Question

Which of the following is not a mammal?

• A. Anteater
• B. Bat
• C. Platypus
• D. Shark

Answer 1

The correct option is D

Shark

The correct option is D.

The explanation for the correct option:

1. The shark is a fish, not a mammal.
2. Sharks are cold-blooded animals.
3. They are a unique kind of fish, whose body is formed of cartilage in place of bones like other fishes.
4. They are classified under elasmobranch.
5. They possess gills for breathing purposes.
6. The explanation for the incorrect options:

Option A:

1. Mammals are placed under the class Mammalia and are categorized under the vertebrate group.
2. Vertebrates are the species that comprise an internal backbone surrounded by bone.
3. Mammals are warm-blooded organisms, have mammary glands, possess hairs on the body, and exhibit a developed brain.
4. Anteaters are the mammal species coming under the suborder Vermilingua, which means worm tongue.
5. They are commonly known for eating termites and ants.

Option B:

1. Bats are mammals, which come under the order Chiroptera.
2. Their forelimbs are transformed into wings, which makes them the only mammals possessing the tendency to fly.

Option C:

1. The platypus (Ornithorynchus anaticus) also known as the duck-billed platypus is a semiaquatic, egg-laying mammal, which is endemic to parts of Australia.
2. It is considered the connecting link between mammals and reptiles.
3. It exhibits mammalian characteristics like hair, diaphragm, mammary gland, single aortic arch, etc.
4. The reptilian character shown by it is the presence of a large coracoid in the pectoral girdle and laying eggs with shell and yolk.

Final answer: Shark is not a mammal.