MAMMALOGY IB 462 SYSTEMATIC SURVEY OF THE ORDERS AND FAMILIES, PART I
A study aid to help with the taxa you need to know for the lab practicals MONOTREMES ORDER MONOTREMATA Family Tachyglossidae “Fast tongue” Range: Australia, Tasmania, New Guinea Genus to know: Tachyglossus (Echidna) Family Ornithorhynchidae “Bird nose” Range: E. Australia and Tasmania Genus to know: Ornithorhynchus (Platypus) MARSUPIALS KEY TRAIT: INFLECTED ANGULAR PROCESS ORDER DIDELPHIMORPHIA Family Didelphidae Range: United States south through South America Genera to know: Didelphis (Virginia opossum), Marmosa (Mouse opossum), Philander (Four-eyed opossum) Key trait: Incisors 5/4
Didelphis Note: Extreme sagittal crest Marmosa
Philander ORDER DASYUROMORPHIA Family Dasyuridae Range: Australia, Tasmania, New Guinea Genera to know: Dasyurus (Quoll, marsupial cat), Sarcophilus (Tasmanian devil)
Key Trait: Incisors 4/3
Dasyurus Note: Pronounced occipital crest
Dasyurus Sarcophilus Family Myrmecobiidae Range: W. Australia Genus to know: Myrmecobius (Numbat)
Key Traits: Reduced zygomatic arch Spherical auditory bullae Flat sagittal crest Long snout with many small, widely-spaced teeth
ORDER PERAMELEMORPHIA
Range: Australia, Tasmania, New Guinea Family to know: Peramelidae Genus to know: Isodon
Key traits: • Incisors 4-5/3 • Hind feet syndactylous • Rostrum long and slender • Skull flattened
Isodon Isodon ORDER DIPROTODONTIA
Key trait: 2 large, forward- protruding lower incisors Family Phascolarctidae Range: E. and SE Australia Genus to know: Phascolarctos (Koala)
Key Traits: Incisors 3/1 *Largest caecum for body size (Eucalyptus diet) Phascolarctos Family Vombatidae Range: SE Australia and Tasmania Genus to know: Vombatus (Wombat)
Key Trait: Incisors 1/1 Note: Reduced auditory bullae
Vombatus Family Phalangeridae Range: Australian forests Possums and cuscuses (only need to know family)
Example in lab: brush-tailed possum, Trichosurus Trichosurus (Phalangeridae; brush-tailed possum) skulls Family Pseudocheiridae Range: Australian forests Ringtail possums and greater gliders (only need to know family)
Example from lab: Greater glider, Petauroides Greater glider (Petauroides, Pseudocheiridae) skull Family Petauridae Range: forests of northern and eastern Australia Small gliders, striped possum, Leadbeater’s possum Genus to know: Petaurus (sugar glider)
All have black stripe on head Petaurus Family Acrobatidae Range: E. Australia wooded habitats Genus to know: Acrobates (Feathertail glider) Note: extended lower incisors
Acrobates Family Macropodidae Range: Australia, Tasmania, New Guinea Genus to know: Macropus (Kangaroo)
Key Trait: Incisors 3/1 Macropus
Note: Extended paraoccipital processes; deep depression in masseteric fossa