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In addition to studying the dichotomous keys that we create in class, try making flashcards or charts to compartmetalize the information from lab. Flashcards could have the common name on one side, and the taxonomy on the other, or the scientific name on one side and the distinguishing characters on the other--you could even try drawing pictures of the skulls. Charts could have the taxonomic groups listed down the side, and categories of distinguishing characters along the top (for example, for the marsupials, you might use the characters: incisors, auditory bullae, paroccipital process, diastema, masseteric canal). Then, you just fill in your chart with the appropriate distinguishing characters. Whether you're a chat person or a flashcard person, make sure that you start studying your taxonomy early and that you keep up with it!

1. One of the main points of this week's lab was to highight the diversity of the marsupials. In fact, for most of the groups of extant placental mammals, there is an eerily similar and equally cool marsupial form (due to convergent evolution). Look at the figure below and try to match the placentals on the left with their convergent marsupials.

Make sure that you hit this link for a movie of a Tasmanian wolf. This clip was taken from the last known living thylacine, a zoo specimen. Check out how wide its gape is when it yawns! Yikes!

2. What Subclass includes the Family Tachyglossidae?

3. Your friend says "I was watching this program on the Family Microbiotheriidae, it's a marsupial, so the show must have been filmed in Australia . . ." You immediately recognize your friend's egregious error and say "That creature actually lives in. . ."

4. What Order is the Family Phascolarctidae in?

5. What Order is the Family Dasyuridae in?

6. You are presented with a skull with diprotodont dentition, 3/1 Incisors, a masseteric canal and large paraoccipital processes. What Family?

7. The next skull has polyprotodont dentitition, 4/3 Incisors and a gap only anterior to the canine. Family?

8. Another skull, this one has polyprotodont dentition, 4-5/3 incisors, and a gap on both sides of the canine. Order?

9. The next skull is polyprotodont, has 5/4 incisors and incomplete auditory bullae. Family?

10. You see a skull that is diprotodont, has 3/1 incisors, masseteric canal and no paraoccipital processes. Family?

11. You see an opossum walking by the Red Cedar. You want to ask him to grant you three wishes, but you know that you must first respectfully address him by his genus/species name, so you say "Oh, kind and benevolent....."

12. You're at Burger King picking up some lunch, much to your surprise, instead of "You want fries with that?", the counter person says, "Do you by chance know what family of marsupials has a skull with diprotodont dentition and only one incisor per quadrant on the upper jaw?" You're a bit confused, but you want your food, so you confidently say . . .

13. What do animals in the Family Phascolarctidae eat?

14. We all know the most common verse of the popular children's song Old MacDonald: "Old MacDonald had a farm, E-I-E-I-O, and on his farm he had an animal from the Family Ornithorhynchidae . . ." What animal do kids all over the world refer to when they sing that verse?

15. We also know that popular children's song, "Home, home on the range, where the deer and didelphids play . . ." What is the range for the Family Didelphidae?

**Note that the skulls with diprotodont dentition are in the Order Diprotodontia.

**Also note that most of the animals in this lab are from the Australia region, EXCEPT for Didelphidae, Microbiotheriidae and Caenolestidae.

Answers

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