Quote:
Originally Posted by turf3
What exactly does the term "Mammal-like" mean when applied to a reptile?
If it nourishes its young with milk, it's a mammal. If not, it's not. Ever wonder where the term "mammal" comes from? It comes from "mammary".
OK, I read the article; an accurate headline would have been "Mammals' reptilian ancestors were much bigger than we knew" or something like that.
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Mammals like all groups have a collection of traits. Warm blooded would make a reptile more "mammal like" than a true poikilotherm. So the term "mammal like" is perfectly fine.
Besides the above definition relies on the definition of "milk". If you define milk as a parent produced material that nourishes the young and provides immunity, than there are other animals that do that. If you define milk as the liquid secreted by mammary glands than you have a circular definition, a logical fallacy.