Final answer:
Compound adjectives should be hyphenated when used before a noun as a single modifier.
Step-by-step explanation:
Compound adjectives are adjectives that are made up of two or more words combined to describe a noun. These adjectives work together to provide more detail about the characteristics or qualities of the noun they modify. Compound adjectives are often hyphenated to clarify their combined meaning.
In the given sentence, the compound adjectives are "four-footed" and "two-footed." Since these adjectives are used before a noun to describe it as a single modifier, they should be hyphenated. Therefore, the correct sentence would be:
Most mammals are quadrupeds, or four-footed creatures; humans, however, are bipeds because they walk on two feet.