Lectures 13-16

Question 1

Critical Weight Range

Answer 1

35g-5kg

Question 2

Superfamilies of Phalangeriformes

Answer 2

Tarsipedoidea (honey possum), Burramyoidea (pygmy), Petauridea (striped), Phalangeroidea (brush tail)

Question 3

Genus of Petauridae

Answer 3

Petauris (gliders), Gymnobelideus (leadbeaters), Dactylopsila (striped)

Question 4

Striped possum morphology

Answer 4

Large lower incisors, rounded cranium, long tongue and 4th finger

Question 5

Bobuck ecology

Answer 5

Phalangeridae, T. cunninghamii, tree hollows and silver wattle, polygynous w high resources, monogamous w few

Question 6

Mammalian ecology trends

Answer 6

Bigger sand carnivorous need more area, less resources is monogamy

Question 7

Macropod feet

Answer 7

absent first toe, second and third toe fused.

Question 8

Macropod digestion

Answer 8

foregut fermenters with symbiotic bacteria, and cyclic molars

Question 9

Macropod locomotion

Answer 9

Shuffling at low speeds, or pentapedal in Macropus, then hopping, w achilles storing energy

Question 10

Macropod reproduction

Answer 10

Embryonic diapause and concurrent asynchronous lactation, extended gestation for more developed forearms, prolactin supresses corpeus luteim and therefore progesterone to pause blastocyst

Question 11

Families of macropods

Answer 11

Hypsiprymnodontidae (musky rat), Potoroidae (potoroos + bettong), Macropodidae (kangaroos etc)

Question 12

Hypsiprymnodontidae

Answer 12

Prehensile tail for nest building, bounds, frugiverous, two teats, toe at angle like thumb, scatter hoards, possibly primitive

Question 13

Potoroidae

Answer 13

simple stomachs, bc eat ground food and dig, less limb disparity, build nests w prehensile tail, include eastern bettong, gilberts potoroo (fucked) and brush tailed bettong (gastrolobum poisons fox)

Question 14

Genera of Macropodidae

Answer 14

Macrocarpus, wallabia, petrogales (rock wallaby), gendrolagus (rock wallaby), thygogale (pademelon), quokka, onychogalea (nail tail), lagorchestes (hare wallabys inc rufous)

Question 15

Koala biology

Answer 15

complex fermenting digestive tract, back feet adapted for gripping branches, 1 young/year, weight loss at late lactation bc low nutrient food

Question 16

koala sexual dimorphism

Answer 16

scent mark, size, nose, bellow

Question 17

Tachyglossidae

Answer 17

echidnas, w quills, reduced electroreceptors, back pointing feet, long sticky tongue, hind leg spur in males, colder w more fluff

Question 18

Ornithorhynchidae

Answer 18

platypus, with electroreceptors, venomous spurs, dense insulating fur, webbed feet

Question 19

Platypus habitat requirements

Answer 19

Permanent water, overhanging vegetation, steep earthen bank for burrowing, complex instream conditions