Carnivora Mammalogy

When did Carnivorans evolve and where?

55 MYA during late-Paleocene

• in North america

When did carnivorans split into cat-like and dog-like forms?

40 MYA

Is eating meat a defining characteristic of Order Carnivora?

NO!! although most do eat meat, not all and not exclusively

What is a major morphological characteristic shared by living carnivorans?

specialization of the teeth

Do carnivorans hunt solitary or in groups?

can be sollitary, paried, or in small groups

• smaller carnivores = usually solitary

• larger carnivores = smtimes packs

Name 3 methods of hunting and which carnivorans typically use them:

• Felids = concealment w surprise ambush

• Weasels = stalk followed by short, swift run

• Wolves/hyenas = prolonged chase

Those that hunt with concealment often have which pelage coloration?

spots or stripes

Living carnivorans are divided into which 2 suborders? Based on what?

• Feliforma and Caniforma

  • based on structure of auditory bullae and carotid circulation

Is the counter-current heat exchange system better in feliformes or carniformes?

Feliformes

What is the defining morphological characteristic of carnivores?

the specialization of their fourth upper premolar (P⁴) and first lower molar (m₁) as carnassial teeth

• shearing and cutting

Which teeth in all carnivores are specialized as carnassials (shearing and cutting)?

• 4th upper premolar P⁴

• 1st lower molar m₁

Describe a typical skull of Order Carnivora:

heavy with strong facial musculatureW

Why do carnivorans have skulls that are heavy w strong facial musculature?

for crushing, cutting, and chewing flesh, ligaments, and bone

Compare the mandibular fossa of most carnivores vs. omnivorous carnivores. Why is there this difference?

• Most carnivores have sharply defined C-shaped mandibular fossa = minimizes lateral movement if prey struggles, vertical motion only

• Omnivorous carnivores have flattened fossa = lateral chewing motion

What is the advantage of a deep, sharply defined C-shaped mandibular fossa in carnivores?

restricts lateral movement, only allowing vertical motion, helping hold the prey when the prey struggles.

• obvious in mustelids

What structures is the auditory bulla of carnivoran formed from?

Either:

• only tympanic bone

• tympanic and endotympanic bones together

The structure of which bone is used to distinguish the 2 suborders of carnivores?

auditory bullae

Describe the auditory bullae in feliforms vs caniforms:

• Feliforms = both tympanic and endotymoanic bones form bullae w septum

• Caniforms = tympanic bone only, no septum

Which structure is well developed in almost all carnivores, and may be most important in species w induced ovulation?

os baculum

Most carnivores have distinctive ________ for defense and intra-specfic communication.

anal sacs

Which bones in carnivores are fused to form a support structure for cursorial locomotion?

centrale, scaphoid, and lunate bones of wrist fused to form scapho-lunar bone

Which structure is reduced or lost in carnivores to increase stride length in cursorial locomotion?

clavicle

Describe the stomachs of most carnivores and why:

simple stomachs w undeveloped cecum

• bc meat easy to digest

Which pelage is suborder feliformia characterized by?

spotted, rossetted, or striped coats

Where are feliforms usually found?

tropical habitats

Describe locomotion of majority of feliforms:

digitigrade

Describe diet of feliforms, esp felidae family:

usually strict carnivores

Which suborder of order carnivora has fewer teeth and shorter skulls?

Suborder Feliformia

Which family in order Carnivora contains the strictest carnivores?

family felidae, suborder feliformia

Are all wild felids solitary?

yes, except lions

75% of cat species live where? How are they adapted to this environment?

• live in forested terrain

  • agile climbers

Describe vision of Felids:

good binocular vision

What characteristic do felid tongues have to help them rasp meat from their prey?

horny papillae

What is the order, suborder, and family of hyenas?

Order carnivora, suborder feliformia, family hyaenidae

About 5-7 MYA, how did hyenas change in face of competition from canids?

• insectivorous diet = few canids had specialized in this

• evolved bone-crushing teeth = dominant scavengers

Spotted, striped, and brown hyenas have what kind of specialzied teeth?

powerful carnassial teeth adapted for cutting flesh, and premolars for crushing bone

Which species in Family Hyaenidae has greatly reduced cheek teeth and why?

Aardwolf bc its insectivorous (termites)

Describe the locomotion of hyaenids:

digitigrade

Describe the claws of Hyaenids

non-retractable

Which Feliform family has long necks with long forelimbs and shorted hindlimbs, and lack a baculum?

Hyaenids

Which carnivorans have societies that are more complex than other carnivorans, and have similarities to primates?

Spotted hyenas

• hierarchical social structure

Are spotted hyena clans centered around males or females?

females, which are dominant and larger than the males

Both sexes of spotted hyenas have ________.

an erectile phallus

What is the phallus of a female spotted hyena called?

pseudopenis, or peniform clitoris

Why is the female spotted hyena extremely masculinized?

high levels of androgens

Why is aggression, and therefore high androgen levels, beneficial to high-ranking spotted hyena females?

they raise over 2.5 times as many cubs to maturity than lower rank females, bc they get most of the food

All hyaenids have which scent glands? Purpose?

protrusible anal scent glands

• excrete substance to mark territories and as submissive posture to more dominant hyenas

How do hyaenids scent mark?

