Marine Mammals

Synapsid skulls:

Therapsids are early ancestors of mammals

Mammal fossils are identified by...

Extant mammal traits include:

Features of early Mammaliaformes include...

[blank_start]Allotheria[blank_end]: [blank_start]Multituberculates[blank_end] (extinct) -- small rodent-like omnivores with broad multi-cusped teeth [blank_start]Prototheria[blank_end]: [blank_start]Monotremes[blank_end] -- refers to cloaca with one opening for excretory and reproductive tracts [blank_start]Metatheria[blank_end]: [blank_start]marsupials[blank_end] -- prolonged lactation, pouch Eutheria: placentals -- prolonged gestation

Metatheria includes two sub-groups: the [blank_start]Ameridelphia[blank_end], or opossums, and the [blank_start]Australidelphia[blank_end], which include the Tasmanian devil, Tasmanian tiger, bandicoot, and others.

Prototheria, or monotremes, include which animals?

The __________ is also known as the age of Mammals

The [blank_start]Mesozoic[blank_end], or the "true age of mammals," represents [blank_start]2/3[blank_end] of mammalian history. there are about [blank_start]300[blank_end] genera known from this period, although most were some form of [blank_start]mouse[blank_end]. Although this has historically been attributed to the fall of dinosaurs, recent evidence suggest that patterns of [blank_start]plant[blank_end] evolution had a greater influence on mammal diversity,

During which periods were the primary radiations in Mesozoic Mammals?

The end-Cretaceous extinctions also affected mammals: lost [blank_start]marsupials[blank_end] and archaic type [blank_start]placentals[blank_end]. Mammals quickly recovered, but did not really start to diversify again until the [blank_start]Cenozoic[blank_end].

5% of all mammals are marine

Marine mammals in [blank_start]Order Carnivora[blank_end] are amphibious, while those in [blank_start]Order Sirenia and Order Cetariodactyla[blank_end] are wholly marine.

[blank_start]Infraorder[blank_end] Cetacea and includes the [blank_start]Suborder[blank_end]s [blank_start]Mysticeti[blank_end] (baleen whales) and [blank_start]Odontoceti[blank_end] (toothed whales)

Adaptations to marine habitat include...

What is axial swimming?