In certain groups ( in particular) the skin of the face is under intricate muscular control, and movements of the skin express and communicate emotion. In many mammals the colour and pattern of the pelage are important in communicative behaviour. Patterns may be startling (dymantic), as seen in the mane of the male or , warning (sematic), as seen in the bold pattern of , or concealing (), perhaps the most common adaptation of pelage colour. Hair has been secondarily lost or considerably reduced in some kinds of mammals. In adult insulation is provided by thick subcutaneous fat deposits, or blubber, with hair limited to a few stiff about the mouth. The bare skin is one of a number of features that contribute to the remarkably advanced hydrodynamics of in the group. Some (fossorial) mammals also tend toward reduction of the hair. This is shown most strikingly by the of northeastern , but considerable loss of hair has also occurred in some of . Hair may also be lost on restricted areas of the skin, as from the face in many or the buttocks of , and may be sparse on and such highly modified species as and . Continuous growth of hair (), as seen on the heads of humans, is rare among mammals. Hairs with are subject to wear and must be replaced periodically—a process termed . The first coat of a young mammal is referred to as the juvenal pelage, which typically is of fine texture like the underfur of adults and is replaced by a postjuvenile molt. Juvenal pelage is succeeded either directly by adult pelage or by the subadult pelage, which in some species is not markedly distinct from that of the adult. Once this pelage has been acquired, molting continues to recur at intervals, often annually or semiannually and sometimes more frequently. The pattern of molt typically is orderly, but it varies widely between species. Some mammals apparently molt continuously, with a few hairs at a time replaced throughout the year. African lionA yawning African lion (Panthera leo) showing its long canine teeth.(more)Specialization in food habits has led to profound dental changes. The primitive mammalian had high, sharp cusps and served to tear flesh or crush (primarily the of terrestrial , such as insects). Herbivores tend to have specialized cheek teeth with complex patterns of contact (occlusion) and various ways of expanding the crowns of the teeth and circumventing the problem of wear. mammals, such as bears, pigs, and humans, tend to have molars with low, rounded cusps, termed . A prime example of convergence in conjunction with dietary specialization is seen in those mammals adapted to feeding on and termites, a specialization generally termed myrmecophagy (“ant eating”). Trends frequently associated with myrmecophagy include strong claws, an elongate rounded , a wormlike extensible tongue, marked reduction in the mandible (lower ), and loss or extreme simplification of the teeth (dentition). This habit has led to remarkably similar morphology among animals as diverse as the (a monotreme), the (a marsupial), the (a ), the (a tubulidentate), and the (a pholidotan). Specialized herbivores evolved early in mammalian history. The extinct were the earliest mammalian herbivores and have the longest evolutionary history, lasting more than 100 million years from 178 million to 50 million years ago. Multituberculate fossils, such as those of , dated to the (66–56 million years ago) of , have been found on all continents. Similarities in teeth not due to common ancestry have occurred widely in herbivorous groups. Most herbivores have incisors modified for nipping or gnawing, have lost teeth with the resultant development of a gap () in the tooth row, and exhibit some molarization (expansion and flattening) of premolars to expand the grinding surface of the cheek teeth. Rootless incisors or cheek teeth have evolved frequently, their open pulp cavity allowing continual growth throughout life. Herbivorous specializations have evolved independently in multituberculates, rodents, lagomorphs, primates, and the wide diversity of and subungulate orders. , There are seventy-two species of wild mammals presently found in the province, out of approximately 4,400 known in the world. [1] Saskatchewan recognizes one species as its official mammal, the white-tail deer. Provincial law protects numerous species. Those considered threatened species are denoted by (T) and those considered endangered , The species does not meet any of the criteria that would categorise it as risking extinction but it is likely to do so in the future. LC: Least concern: There are no current identifiable risks to the species. DD: Data deficient: There is inadequate information to make an assessment of the risks to this species..