Characterization of the microsatellite landscape provides insights into the evolutionary dynamics of the mammals based on the chromosome-level genomes

•We analyze the distribution and variation of P-SSR in 81 mammals of 13 orders.•Our results explain the contribution of SSR to mammalian evolution to some extent.•The number of SSRs decreased with the increase of repetition times.•The proportion and dominant repeat units of different P-SSRs varied among mammals.•Signal transduction played an important role in mammalian life activities.