Exam 2 Flashcards
what is a mammal?
- warm blooded
- fur/hair
- some development inside of mother (live birth)
- milk
- three middle ear bones
warm-blooded animals
maintain a constant body temperature, typically above that of the surroundings by metabolic means
cold-blooded animals
having a body temperature varying with that of the environment
endothermy
- means of thermoregulation
- the ability to control body temperature through internal means
- means include shivering, increasing metabolism
- difficult to disentangle structures and functions responsible for or merely affected by endothermic physiology
adaptions that coincide with warm-bloodness
- more efficient metabolism
- greater oxygen intake abilities and nutrient uptake
- large lungs, diaphragm, improved circulation
- more efficient method of removing waste, improvements to kidneys and the separation of urinary and fecal tracts
adaption of fur-hair
thought to be an insulating mechanism, helps to retain the heat your body generates and plays a sensory role (whiskers)
adaption of scales/plates
absorb sun’s heat for quicker mobilization - important if you rely on external heat for energy as reptiles
what are the three live birth subdivisions of mammals?
- monotremes
- marsupials
- placentals/eutherins
monotremes
- echidnas, platypus
- lay eggs into pouch
marsupials
- kangaroos, opossums
- birth live young, carry in pouch
placentals/eutherians
- elephants, primates
- presence of a placental facilitates exchange of nutrients and wastes between the mother and fetus
- offspring gestate entirely inside the mother and acts as a blood barrier
milk production
- a nutritious liquid produced by the mammary glands of mammals
- the primary source of nutrition for infant mammals
- genetic evidence of a tradeoff reduced number of egg yolk genes coincides with the arrival of milk producing genes
what are the three middle ear bones?
- malleus, incus, and stapes
- one lower and one upper jaw bone connected to the existing stapes
what is the purpose of the ear bones?
- ossicles
- a series of levers that improve transmission of sound from the eardrum to the inner ear, and increase frequency limits
- match the vibrations in the air to vibrations to liquid in the cochlea
- reptiles retain only the stapes
what are the nocturnal adaptions?
- warm bloodedness (you don’t need the sun directly for energy)
- insulation
- increase reliance on olfaction, hearing, and touch, decreased reliance on vision
what did early mammals look like?
- very small
what is kay’s threshold?
about 500 grams
who were the first mammals?
- synapsids
- therapsids
synapsids
a group of mammal-like reptile
- 310-275 mya
therapsids
a branch of synapsids with mammal-like features
- 275-225 mya
when were mammals as we know them today in the fossil record?
- between 180 to 130 mya
- mainly small, shrew-like mammals
when did mammals start to become common? why?
- mammals were not as common before 65 mya (cretaceous-paleogene boundary) but then explodes afterwards
- KT boundary
- many niches were left unoccupied for mammals to exploit
when did primates start to appear?
eocene - paleocene
56.5-65 mya
lepticidium
x
paleochiroptyrix
x
propalaeotherium
x
darwinius
x
how are order defined?
by their relatedness
- generally identified by suites of characteristics they share
rodentia
- gnawing mammals, incisors continue to grow throughout their lives
- squirrels, mice, rats
chiroptera
- only flying mammals, the wings are actually skin stretched between their phalanges
- also have echolocation for night hunting
cetacea
- aquatic mammals, blowhole, echolocation
- dolphins, porpoises, whales
proboscidea
- trunks, tusks,
- only found in africa and asia
- elephants
what does primitive mean?
- more closely related resembling the common ancestor to the group (ancestral trait)
- does not mean less successful or less evolved
what are the 13 primate features?
- pentadactyly
- opposable thumb/toe
- nails instead of claws
- retention of clavicle
- two separate bones in the forearm and leg
- reduced snout/olfaction
- generalized skeleton
- generalized dentition
- bony eye socket
- petrosal bulla
- expansion and increased complexity of the brain
- life history
- forward facing eyes
pentadactyly
5 fingered
opposable thumb/toe
- thumb can reach finger tips
- allows grabbing and grasping
what primates are the exception to the opposable thumb/toe?
