Lecture 14 Flashcards
What is the stance Plantigrade and give examples of animals with this type of stance?
Feet on the ground, with flexion at wrist/ ankle
E.g. Lipotyphla, Ursidae (Carnivora), Rodentia
What is the stance Digitigrade- explain? Give examples of animals that have this stance
Metatarsus/ carpi off the ground
Creates another extension element in the limb: more power/ acceleration
E.g. fix and Lagomorph hindlimbs
What is the stance Unguligrade?/ explain/ describe this type of stance.
Terminal phalanges (digits) and hooves support weight; heavy proximal and little distal musculature; extremities moves via tendons; great speed and endurance possible
What are the two hypotheses as to why cursorial herbivores evolved? Which hypothesis does the evidence support?
H1: an evolutionary arms race between predators and prey
H2: low productivity grasslands replaces high productivity woodlands, requiring wider ranging to obtain food
Circumstantial evidence supports H2 rather than H1
What are elephants massive columnar limb bones called? What are they for?
Graviportal
Resist crushing under great body weight (cf. large herbivorous dinosaurs e.g. Diplodocus)
What are the adaptions of fossorial?
Short, massive limbs, specialised claws and teeth
What are the adaptions of Arboreal?
. Gripping feet and claws
. Tail for balance
. Opposable thumbs; prehensile (gripping) tail in primates
What is the adaption of Volant forms?
Patagium (flight membrane)
What is the adaptions of Chiroptera? Give examples of these animals
Powered flight, patagium (flight membrane) stretched over phalanges of forelimb to hindlimb and to tail (uropatagium); ultrasonic Austen for orientation and prey capture (Greater horseshoe bat, Seychelles fruit bat)
What are the adaptions of Amphibious forms?
Tail as propeller and rudder, webbed feet, paraxial swimming
What is the sub-order that shows Axial swimming?
Pinnipedia
What family are walrus in?
Odobenidae
What family are eared seals in? Give examples of eared seals
Otaridae
Sea lions, fur seals
What family for true seals and elephant seals in?
Phocidae
Describe how eared seals (Otaridae) move on land
Substantial forelimb props; hindlimb rotates forward on land