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Mammology > Orders and mammal characteristics > Flashcards

Orders and mammal characteristics Flashcards

1
Q

What are the two subclasses of mammalia?

A

Prototheria (monotremes, lay eggs and poisonous spurs) and theria

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2
Q

Name two infraclasses of mammalia

A

metatheria (marsupials) and Eutheria (non-marsupials)

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3
Q

About how many mammal species are presumed to be living in the wild?

A

6,500

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4
Q

Name the 11 unique characteristics of mammals discussed in class

A
  • Hair
    • 4-chambered heart
    • Enucleate erythrocytes (except camelids)
    • Mammary glands
    • Muscular diaphragm
    • Unique skull
      ○ Single dentary bone
      ○ Three oscicles of the middle ear
      ○ Two occipital condyles (reptiles only have one)
    • Mammals have epiphyses in their long bones (determinant growth)
      ○ Reptiles do not (no epiphyses)
    • Mammals are heterodonts and diphyodont
    • Viviparous (except monotremes) - i.e. live birth
    • Endotherms
    • Large, complex brain
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5
Q

What are the characteristics of order Monotromata?

A 
ORDER MONOTROMATA
Echidnas (spiny anteater) and duck-billed platypus
-oviparous
-cloaca (common tract to digestion, excretion, and reproduction)
-no teeth in adults
-No external pinnae
-Venomous spine on hind foot in males
-mammary glands without nipples
-Australian region
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6
Q

Characteristics of order Didelphimorphia

A 
ORDER DIDELPHIMORPHIA (127 Species)
		Opossums
		Most generalized marsupials
Rostrum elongate with small braincase
50 teeth (most primitive number)
Opposable and clawless hallux
Plantigrade
Marsupium is present to absent
Tail often long and prehensile
Most partly arboreal and omnivorous
Neotropical and nearctic regions
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7
Q

Characteristics of order Paucituberculata

A 
Shrew opossums
	Resemble shrews with elongate heads and reduced eyes
	Feet unspecialized
	Tail long but not prehensile
	No marsupium
	Carnivorous
	Neotropical
	1 family
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8
Q

Characteristics of order Microbiotheria

A 
ORDER MICROBIOTHERIA (3 species)
	Monito del monte
	Short face
	Thick hairy tail, moderately prehensile
	50 teeth
	Hibernates when cold and limited food
	Tail accumulates fat for hibernation
	Marsupium
	Omnivorous
	Neotropical region
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9
Q

Order dasyuromorphia

A 
Marsupial mice and cats, Tasmanian wolf, Tasmanian devil, numbat
	Mostly terrestrial, some arborial
	Limbs and teeth more advanced than didelphids
	42-46 teeth
	Plantigrade mostly, some digitigrade
	Tail long and furred but not prehensile
	Marsupium often absent
	Carnivorous
	Australian region
	3 families
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10
Q

Order peramelemorphia

A 
Bandicoots
	Terrestrial and nocturnal
	Snout is elongate and pointed
	46-48 teeth
	Hind limbs longer than fore limbs
	Many are cursorial
	Tail long but not prehensile
	Marsupium present (opens rearward)
	Placenta more complex than all other marsupials 
	Primarily insectivorous
	Australian region
	2 families
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11
Q

Order Notoryctemorphia

A 
Marsupial mole
	Fossorial
	Eyes vestigal and covered by skin
	Reduced pinnae
	Nose covered by hard tissue
	Enlarged claws
	Marsupium divided into 2 areas
	Carnivorous
	Australian region
 	1 family
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12
Q

Order diprotodontia

A

Wombats, possums, wallabies, and kangaroos
Most diverse group of marsupials
Wide array of shapes, sizes, food habits, and movement
Australian region
7 families

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13
Q

Order Macroscelidea

A 
Elephant shrews
	Terrestrial (mouse to large rat in size)
	Large eyes and ears
	Very long snouts (hence the name)
	Relatively long limbs
	Specialized for rapid movements relative to Insectivores
	Complete auditory bullae
	Complete zygomatic arch
	Carnivorous
	Diurnal
	Complex social system relative to Insectivores
	Ethiopian region
	1 family
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14
Q

Order Afrosoricida

A

Tenrecs and golden moles
Insectivorous
African region
2 families

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15
Q

Order Tubulidentata

A

Aardvark
Terrestrial and fossorial
Strong limbs and large claws (digs into ant and termite mounds)
Long, thin snout
Long protractile tongue
Long esternal ears that fold back when digging
No incisors or canines
20 cheek teeth but all remain in gums
Teeth columnar with dentine surrounding pulp
Large burrow systems ((3 men lost in burrow in Zambia, one body found)
Insectivorous
Ethiopian region
1 family

