So, I'm working on an exam for mammalogy, and one of my questions includes info about animal tracks, which we never covered in class, so I was hoping someone out there may be able to help me out. What would be the significance of not having a central pad, but each toe having a sturdy pad with a claw? (and no..that's not the question, so im not asking for an answer)...I just cant seem to think of something that wouldnt have central pad...

12/12/2006 9:27:27 PM

Maybe it means the animal was tip-toeing around?

And birds don't have central pads.

12/12/2006 9:28:20 PM

running?

12/12/2006 9:34:33 PM

Less weight on the foot, easier to move around. Can go faster. I don't know anything for sure but when I picture it I see fast crawlers, birds that need escape quick, like ostrichs?

12/12/2006 9:48:41 PM

I'm answering that question with its closer to unguligrade than digitigrade since its paw print indicates its on the tips of its toes due to the lack of the central (heel) pad. the only thing i think i can gleen from that is that it would be a swift runner. looking at the sturdy claw, i'm not sure if that would mean that it may also be a good climber as well, but judging by the trees being cut down only 50cm off the ground it doesn't really make sense it would have to climb. i'm guessing its just supposed to go along with unguligrade since its putting all its weight on the tips. He seems to have made the question so that no two parts correspond to a single critter. obviously the behavior is like a beaver, the skull looks like some marmot, the print is like a fox, etc.

Hey, how did you do on the 3rd question for exam 2? i'm looking for as many good answers as i can get to redo mine for extra credit since i got a 2 on it

[Edited on December 12, 2006 at 10:04 PM. Reason : .]

12/12/2006 10:01:04 PM

^
ya..this would be one screwed up animal if it were real.

and i got a 5 on it....and i think thats primarily because i switched species 1 and 3 ( i dont know how)... so, if you'd like to read what i wrote...i can send it your way.


and ya...im basically putting all the questions from exam 3 on the final for extra credit....cuz i figured i did moderately well on them, and i will take any points i can get.


also, did you do number 3 on the final? ....cuz im hella lost, and dont want to do number 2. lol

12/12/2006 10:29:32 PM

I haven't done most of the final yet. i've only spent an hour or so sitting down and doing some rough outlines for points on some of the questions. i'm planning on doing most of it tommorrow. i'll pm you when i start to tackly number 3 (i'm definitely not doing 2, maybe for extra cred. but probably not).

my gut instinct (having only skimmed over the paper) is that i wouldn't split mammalia into 2 or more classes based on the migration of jaw bones to the middle ear. At the moment i'm more going to argue it as a case of parralel evolution, which would mean the organism were related and evolved this trait due to similar conditions and because they shared a common ancestral condition. what i may point out is the actual movement of the 3 jaw bones to the middle ear may not be best to classify mammalia, as rich points out the bones may already have been functioning in hearing in late nonmammalian ancestors. i think this would support the parallel evolution argument, but wouldnt' neccessarily mean you should split the monotremes from the theria, thus splitting mammalia into 2+ classes

[Edited on December 13, 2006 at 12:29 AM. Reason : .]

12/13/2006 12:05:53 AM

ah, the good ole days of mammalogy, took that two years ago...

i don't think we had a question like that, so I don't really know how to tackle it, but my first thought is a sloth, though I have no idea what their pawprint looks like, but I would think they would have little or no pad, seeing as their claws are used the most and have to be hella sturdy (for climbing).

12/13/2006 11:14:11 AM

and yet you still haven't graduated, have you matt? i mean damn son, i graduated in 2004 and am in grad school now. you need to get on the ball

12/13/2006 1:45:55 PM

I've noted that prey species often do not have a central pad (ie rabbits, chinchillas, etc), however the predator does (ie foxes, wolves, etc). So swiftness is a likely asset with this. However, ungulates are hoofed and generally walk on their actually toe nails...can't remember the significance of that...hope it helps.

12/13/2006 1:57:39 PM

haha, i thought this was gonna be about Pack Tracks

12/14/2006 2:32:12 PM

^^^I'm graduating in May, with TWO MAJORS AND TWO MINORS (stfu)

[Edited on December 15, 2006 at 12:33 PM. Reason : .]

12/15/2006 12:33:07 PM