Metatherians/Marsupials

Question 1

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?

Answer 1

Question 2

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

Answer 2

Question 3

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?

Answer 3

Question 4

Which metatherian orders are present in Australasia, and what percentage of metatherian species does this comprise?

Answer 4

Question 5

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?

Answer 5

Question 6

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?

Answer 6

Question 7

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?

Answer 7

Question 8

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?

Answer 8

Question 9

compare/contrast marsupial skulls to eutherians:

braincase:cranium ratio
auditory bullae
jugal bone
angular process
palatal vacuities
deciduous teeth
dental formula

Answer 9

Question 10

define these terms

polyprotodont
diprotodont
didactylous
syndactylous

Answer 10

Question 11

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

Answer 11

Question 12

compare and contrast eutherian and marsupial placentas using appropriate terms

Answer 12

Question 13

Compare length of gestation, lactation, and total time to wean between eutherians and marsupials

Answer 13

Question 14

Describe the various configurations of marsupiums
describe what happens after the birth of the young with relation to the pouch and suckling

Answer 14

Question 15

What is the only extant marsupial north of Mexico?
What is its subclass, infraclass, order, family, genus, species?

Answer 15

Question 16

Using appropriate terminology, describe Didelphids
number of digits
thumb
tail
skull
diet

Answer 16

didelphids are omnivores, dependent upon seasonal availability

Question 17

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?

Answer 17

Question 18

what are the 6 main causes of mortality for the Virginia opossum?

Answer 18

Question 19

what is/are the most preferred habitat types used by Virginia opossums and what advantages do they give them?

Answer 19

Question 20

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?

Answer 20

Question 21

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

Answer 21

Family: Dasyuridae

Question 22

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)?

Answer 22

Question 23

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?

Answer 23

subclass: Theria
infraclass: Metatheria
Order: Dasyuromorphia
Family: Dasyuridae

Question 24

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?

Answer 24

Question 25

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?

Answer 25

## Footnote sublcass: Theria infraclass: Metatheria order: Dasyuromorphia family: Thylacinidae

Question 26

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?

Answer 26

Question 27

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

Answer 27

Question 28

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?

Answer 28

## Footnote sublcass: Theria infraclass: Metatheria order: Diprotodontia family: Phascolarctidae

Question 29

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

Answer 29

## Footnote sublcass: Theria infraclass: Metatheria order: Diprotodontia family: Macropodidae molars get replaced when they wear down

Question 30

What is unique about the pelvis of marsupials?

Answer 30

Question 31

What are Sparassodonts and a few examples? What are Procoptodons?

Answer 31