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16
Q

Order Proboscidea

A

Elephants
Largest terrestrial mammals
Limbs are pillar-like (graviportal limb structure)
Skull large, partly for attachment of muscles that support and control proboscis
Air cells in skull to decrease weight
Upper incisor on each side of jaw modified into tusks
No canines, large molariform teeth; as these wear out, new ones grow at the back of the jaw
Herbivorous
Oriental and Ethiopian region
1 family

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17
Q

Order Sirenia

A

ORDER SIRENIA (5 species)
Manatees, dugong, sea cow
Aquatic from coastal marine to riverine
Only aquatic herbivore
External nares high on skull
Forelimbs paddlelike with five digits, but digits not externally visible
Hindlimbs absent
Tail ~ externally flattened fluke
Tropical coastal regions, manatees in Florida
2 families

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18
Q

Order Hyracoidea

A

Hyraxes
Rabbit-like mammal, but structurally unique
2 long upper incisors (continuously growing)
4 chisel-like lower incisors
Hooves with soft elastic pads on each digit
Ethiopian region
1 family

19
Q

Order Pilosa

A 
American anteaters and sloths
No incisors or canines
Cheek teeth rudimentary or absent
No enamel on teeth
Extra articulation on lumbar vertebrae to strengthen lumbar region
Herbivorous and insectivorous forms
Neotropical and Nearctic regions
		3 families
20
Q

Order Cingulata

A

Armadillos
No incisors or canines; Cheek teeth rudimentary or absent
No enamel on teeth
Extra articulation on lumbar vertebrae to strengthen lumbar region
Herbivorous and insectivorous forms
Neotropical and Nearctic regions
1 families; 1 in North America

21
Q

Order scandentia

A 
Tree shrews
	Arboreal
	Resemble small, long-nosed squirrels
	Large eyes
	5 digits with strongly curved claws
	Long furred tail
	Complete auditory bullae
Complete zygomatic arch
Omnivorous
Diurnal although at least one species is nocturnal
Oriental region
1 family
22
Q

Order Dermoptera

A 
Flying lemurs or colugos
		Totally arboreal
		Gliding forms
		1-2 kg
		Large eyes, moderate ears
		5 digits with large curved claws
		Long limbs and tail
		Furred patagium (membrane) from neck to limbs
		First two lower incisors widened and pectinate (comb-like) to scrape leaves and fruit
		Herbivorous
		Elongated intestine with cecum
		Nocturnal
		Oriental region
		1 family
23
Q

Order Primates

A

Lemurs, monkeys, apes, and man
Usually arboreal, some terrestrial
Plantigrade with 5 digits, some bipedal
Usually nails, some claws
Thumbs and great toes often opposable
Tail long and prehensile in some, absent in others
Braincase relatively large
Sight well-developed
Sense of smell reduced
Mostly herbivorous or omnivorous, some insectivorous
Usually single young, altricial
Baculum in most
Essentially tropical and subtropical in new and old world, although humans cosmopolitan
15 families-1 in North America

24
Q

Order Rodentia

A

Rats, mice, squirrels, beaver, porcupine, and others
Most common order of mammals
Terrestrial, amphibious, fossorial, arboreal, saltatorial, gliding
Skull musculature and shape for gnawing
2 upper and 2 lower chisel-like incisors
Incisors grow continuously
Enamel only on front of incisors
Long diastema between incisors and cheek teeth (no canines)
Scrotum posterior to penis
Baculum
Herbivorous, granivorous, omnivorous
Worldwide
31 families

25
Q

Order Lagomorpha

A

Pikas, rabbits, and hares
Terrestrial with cursorial or saltitorial (jumping) mode of locomotion
Skull resembles that of rodents
4 upper and 2 lower incisors
Second upper incisor on each side is peglike and directly behind first incisor
Incisors grow continuously
Long diastema between incisors and cheek teeth (no canines)
Hindlimbs longer than forelimbs
Very short tail
Herbivorous
Worldwide except islands and Australian region*
2 families

