Monotremes.

Question 1

What subclass of mammals are monotremes placed into?

Answer 1

Prototheria.

Question 2

When did monotremes diverge?
BQ: Can you name the Epoch?

Answer 2

205 million years ago
BQ: Triassic.

Question 3

Name 3 characteristics.

Answer 3

1. They lay and incubate eggs.
2. Feed via a milk patch, not a nipple.
3. Endothermy not highly developed (bad a regulating their own heat internally).

Question 4

What does the word ‘monotremata’ mean?
BQ: Why is this?

Answer 4

Monos - alone.
Trema - hole.
BQ: refers to cloaca.

Question 5

Name the 2 families within the subclass prototheria.

Answer 5

1. Tachyglossidae - echidnas.
2. Ornithorhynchidae - duck-billed platypus.

Question 6

Name the 2 generas within Tachyglossidae.

Answer 6

1. Tachyglossus - short-beaked echidnas.
2. Zagolossus - long-beaked echidna.

Question 7

Name the singular species of ornithorhynchidae.

Answer 7

Ornithorhynchus anatinus.

Question 8

Where are short-nosed echindas (Tachyglossidae) found?

Answer 8

Australia.
Tasmania.
New Guinea.

Question 9

Where are long-nosed echidnas (Ornithorhynchidae) found?

Answer 9

New Guinea.

Question 10

Where are duck-billed platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus) found?

Answer 10

Eastern Australia.

Question 11

What group do we belive monotremes (prototherians) evolved from?
BQ: Within which branch of mammals?

Answer 11

a Mesozoic group.
BQ: Non-therian.

Question 12

Name 6 characteristics of monotreme (prototheria) skull morphology.
BQ: which word describes the lack of teeth?

Answer 12

1. Superficially bird like.
2. The elongated rostrum is coverd by a leathery sheath.
3. Lacramal bones absent.
4. Jugal bones = small or absent.
5. No auditory bulla.
6. Adults lack teeth.
   BQ: Edentate.

Question 13

Name 3 characteristics of Prototherian skeletal morphology.
BQ: Name a skeletal characteristic specific to the short-nosed echidna.

Answer 13

1. Shoulder gridle similar to reptiles.
2. Pelvic gridle similar to marsupials.
3. Limb posture suwhat similar to reptiles.
   BQ: The humerous remals roughly horisontal to the substrate when walking.

Question 14

What uniqueability do monotremes (prototherians) possess for hunting prey?
BQ: What does this allow them to do?

Answer 14

Electrical Pray-Sensing.
BQ: Electrical receptors detect electrical fields (small electrical impulses made by muscles of pray).

Question 15

Name an anti-predation adaptation.
BQ: What is different in male platypi?

Answer 15

Male monotremes have a grooved erectile spine/claw.
BQ: Male platypus feed venom into the spine via a gland in their thigh.

Question 16

Describe the penis and testies.

Answer 16

Bifurcate at tip (two halves).
Testies are eternal.

Question 17

Ornithirynchidae.
Name 5 characteristics linked to being semiaquatic.

Answer 17

1. Small eyes and pinna (located in a groove on the head).
2. Large, hairless and rubber beak.
3. 5 webbed toes (webs folded back when walking or burrowing).
4. Dorso-ventrally flattened tail.
5. streamlined body, covered in dense waterproof fur.

Question 18

Ornithirynchidae.
Describe duck-billed platypus dentition.

Answer 18

Lack of teeth.
Horny grining pads/plates to crush prey.

Question 19

Ornithirynchidae.
What does the duck-billed platypus eat?

Answer 19

Aquatic invertebrates.
Some plants.

Question 20

Ornithirynchidae.
Describe the duck billed platypus reproductive behaviour.

Answer 20

Male chases female in water.
Each grabs the tail of mate and swims in slow circle.
Repeated for several days until they copulate.
Female lays 1-3 eggs in a burrow lined with leaves and grass.
Eggs are incubated for 10-11 days.
young feed on milk from a ventral milk patch.

Question 21

Ornithirynchidae.
Describe their habitat.

Answer 21

Streams
Rivers
Lakes

Question 22

Ornithirynchidae.
What is the platypus status?

Answer 22

Not threatened.

Question 23

Ornithirynchidae.
What ecological niches/roles do they fill?

Answer 23

Important role in the food chain:
Feeding on freshwater invertebrates.
Providing food for predators.

Question 24

Tachyglossidae.
What does Tachyglossidae mean?

Answer 24

Tachy - fast/swift.
glossi - tongue.

Question 25

Tachyglossidae.
Describe the humerous of zagolossus.
BQ: What are they adapted for?

Answer 25

Broad extentions of the lateral and medial epicondyles.
Provide large surface for attachment of muscle.
BQ: digging.

Question 26

Tachyglossidae.
Desctibe 4 characteristics of Tachyglossidae morphology.

Answer 26

1. limbs are short and powerful - adapted for digging.
2. spines are heavy and sharp, dispersed throughout dense coat of hair 9longer hairs on spine free ventral surface.
3. Toes have powerful curved claws.
4. Males have adapted spurs on their ankles (anti-predator defence).

Question 27

Tachyglossidae.
Describe the diet of tachyglossus.

Answer 27

Ants.
Termites.

Question 28

Tachyglossidae.
Describe the diet of zagolossus.

Answer 28

Ants.
Termites.
Earthworms.
Soil athropods.

Question 29

Tachyglossidae.
Describe echidna dentition.

Answer 29

Lack teeth.
rows of horny barbs on their tongue and along the roof of their mouth.

Question 30

Tachyglossidae.
Name 2 anti-predation adaptations.

Answer 30

1. Roll into a ball (spines outwards).
2. Burrow into the ground - leaving spiny surface exposed.

Question 31

Tachyglossidae.
Describe their breeding behaviours.

Answer 31

Females secrete a strong smelling liquid, that is detected by males (pheramones).
Up to a dozen males follow the female for up to a month.
Female digs fore-legs into the ground, leaving her body slightly up-ended.
Males dig a trench around the female.
Males then fight, butting all but the winner from the trench.
Winner digs down beside the female and mates (either backwards or forwards.
Inserting bifucate penis into her cloaca.
Female lays a singular egg 3-4 weeks after mating.
The egg is incubated in a temporary pouch.
Puggles suckle from two milk lobules.

Question 32

Tachyglossidae.
What habitat/s are tachyglossus found?

Answer 32

Open scurb.

Question 33

Tachyglossidae.
What habitat/s are zagolossus.

Answer 33

Forest.