Mammal vs. Marsupial — What's the Difference?

Mammals (from Latin mamma, 'breast') are a group of vertebrate animals constituting the class Mammalia (), and characterized by the presence of mammary glands which in females produce milk for feeding (nursing) their young, a neocortex (a region of the brain), fur or hair, and three middle ear bones. These characteristics distinguish them from reptiles and birds, from which they diverged in the Carboniferous, over 300 million years ago.

Marsupials are any members of the mammalian infraclass Marsupialia. All extant marsupials are endemic to Australasia and the Americas.

Any of various warm-blooded vertebrate animals of the class Mammalia, including humans, characterized by a covering of hair on the skin and, in the female, milk-producing mammary glands for nourishing the young.

Any of various nonplacental mammals of the infraclass Metatheria, including kangaroos, opossums, bandicoots, and wombats, found principally in Australia and the Americas, and typically bearing young that suckle and develop after birth in the mother's pouch. These species were formerly placed in the order Marsupialia.

An animal of the class Mammalia, characterized by being warm-blooded, having hair and producing milk with which to feed its young.

Of or belonging to the infraclass Metatheria.

(paleontology) A vertebrate with three bones in the inner ear and one in the jaw.

Relating to or having a marsupium.

One of the Mammalia.

A mammal of which the female has a pouch in which it rears its young, which are born immature, through early infancy, such as kangaroos or koalas, or else pouchless members of the Marsupialia like shrew opossums.

Any warm-blooded vertebrate having the skin more or less covered with hair; young are born alive except for the small subclass of monotremes and nourished with milk

Of or pertaining to a marsupial.

(anatomy) Of or relating to a marsupium.

Having a pouch for carrying the immature young; of or pertaining to the Marsupialia.

Of or pertaining to a marsupium; as, the marsupial bones.

One of the Marsupialia.

Mammals of which the females have a pouch (the marsupium) containing the teats where the young are fed and carried

Of or relating to the marsupials;