26
Q

Order Eulipotyphila

A 
Moles, shrew, and solenodons
	Terrestrial and fossorial forms
	<5 g to about 1 kg
	Small reduced eyes and reduced pinnae in most species
	Usually a large number of teeth, up to 44
	Teeth heterodont, often large incisors
	No auditory bullae
	Zygomatic arch complete to incomplete
	Testes never scrotal, rather abdominal or inguinal
	Baculum in some
	Carnivorous
	Terrestrial forms are mostly nocturnal
	2 genera have poisonous saliva
	Worldwide except Australia and southern Neotropical regions
	4 families
	Talpidae and Soricidae occur in Utah
27
Q

Order Carnivora

A

SUBORDER FISSIPEDIA (TERRESTRIAL SPECIES)
Dogs, bears, panda, raccoons, weasels, mongooses, hyenas, cats
Mostly terrestrial, some arboreal, some amphibious, and some aquatic
Plantigrade (e.g., bears and raccoons) or digitigrade (e.g., dogs, cats, and hyenas)
Digits with sharp, curved claws in terrestrial forms
Length of rostrum variable
Teeth heterodont
Canines prominent, pointed, and slightly curved
Incisors small and pointed
Strong jaws with well-developed musculature
Carnassial pair (last upper premolar and first lower molar), Carnassial pair especially well-
developed in cats, poorly in bears
Baculum
Worldwide except for some islands

	     SUBORDER PINNEPEDIA (MARINE/AQUATIC SPECIES) 
seals, sea lions, walrus
		Forelimbs and hindlimbs are fully webbed
		Teeth homodont
		Tusks ~ upper canines in walrus
		Baculum
		Blubber 
Worldwide
28
Q

Order Pholidota

A 
Pangolins or scaly anteaters
Terrestrial and fossorial
Horny scales on neck, back, and tail (rolls into a “ball” for defense)
Strong limbs and large claws
Long, thin snout with protractile tongue
No teeth in adults - Insectivorous
Muscular stomach, swallows pebbles to grind food
Oriental and Ethiopian regions 
		1 family
29
Q

Order Perissodactyla

A

Horses, asses, zebras, tapirs, and rhinos
Terrestrial; adapted to unguligrade cursorial locomotion
Odd-toed ungulates
Weight is borne on middle digit which is the largest
Cannot bend hindlimbs enough to get up hindfeet first while laying on ground
Skull elongate
Premolars and molars similar in size and shape
Diastema between front and cheek teeth
No horn or antlers; rhino horn
Simple stomach
Ethiopian, Oriental, Palearctic, Nearactic, and Neotropical regions
3 families

30
Q

Order Artiodactyla

A

Whales, dolphins, deer, pigs, antelopes, camels, hippos

31
Q

Order Chiroptera

A

Only flying mammal
Mass ranges from <5 g to nearly 1.5 g, wing span ranges from <25 cm to 1.2 m
Patagium and uropatagium (tail membrane)
Baculum in most

32
Q

Name two orders with tusks from incisors

A

Order Proboscidea, Order Artiodactyla (Parvorder Odontoceti)

33
Q

Name two orders with tusks from canines

A

Order Carnivora, order Artiodactyla (Suborder Suida)

34
Q

Name orders endemic to australia

A

ORDER DASYUROMORPHIA
ORDER PERAMELEMORPHIA
ORDER NOTORYCTEMORPHIA
ORDER DIPROTODONTIA

35
Q

Name cosmopolitan orders

A

Order Rodentia, Order Artiodactyla, Order Chiroptera

36
Q

Which order has the most species / is the most common?

A

Order Rodentia

37
Q

Which orders have very few species?

A

Order Tubulidentata (1), Microbiotheria (2), Notoryctemorphia (3), Dermoptera (2)

38
Q

Suborder Fissipedia

A

Terrestrial species in Order Carnivora

Dogs, bears, weasels, mongoose

39
Q

Suborder Pinnepedia

A

seals, sea lion, walrus

40
Q

Suborder Whippimorpha

A 
ORDER ARTIODACTYLA (362 species)
Whales, dolphins, deer, pigs, antelopes, camels, hippos
     SUBORDER WHIPPIMORPHA
Hippos, whales, dolphins, porpoises, and narwal
41
Q

Suborder Ruminata

A

SUBORDER RUMINANTIA

Pronghorn, bovids, pigs, hippos, camels, deer, giraffe, cattle, bison, and pronghorn

42
Q

Suborder Suina

A

pigs

43
Q

Suborder Megachiroptera

A

Old world fruit bats

Ethiopian, Oriental, and Australian regions

44
Q

Suborder Microchiroptera

A

all other bats

Mammology (5 decks)

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