Relate selected early morphological developments in the ancestors of mammals to the demands of endothermic homeothermy. Solution Endothermic organisms are those organisms that maintain constant body temperature irrespective of the environmental temperature. This constant regulation of temperature (Homeothermy) is due to well developed metabolism in Mammales. Mitochondria play a crucial role in maintain Homeothermy Mammals evolved from a group of reptiles called the synapsids. A branch of the synapsids called the therapsids appeared by the middle of the Permian Period (275 to 225 million years ago). Over millions of years some of thetherapsids would evolve many features that would later be associated with mammals. The hallmarks of today\'s mammals are presence of hair, warm blood and milk-producing glands. - Some dinosaurs, such as the Stegosaurus and Dimetrodon, supported large plates or sails of skin, developed to function as solar panels, absorbing the sun\'s heat for quick mobilization. However, during the period of dinosaurs, some of the sail-backed pelycosaurs (which includes the Dimetrodon) lost their sails. It would be improbable that such an effective heating mechanism would be lost through evolution unless a more efficient method of heat control had evolved to replace it. It is therefore reasonable to supposed that the pelycosaurs and their successors, the therapsids, were to some degree endothermic. The therapsids, being only three feet long, would need some form of body insulation if it was to be effective. Thus, it is reasonable to conclude that some of these creatures were covered in hair, or fur..

1. Relate selected early morphological developments in the ancestors of mammals to the demands
of endothermic homeothermy.
Solution
Endothermic organisms are those organisms that maintain constant body temperature irrespective
of the environmental temperature. This constant regulation of temperature (Homeothermy) is due
to well developed metabolism in Mammales. Mitochondria play a crucial role in maintain
Homeothermy
Mammals evolved from a group of reptiles called the synapsids. A branch of the synapsids called
the therapsids appeared by the middle of the Permian Period (275 to 225 million years ago).
Over millions of years some of thetherapsids would evolve many features that would later be
associated with mammals.
The hallmarks of today's mammals are presence of hair, warm blood and milk-producing glands.
- Some dinosaurs, such as the Stegosaurus and Dimetrodon, supported large plates or sails of
skin, developed to function as solar panels, absorbing the sun's heat for quick mobilization.
However, during the period of dinosaurs, some of the sail-backed pelycosaurs (which includes
the Dimetrodon) lost their sails. It would be improbable that such an effective heating
mechanism would be lost through evolution unless a more efficient method of heat control had
evolved to replace it. It is therefore reasonable to supposed that the pelycosaurs and their
successors, the therapsids, were to some degree endothermic. The therapsids, being only three
feet long, would need some form of body insulation if it was to be effective. Thus, it is
reasonable to conclude that some of these creatures were covered in hair, or fur.