Ch. 1 - What is Mammalogy?
1. Comprehend the characteristics unique to mammals and contrast
them to other animal classes.
2. Be able to apply the hierarchical classification system used in biology.
3. Be able to discuss several reasons for studying mammalogy,
including:
a. historical uses of mammals in society
b. conservation
c. human health issues
d. "knowledge for knowledge's sake."
4. What are the sources of primary, secondary, and tertiary
information
for biological research.
Ch. 2 - History of Mammalogy
1. Understand who were the earliest descriptive scientists that
studied mammalogy.
2. Comprehend and be able to discuss the following about
taxonomy:
a. what is taxonomy
b. who developed our current system of
taxonomy
c. what is meant by the binomial nomenclature
system
d. why we used the binomial nomenclature
system
e. what languages are typically used in the
binomial nomenclature system
3. Be able to discuss the basics of what was the earliest federally funded study of mammalogy and who was involved.
4. Be able to discuss the basic economics of most wildlife and
mammalogy research, including:
a. the influence of American agricultural
industry
b. the impact and eventual influence of
hunting
and trapping on mammalogy research
c. the importance of the Pitman-Roberts
Legislation
in mammalogy and wildlife research
Ch. 3 - Research Techniques
1. Be able to contrast the
techniques used to capture and mark
mammals, including:
a. how
each technique works
b. an
example of a type of study where each
techniques could be used.
2. Be able to describe
how each of these techniques works and
examples of how each is be applied in mammalogy research:
a.
radio telemetry / radio transmitters
b.
geographic information systems
c.
global positioning systems
d.
morphometrics
e.
physiological measurements
f.
genetics and molecular biology
Ch. 4. - Mammal Evolution
1. Contrast monophyletic and polyphyletic evolution hypotheses.
2. Be able to explain
and apply the evolutionary changes found
in the transition from reptiles to mammals, including:
a.
bones of the middle ear
b.
skull structures
c.
number of vertebrae and ribs
d. the
respiratory diaphragm
e. the
pectoral and pelvic girdles effect
on limb positioning
f. the
number of carpal and tarsal bones
g.
basic tooth designs
Ch. 5 - Integument, Support, and Movement
1. Contrast the types of hair growth and give an example of each.
2. Contrast and give examples of the functions of hair,
including:
a. vibrissae
b. body hair:
i)
spines,
ii) bristles, iii) the types of awns
3. Contrast and give
examples of the types of:
a. hair
colorations,
b.
coloration patterns,
c.
molting periods
4. Contrast and give the functions of the types of cutaneous
glands,
including:
a. sweat glands
b. sebaceous glands
c. scent glands
5. Contrast and give the functions of the types of digit
growths,
including:
a. claws
b. nails
c. hooves
6. Contrast, give examples of, and possible functions of the
types
of horns and antlers, including:
a. true horns
b. antlers
c. pronghorns
d. giraffe horns
e. rhino horns
7. Contrast and give examples of the types of locomotion, including:
a. cursorial locomotion
i)
unguligrade,
ii) digitigrade, iii) plantigrade
b. saltatorial
c. volant
d. gliding
e. fossorial
f. climbing
8. Briefly explain how the size of a mammal will effect the
angle
that animal will normally walk up a large hill.
Ch. 6 - Foods and Feeding
1. Comprehend the basic feeding design found in all animals.
2. Be able to give adaptations for each of the following
feeding
styles and examples of mammals (including their order names) that use
each:
a. insectivory
b. carnivory
c.
herbivory
note: Artiodactyla = even-toed hoofed mammals,
Perisodactyla
= odd-toed hoofed mammals
d. coprophagy
3. Describe these digestive systems and give examples of
mammals
for each:
a. foregut fermentation
b. hindgut fermentation
4. Basically explain what "optimal foraging" and "caching"
mean.
Ch. 7 - Nervous and endocrine systems
and
biological rhythms
1. Describe and explain
how the following aspects of these sensory
systems relate to mammals:
a.
vision
i) rods vs.
cones (esp. in diurnal vs nocturnal
mammals)
ii) tapetum lucidum
b.
hearing
i) tympanum
ii) infrasound iii)
ultrasound
iv) interauditory distance
c.
olfaction
i) vomeronasal
-or- Jacobson's organ
2. Describe the basic functions of the hypothalamus and pituitary glands in mammals and how they effect mammalian biological rhythms.
3. Describe and apply the following concepts to biological
rhythms:
a. circadian rhythm
b. circannual rhythm
c. diurnal vs. nocturnal vs. crepuscular
d. zeitgeber
e. photoperiod
Ch. 8 - Environmental Adaptations
1. Contrast and apply to mammals the concepts of:
a. endothermy vs. ectothermy
b. homeothermy vs. poikilothermy
2. Contrast the different ways that heat is transferred between mammals and their environment.
3. Describe what is meant by:
a. set point
b. thermoneutral zone
c. lower critical limit
d. hypothermia
e. upper critical limit
4. Explain how these features serve as mammalian adaptations
to
cold environments:
a. large body size (among individuals in a
single species or among related species)
b. insulation
c. rete mirabile in appendages
d. hair coloration
e. behavioral modifications:
i) huddling and curling body postures
ii) dormancy
(a) torpor (b) winter lethargy {this is the
term
used to describe what bears
practice}
(c) hibernation
5. Describe and contrast Allen's Rule, Bergman's Rule, and Gloger's Rule.
6. Contrast
a. shivering vs.
non-shivering
thermogenesis
b. white vs. brown
adipose tissue
7. Explain how these features serve as mammalian adaptations
to
hot environments:
a. kidney structure,
including:
i) nephron ii) loop of
Henle
iii) cortex iv)
medulla
b. metabolic water
c. evaporative cooling
i)
sweating
ii) panting
d. sinus cooling
{"cool brains" and "respiratory heat exchange" in your book}
i) rete mirabile ii)
reclaimed
water vapor
e. insulation:
fur thickness and thermal windows
f. body size and heat
load
g. estivation
Ch. 9 - Reproduction
1. Be able to describe the
basic design of mammal reproductive
biology, including:
a. distinguishing feature
of males and females
b. distinguishing features
of monotremes, marsupials, and eutherians
2. Be able to contrast and explain the adaptiveness of:
a. polyesterous vs
monoesterous
cycles
b. spontaneous vs induced
ovulation
c. marsupial vs. placental
gestation
d. altricial vs precocial
development
e. delayed fertilization
vs. obligate and induced delayed implantation vs. embryonic
diapause