Metatherians/Marsupials Flashcards
What Class, subclass, and infraclass contains the pouched mammals?
What is the term for their pouch?
Which order of these animals is present in North America?
Compare/contrast Metatheria vs. Eutheria
placenta
gestantion/young type
how young are “stored”
uterus, scrotum, penis configuration
brain/corpus callosum/neocortex
patella
epipubic
angular process
vacuities
What percentage of metatherian species are in the Neotropical realm?
What 3 orders are present there and what is in each order?
One of these only has one species remaining…which one and what is the species? What’s special about that species taxonomically?
Which metatherian orders are present in Australasia, and what percentage of metatherian species does this comprise?
What 2 infraclasses are in the subclass Theria?
When did they split from each other?
What key traits do these infraclasses still share?
Which group is more ancestral?
Describe their likely origins and spread with regards to continental drift.
What is special about the Virginia opossum in this history?
During what era were opossums more globally widespread than now?
Where did they originate, and when did they move?
In which regions have they had the most success?
What are some factors that contributed to the decline of marsupial species diversity in S. America?
How did marsupials fare moving into N. America during GABI?
What are 3 factors that cause islands to be suceptible to invasive species?
What are 2 major extinction events in Australia, and when did they occur?
compare/contrast marsupial skulls to eutherians:
braincase:cranium ratio
auditory bullae
jugal bone
angular process
palatal vacuities
deciduous teeth
dental formula
define these terms
polyprotodont
diprotodont
didactylous
syndactylous
describe the configuration of the female marsupial reproductive tract and the male penis
describe the gestation and birth (placenta, time, birthed via special organ)
describe the neonate limb development, suckling habit, and where nearly all development occurs
compare and contrast eutherian and marsupial placentas using appropriate terms
Compare length of gestation, lactation, and total time to wean between eutherians and marsupials
Describe the various configurations of marsupiums
describe what happens after the birth of the young with relation to the pouch and suckling
What is the only extant marsupial north of Mexico?
What is its subclass, infraclass, order, family, genus, species?
Using appropriate terminology, describe Didelphids
number of digits
thumb
tail
skull
diet
didelphids are omnivores, dependent upon seasonal availability
what’s unique about the opossum’s male genitalia?
what is the female’s estrous cycle and estrous period?
how many litters per year?
when is breeding season?
at what age do they reach sexual maturity?
how many offspring per litter competing for how many teats?
how big are the young and where does their development take place?
after how long do they wean?
how many in a litter typically survive to maturity?
what are the 6 main causes of mortality for the Virginia opossum?
what is/are the most preferred habitat types used by Virginia opossums and what advantages do they give them?
What is included in the family Dasyuridae?
Where are they located?
Describe their dentition, toe configuration, and tails
What is their diet and lifestyle?
Describe their marsupium
What is an unusual mating strategy in some species?
What family are these in and what are they?
What’s their diet?
What’s a unique mating strategy they practice?
Describe their marsupium
Describe their energy regulation
Family: Dasyuridae
What are these and what family are they in?
How big are they and what is their lifespan?
What’s their diet, hunting style, and body adaptations for these?
Where do they den?
What has led to their decline and being pushed to the edges of their range (what is that range)?
What is this?
Name its subclass, infraclass, order, and family
How big is it and why is that significant?
What is its range and historic distribution?
What is its diet and lifestyle/hunting style? What adaptations does it have for this?
Describe its dentition and jaw adaptation
What is its lifespan? How many offspring do females have throughout their life? Are they monogomous?
Social behaviors?
subclass: Theria
infraclass: Metatheria
Order: Dasyuromorphia
Family: Dasyuridae
What is a major disease threat to the Tasmanian Devil?
Describe the disease and its effect on the population.
Is there any hope for treatment?
WTF is this thing?
What subclass, infraclass, order, and family is it in? When was it extirpated and from what range?
How big was it and why is that significant?
What convergent evolutionary traits did it possess?
What was interesting about its locomotion?
What was its diet thought to be?
What was unique about their marsupiums?
What caused its extinction?
sublcass: Theria
infraclass: Metatheria
order: Dasyuromorphia
family: Thylacinidae
What are these and what is their family?
How many species are there?
How big are they? What is their diet?
Describe their dentition and feet/digits
Describe their locomotion
Describe their lifestyle
How has settlement affected their population?
What is this and what is its family?
How many species, and in what range?
How big are they and what is significant about their size?
Describe their lifestyle and diet
Describe their marsupium
Describe their dentition
What is unique about their poop?
What is their lifespan?
Describe a unique defensive adaptation and behavior
What is this and what is its subclass, infraclass, order, and family?
What does its name mean?
How big is it?
What is its lifestyle and diet? Describe the digestive tract
What unique territory marking behavior do they do?
Describe their dentition and feet/digits?
Describe their brain size
What factors have contributed to their decline?
sublcass: Theria
infraclass: Metatheria
order: Diprotodontia
family: Phascolarctidae
What is this and what is its subclass, infraclass, order, and family?
How many species are there and why is that significant?
How big are they?
What is their habitat?
Describe their dentition
Describe their digestive tract
Describe their pouch
What is their young called?
Describe their locomotion, speed, and a very unusual locomotion adaptation
Social structure (including term for a group of them)
Senses
Unique adaption regarding development of young
sublcass: Theria
infraclass: Metatheria
order: Diprotodontia
family: Macropodidae
molars get replaced when they wear down
What is unique about the pelvis of marsupials?
What are Sparassodonts and a few examples?
What are Procoptodons?
