Follow the directions for each activity. Answer the essay questions completely using thoughtful ideas, the course text, and outside reference sources, where applicable. Proofread answers for potential writing errors. 

 

Part A. Metatherian Mammals

 

  

 

Part A Question1) What are metatherian mammals? What are distinguishing characteristics of metatherian mammals? 

 

Extinct mammals, they are very few living. Metatherians, which comprise marsupials and their closest fossil relatives, were one of the most dominant clades of mammals during the Cretaceous and are the most diverse clade of living mammals after Placentalia. The only living metatherian mammals are the marsupials. There were some extinct metatherians that were not marsupials, such as the Sparassodonts, but as these have gone extinct, a metatherian is now just a synonym for a marsupial Metatherians belong to a subgroup of the northern tribosphenic mammal clade or Boreosphenida. They differ from all other mammals in certain morphologies like their dental formula, which includes about five upper and four lower incisors, a canine, three premolars, and four molar. In metatherians, marsupium is present which is required for carrying the infants

 

Part A Question2) Describe the biogeography of metatherian mammals. 

 

Part A Question3) Using the following websites choose one extant (currently living) metatherian (marsupial) mammal species. Conduct research about the species. Discuss and analyze the species’ anatomy, ecology, and life history. Write a species account of at least 300 words correctly citing the reference source(s) you used. Scientific names are comprised of the genus (capitalized) followed by the species name (not capitalized) and they are italicized. For example, Ornithorhynchus anatinus. 

 

  

 

Site Name

 

 

 

Web Site URL/Address

 

 

 

Mammalogy on the Internet

 

 

 

http://www.mammalsociety.org/mammalogy-internet 

 

 

 

Tree of Life Web Project

 

 

 

http://www.tolweb.org/Mammalia

 

 

 

Animal Diversity Web 

 

 

 

http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Mammalia.html

 

 

 

Wilson & Reeder’s Mammal Species of the World

 

 

 

http://www.vertebrates.si.edu/msw/mswcfapp/msw/index.cfm

 

 

 

American Society of Mammalogists: Mammalian Species

 

 

 

http://www.mammalsociety.org/publications/mammalian-species

 

 

 

Mammalian Species pdf Site

 

 

 

http://www.science.smith.edu/departments/Biology/VHAYSSEN/msi/

 

 

 

National Geographic Mammals

 

 

 

http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/mammals/

 

Species Scientific Name:

 

Species Common Name: 

 

Species Account: 

 

Part B. Comparison of Metatherian and Eutherian Mammal Ecology

 

  

 

Complete the table using the websites listed in Part B. Match the eutherian (placental) mammal with a similar ecological equivalent metatherian.

 

  

 

Scientific Name of Metatherian   Mammal

 

 

 

Common Name

 

 

 

Ecological Description

 

 

 

Eutherian Mammal Match

 

 

 

Petaurus   breviceps

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Vombatus ursinus

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Myrmecobius fasciatus

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Notoryctes typhlops

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dasycercus cristicauda

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sarcophilus harrisii

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thylacinus   cynocephalus

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

List of Eutherian Mammals to Match

 

Peromyscus polionotus

 

Talpa europaea 

 

Glaucomys volans

 

Taxidea taxus

 

Myrmecophaga tridactyla

 

Canis latrans 

 

Marmota flaviventris 

 

Part B Essay Question: What are potential hypotheses (explanations) regarding why there are ecological equivalents between many metatherians and eutherians? Discuss your hypothesis in terms of the processes that could lead to the current ecologies and distributions of metatherians and eutherians.