• Question: why are all mammals different even though they were created from the same thing?

    Asked by oliviaeganx to Damien, Suzi, Tim on 23 Jun 2011.
    • Photo: Suzi Gage

      Suzi Gage answered on 23 Jun 2011:

      Hi @oliviaeganx

      Great question! The reason that all mammals evolved slightly differently from each other depends on the environment that they were in. If all mammals had stayed in one place and not split in to groups, we would still all be the same (although different from how we were back then!).

      As different groups went to different places, different abilities became more useful, so animals with these skills did better, reproduced more, and became different from other mammals. So a group that ended up in a forest may have evolved to have sharper claws to help them climb, ones that evolved in a desert may have evolved to need to drink less water, or be able to store it better (like camels).

      I hope this answers your question – let me know if you’d like more info!

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