What is Eutheria?
Q: What is Eutheria?
A: Eutheria is the taxonomical name for the main group of living mammals. It includes placental mammals, of which humans are one species.
Q: Who introduced the term 'Eutheria'?
A: The term 'Eutheria' was introduced by Thomas Henry Huxley in 1880.
Q: Where can members of Eutheria be found?
A: Members of Eutheria are now found on all continents and in all oceans.
Q: How do eutherians differ from other mammal groups?
A: All living eutherians are placental mammals, meaning that a eutherian fetus is fed during gestation by a placenta and offspring are carried in the mother's uterus until fully developed. Other mammal groups such as monotremes and marsupials (like the earliest eutherians) are not placentals; monotremes lay eggs to protect their young until they are fully developed, while marsupials give birth to young who move to a special pouch in the mother's body to continue their development.
Q: What is an example of an early eutherian species?
A: The earliest known eutherian species is the extinct Eomaia scansoria from the Lower Cretaceous in China.
Q: Are there any non-placental early eutherians?
A: A few early eutherians in the Lower Cretaceous were not placentals; however, all living Eutharians are placental mammals.
