What is the significance of mammals in nature and human life?

According to modern estimates of biology scientists, about 5.5 thousand species of mammal are represented in nature, and this man (together with higher primates and dolphins) completes this imaginary pyramid. Total, including extinct, the number of their species - more than 20 thousand (in the territory of modern Russia, there are 380 species). The main distinguishing feature, in addition to quadruple and the presence of the spine, skin and hair, is the ability to feed their babies with milk (hence the generic name). Currently, the importance and protection of mammals in the wild (and in the household) are one of the primary values for many people, because some wild species are on the verge of extinction, and some are listed in the Red Book.

Class mammals

Great importance of mammals in nature and human life. Wild species are distributed on land, air and in water almost everywhere, performing certain functions assigned to them by nature. And domesticated animals from olden times solve the problem of food and clothing for all mankind. Their appearance is quite diverse, but on the whole 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, admit in the modern science of research carriers of the rudiments of intelligence, comparable to the human. The same story is with the higher primates, who are taught to distinguish colors, melodies and even letters, using the appropriate exercises, to perform the simplest human commands.

The importance of mammals in nature

In the wild, this class performs many functions and tasks, depending on the carniness or carnivorousness of the representatives. They are mobile and consume large amounts of food, animal and vegetable, thereby already affecting the environment. The importance of mammals in nature is that they are important links in food chains. Predator mammals restrain and stabilize the reproduction and spread of carnivores. For example, wolves, recognized nurses in the forest, are removed by weak or sick individuals, which leads to a higher-quality population of certain animals. Take the wolves out of the forest, the hares begin to breed, which leads to the destruction of certain tree species, as well as cultural crops. And if foxes disappear, the mice can breed 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, conceived initially.

Sredeobrazuyuschaya role

In this respect, the importance of mammals in nature and human life is also great. Many carnivorous mammals, living in the wild, take a direct part 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, digging animals - moles or others - loosen the soil, saturating it with air, promoting fertility and reproduction of plants and other less developed animals: insects, arachnids. In turn, this contributes to filling the food chain for birds of various species. And the activity of beaver builders can change the water regimes and the landscape of the habitat itself.

Rodents

Not always the importance of mammals in nature and human life is so great, and some of the representatives of the class are causing great harm to mankind. So, for example, rodents are a real scourge of fields sowed with grain, long cultivated people. Mouse-like damage to many crops of farming, eat stems and foliage, grains and fruits. And yet, many rodents are carriers of diseases that are deadly dangerous both for humans and for 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: wiring, tele- and Internet communication.

The importance of mammals in human life

But still some mammals are of great benefit to humans. It's about pets that have been tamed by people in times immemorial. Livestock itself, as a branch of economic activity, is born when people begin to lead a more sedentary mode of existence. Ancient man catches some wild animals, gradually taming them to the domestic conditions of life. A kind of artificial selection is made, initially unconsciously. A person selects and leaves for the continuation of the genus and breeding of the offspring of the most healthy and strong animals possessing valuable qualities, which are fixed in subsequent generations. Then people began to apply already conscious selection and crossing of mammals for breeding of resistant breeds. Thus were derived varieties that possess qualities many times greater than their wild counterparts. For example, the ancestors of cows - females of the European tour - fed their offspring about three months after his birth. And modern dairy breeds can prolong this process up to 10 months (the maximum is fixed - up to a year). In doing so, they give much more milk in a single serving of feeding. Thus, the importance of mammals in human life increases with the use of modern technology.

Protein food

It is sad for some species of animals, but people need to use protein to function properly. And the most accessible and nourishing it is contained in the meat of animals. The choice of an ancient man fell on some species of mammals as a result of trial and error. Meat of predators was too hard and had a very characteristic unpleasant smell. Meat of birds was used, but the capture of some, depending on their size, was not very productive. The meat of mammals, leading a carnivorous way of life, turned out to be one of the most optimal options for both animal size and taste. It all started with hunting. Then some species of animals were caught (for example, ungulates: pigs, tours) and began to divorce artificially. So there were domesticated, tamed once mammals, used for food.

Milk 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, in the west - sheep, goat and cow milk. And sour-milk products: kefir, cottage cheese, fermented baked milk, cheese is another global importance of mammals for humans. To this day, cheeses produced in Europe, oriental ayran and suluguni, Slavonic ryazhenka from melted milk, sour cream and cottage cheese are listed all over the world. Invented in order to preserve milk longer, they became full-fledged and full-fledged products of consumption for all mankind.

Practical clothes and shoes

At a time when there were no supermarkets and boutiques, people also had to protect their body from the cold. An excellent way to become skins first wild, and then - and domesticated animals. They have become a reliable and everyday shelter from the winter cold. After people realized that to achieve the appropriate goals to kill the animal is not necessary, they began to shear the wool, using it as a clothing material.

In the household

The importance of mammals in the economy as a draft force is great. When there were no machines and mechanisms that helped to move by land, horses, camels, mules and donkeys replaced the person with these devices, moving them over fairly long distances (and also delivering all kinds of goods). Caravans connected the trading countries, and the horse troops won decisive battles. Today, in the age of high technology, the importance of mammals in nature and human life seems to be receding into the background, but still remains one of the fundamental factors in the development of civilization.