'mammal-like' is formed in English by combining 'mammal' and the suffix '-like', where 'mammal' refers to a class of warm-blooded vertebrates and '-like' means 'resembling or similar to'.

'mammal-like' was created in modern English by adding the descriptive suffix '-like' to the noun 'mammal', following a common English pattern for forming adjectives.

Initially, it meant 'resembling a mammal', and this meaning has remained consistent in modern usage.