Hello, you have come here looking for the meaning of the word marine mammal. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word marine mammal, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say marine mammal in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word marine mammal you have here. The definition of the word marine mammal will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition ofmarine mammal, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.
A baby seal being breastfed. Marine mammals, like terrestrial mammals, breastfeed their young.One marine mammal (a killer whale), hunting another (a Weddell seal). Seals are not closely related to whales; the two groups became marine independently.
1857 April, Philippe de Kerhallet, “The Atlantic Ocean”, in Edinburgh Review, volume CV, number CCXIV, page 371:
The influence of the temperature of the Gulf-stream upon animal life in the ocean is very curious. The whale so sedulously shuns its warm waters, as almost to indicate their track by its absence ; while yet abundantly found on each side of it. The physical reasons are doubtless the same which prevent this great marine mammal from ever crossing the equator from one hemisphere to the other — a fact now well ascertained.
