Mammalogy 4764 Fall 2009

Monotremata - Ornithorhynchidae Monotremata - Tachyglossidae Duck-billed platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus) Long-beaked echidna (Zaglossus bruijni) Males 50 cm long, 1.7 kg body mass

Neonates have 12 molariform teeth Range restricted to New Guinea Resorbed so no teeth as adults Tasmania Endangered due primarily to hunting

Nocturnal, solitary

Larger than short-beaked spiny anteater (7-13 kg)

Broad environmental tolerance - coastal to alpine areas.

Hibernate in cold areas New Guinea

Short-beaked echidna

Marsupials Monotremata - Tachyglossidae

Short-beaked spiny anteater (Echidna)

Widespread in Australian region Patagonian opossum Euryzygoma 3-6 kg Lestodelphys halli

Stout forelimbs to dig for ants and termites Diprotodon Whiptail wallaby Macropus parryi Long tongue, mucus helps capture prey Tasmanian wolf Thylacinus cynocephalus

Bill is electroreceptor

Guard hairs modified into spines

Hibernate during cold periods

Formerly Marsupialia Marsupials Included Herbivore and Carnivore Megafauna Didelphids Now 7 orders 75-15 mya Didelphids ~270 species in Australian (200) 50-25 mya Giant short-faced Kangaroo and Neotropical (70) regions Rhino 3 m tall -sized Didelphid reinvasion Pectoral girdle 2.7 mya Diprotodon

40 mya

40 mya Thylacosmilus atrox

Savage and Long

Thylacoleo

1 Mammalogy 4764 Fall 2009

South American marsupials -- Didelphidae: Marmosa robinsoni Marmosa murina 3 orders in New World: 1. Didelphimorphia 2. Paucituberculata 3. Microbiotheria

4 Orders in Australia:

1. Dasyuromorphia 2. Peramelemorphia 3. Diprotodontia 4. Notoryctemorphia Virginia opossum (Didelphis virginiana)

Water opossum (Chironectes minimus)

Order: Microbiotheria Australian marsupials: Order Dasyuromorphia Microbiotheriidae: Dromicops gliroides) Paucituberculata Monito del monte Dasyuridae -- 15 genera, 61 species 1 Family Shrew opossums 1 Genus Single family, 3 genera, 5 species 1 Species

Thylacinidae -- 1 modern species -- Tasmanian wolf

Myrmecobiidae -- 1 modern species -- Numbat

Australian marsupials: Order Dasyuromorphia Long-legged jumping mouse (Dasyuridae: Antechinomys laniger) Tasmanian devil -- Also a Dasyurid (Dasyuridae: Sarcophilus harisii)

Heteromyidae

Pygmy marsupial mouse (Dasyuridae: Planigale maculata)

Tasmanian devil Current news

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Order Diprotodontidia Koala (Phascolarctidae: Phascolarctos cinereus) Order Diprotodontidia -- 10 families, 116 species

Phascolarctidae -- Koala, monotypic Vombatidae -- Wombat Phalangeridae Potoroidae Macropodidae -- Kangaroos, Wallabies Burramyidae -- Pygmy-possums Acrobatidae Pseudocheiridae Petauridae Tarsipedidae -- Honey-possum, monotypic

Order Diprotodontidia Order Diprotodontidia Coarse-haired wombat Macropodidae -- 11 genera, 54 species (Vombatidae: Vombatus ursinus)

Kangaroo Sheep

Order Diprotodontidia Order Diprotodontidia Petauridae -- 9 species Tarsipedidae Honey possum Tarsipes rostratus

Leadbeaters possum Gymnobelideus leadbeateri Sugar glider Petaurus brevicep Diprotodon

May not be monophyletic -- consequences? Order: Notoryctemorpha -- Monotypic 3 of 9 species threatened/endangered Marsupial “mole” (Notorhyctedae: Notorhyctes typhlops) Nocturnal, herbivorous or insectivorous

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ORDER INSECTIVORA Hedgehogs, moles, tenrecs, golden moles, solenodons, shrews

Retain primitive characteristics

Catchall for hard-to-fit taxa, e.g., Scandentia, Macroscelidea originally

Old families -- 70 mya

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