tamed by people in time immemorial. Livestock itself, as a branch of economic activity, is born when people begin to lead a more sedentary way of existence. An ancient man catches some wild animals, gradually taming them to domestic living conditions. A kind of artificial selection is made, at first unconsciously. A person selects and leaves for procreation and breeding of the most he althy and strong animals with valuable qualities that are fixed in subsequent generations. Then people began to use the already conscious selection and crossing of mammals to develop resistant breeds. So varieties were bred with qualities many times greater than their wild counterparts. For example, the ancestors of cows - females of the European tour - fed their offspring for about three months after their birth. And modern dairy breeds can prolong this process up to 10 months (the maximum recorded is up to a year). At the same time, they give much more milk in a single serving of feeding. Thus, the importance of mammals in human life is increasing through the use of modern technology.
Protein food
Sad as it may be for some animal species, humans need protein to function properly. And the most accessible and satisfying it is found in the meat of animals. The choice of an ancient man fell on some speciesmammals as a result of trial and error. The meat of predators was too tough and had a very characteristic unpleasant odor. Bird meat was consumed, but the capture of some, depending on their size, was not very productive. The meat of mammals leading a carnivorous lifestyle turned out to be one of the best options both in terms of animal size and taste. It all started with a hunt. Then some species of animals were caught (for example, ungulates: pigs, tours) and began to be bred artificially. This is how domesticated, once tamed mammals used for food appeared.
Dairy products
One of the most ancient is the importance of mammals for humans as producers of such a nutritious product as milk. In the east - koumiss and camel milk, in the west - sheep, goat and cow milk. And fermented milk products: kefir, cottage cheese, fermented baked milk, cheese are another global importance of mammals for humans. To this day, cheeses produced in Europe, oriental ayran and suluguni, Slavic fermented baked milk, sour cream and cottage cheese are quoted all over the world. Invented so that milk could be stored longer, they have become full-fledged and full-fledged consumer products for all mankind.
Practical clothes and shoes
In a time when there were no supermarkets and boutiques, people also had to protect their bodies from the cold. Skins, first of wild, and then of domesticated animals, became an excellent way. It was they who became a reliable and everyday shelter from the winter cold. Afterpeople realized that it was not at all necessary to kill an animal in order to achieve the corresponding goals, they began to shear wool, using it as a clothing material.
On the farm
The importance of mammals in the economy as a draft force is great. When there were no machines and mechanisms to help move on land, horses, camels, mules and donkeys replaced these devices for a person, moving him over rather long distances (as well as delivering all sorts of goods). Caravans connected trading countries, and cavalry troops won decisive battles. Today, in the age of high technology, the importance of mammals in nature and human life seems to fade into the background, but still remains one of the fundamental factors in the development of civilization.