- gibbons lost both
- humans do not have an opposable toe
nails instead of claws
- essential for grip
- found on atleast on digit of all primates
two separate bones in the forearm and leg
allows for greater flexibility and turning
reduced snount/olfaction
- olfaction bulbs smaller
- face gets shorter and flatter
- decreased reliance on smell/scent communication, scent based-location of food, instead rely more on vision
generalized skeleton
unspecialized skeleton allows for variety of locomotion
generalized dentition
- heterodont (incisors, canines, premolars, and molars)
- dental formula varies
- general teeth reflect varied diet (most primates are omnivores)
bony eye socket
protects the eyes
petrosal bulla
- small bony cover that protects the inner ear
- only trait unique to primates
- other mammals have an auditory bulla
expansion and increased complexity of the brain
- reduced olfactory region
- increased cerebrum
- larger brains relative to body size
life history
- longer lived than most mammals
- longer gestation (later age at first birth and fewer offspring)
- longer period of dependency
- brain growth and learning
- born altrical
forward facing eyes
better depth perception and total visual field
superfamily: lemuroidea
includes all the lemurs from madagascar
- lepilemuridae
- lemuridae
- indriidae
- cheirogaleidae
- daubentoniidae
madagascar
4th largest island on earth
- 450 km off east coast of africa
- endemic mammals with extraordinary diversity (lemurs are critically endangered)
- primates in all habitat types
fossil record of madagascar
- breaks off from india 120 mya
- first fossil evidence of primates from as early as 60 mya
how did primates get to the island of madagascar?
- The early primates that colonized Madagascar were
small, with nocturnal features - The likely floated across the Mozambique channel
(which was much narrower at the time), due to
prevailing currents (which flowed east toward the
island at the time)
what is an example of what the first lemur ancestors looked like when they arrived in madagascar?
modern cheorogaleid
how many species of lemurs are there?
100
what are sub-fossil lemurs?
17 species that are recently extinct
- koala lemurs, sloth lemurs, monkey lemurs, pachylemur, and the archaeoindris
when did humans start to colonize madgascar?
about 2000 years ago
what group of animals is the most endangered on earth?
lemurs
what percentage of lemurs are critically endangered?
31%
what percentage of lemur species are endangered?
98%
what are the four genera of lemuridae?
eulemur, varecia, hapalemur, and prolemur
what is the diet of lemuridae?
fruits and leaves, some eat bamboo (hapalemur)
what is the locomotion of lemuridae?
general arboreal quadrupedal
- cathemeral (day and night)
what are the three genera of indriidae?
indri, avahi, and propithecus
what is the diet of indriidae?
mostly leaves, follivory
what is the locomotion of indriidae?
- vertical clinging and leaping
- mostly cathemeral but avahi are nocturnal
what is the size of indriidae?
- varied, from 770-6800 g
- avahi are small while indri are large
what are the five genera of cheirogaleidae?
- dwarf and mouse lemurs
- microcebus, cheirogaleus, mirza, phaner, and allocebus
what is the diet of cheirogaleidae?
animal prey, gum and leaves
- nocturnal
what is the social behavior of cheirogaleidae?
females stay with offspring and males roam over multiple female ranges
- females have 3 pairs of nipples and bear 2-3 young
what is the genus of lepilemuridae?
- sportive lemurs
- lipilemur
what is the diet of lepilemuridae?
mainly leaves
- eat feces/dung (coprophageous)
what is the body size of lepilemuridae?
small, about 500-1000 g
what is the locomotion of lepilemuridae?
- VCL, 100% arboreal
- nocturnal
what is the genus is daubentoniidae?
- aye aye
what is the diet for daubentoniidae?
animal prey, fruit, fungus, seeds
what is the social behavior for daubentoniidae?
noyau, solitary foraging
what is the locomotion for daubentoniidae?
arboreal quadrupedalism
- nocturnal
lorisida diet, social, body size, life span, and locomotion
- Diet: animal prey (insects), fruit, gum, + leaves
- Nocturnal
- Social: Noyau
- Body Size: Small (210-1600g)
- Life Span: ~20 years
- Locomotion: VCL
Galagidae diet, social, body size, life span, and locomotion
Diet: animal prey (insects inverts), fruit, gum, + leaves
* Social: (male’s range overlaps with >1 female’s range).
* Nocturnal activity pattern
Body Size: small (80-1500g)
* Life Span: ~15 years
Locomotion: Arboreal Vertical Clinging and
Leaping (VCL)