• anal scent glands

  • by scraping ground w paws (glands on bottoms of feet)

Which carnivorans have a very powerful digestive system with highly acidic fluids, capable of eating and digesting entire prey (skin, teeth, horns, bones)?

Hyaenids

Why do hyaenids readily eat carrion?

digestive system v strong and deals very well w bacteria

Crocuta

spotted hyena

• most abundant carnivores in sub saharan africa

What is the order, suborder, and family of mongooses?

Order Carnivora, suborder Feliformia, family Herpestidae

Are mongooses, Family Herpestidae, solitary or travel in groups?

some species of mongoose are predominantly solitary, some travel in groups and will share food w group members

species, family, suborder of Meerkats

Suricata suricatta, Family Herpestidae, Suborder Feliformia

Family, suborder, and order of Civets, genets, and bearcats

• Family Viverridae

• Suborder Feliformia

• Order Carnivora

Where are Viverrids native to?

most of the Old World tropics, nearly all of Africa, Madagascar, and the Iberian Peninsula (Spain/Portugal)

Arctictis binturong= common name and family

asian bearcat

• family Viverridae

Which family is more primitive among the families of Carnivora, and gernally resembles long-nosed cats?

Viverrids

Which family in Carnivora has retractile or partially-retractile claws, a baculum, and an anal scent gland, andis among the more primitive families of Carnivora?

Vivverids

Describe the hearing and vision of Family Viverridae:

excellent hearing and vision

What is the diet of viverrids?

some carnivores, omnivores, or some (palm civets) almost entirely herbivorous

Why are the carnassial teeth of Viverrids, esp palm civets, relatively undeveloped?

not the most meat heavy diet

• some omnivores and palm civets are almost completely herbivorous

Civets, viverridae, retain several primitive features including:

limbs that are short and unspecialized

Which family in carnivora has perianal glands that produce a fluid known as civetone, which is used in the perfume industry?

Viverridae, civets specifically

Family, suborder, order, of Malagasy carnivores

• Family Eupleridae

• Suborder Feliformia

• Order Carnivora

Which species are believed to be the most ancient surviving species in Family Eupleridae?

• Fossa

• Malagasy civet

Which subfamiles is Family Eupleridae split into?

• Subfamily Euplerinae = fossa, malagasy civet, falanouc

• Subfamily Galidiinae = mongoose

What is the largest mammalian carnivore in Madagascar?

Fossa

• Family Eupleridae, subfamily Euplerinae

Which carnivoran in suborder Feliformes has semi-retractable claws and flexible ankles that allow it to climb up and down trees head-first, and also support jumping from tree to tree?

Fossa

• Family Eupleridae, subfamily Euplerinae

Cryptoprocta ferox

Fossa

• Family Eupleridae, subfamily Euplerinae

What is the family and suborder of the African palm civet?

Family Nandiniidae, Suborder Feliformia

African palm civet diet?

omnivorous

Which diverged from Family Viverridae first, the african palm civet or cats?

The african palm civet is genetically distinct and diverged from other civets before cats did

Which suborder of Order Carnivora is characterized by non-chambered or partially chambered auditory bullae?

Suborder Carniformia

Describe the claws of suborder Caniformia:

non-retractile claws

Describe the teeth of suborder Caniformia compared to Feliformia:

Caniformia has more premolars and molars in an elongated skull, and less specialized carnassial teeth

Describe the feeding habits of Caniformia:

most tend to be omnivorous

Describe the locomotion of Caniformia:

all familes except Canidae and some Mustelidae species are plantigrade

Describe the pelage of suborder Caniformia compared to other carnivorans:

simply colored, lacking spotted or rosetted coats in many felids or viverrids

Which biomes are Caniforms usually found in?

temperate and subarctic biomes, w few tropical species in mustelidae and procyonidae

Dogs: family, suborder, and order

• family Canidae

• Suborder Caniformia

  • Order Carnivora

Which family includes carnivorous and omnivorous wolves, foxes, jackals, coyotes, and domestic dogs?

Canidae

Borophaginae

primitive “bone crushing dogs”

• powerful teeth and jaws + hyena like features w more primitive dentition

Which groups are modern representatives of Borophaginae divided into?

• Tribe Canini = dog or wolf like

• Tribe Vulpini = foxes

What are the 2 species of basal Caninae which are more primitive and do not fit into either tribe Canini or Vulpini?

1. Otocyon megalotis = bat eared fox

   1. Nyctereutes procyonoides = raccoon dog

Describe that body structure of canids:

relatively long legs and lithe bodies, adapted for chasing prey

Describe the locomotion of Canids:

digitigrade

Which family in order carnivora (mostly) has bushy tails, non-retractile claws, reduced pollex and hallux, and a dewclaw on the front feet?

Family Canidae

Which structure is present in some Carnivorans, but not all, and Canids all have and use it help create a copulatory tie during mating?

baculum

Are young canids precocial or altricial?

altricial, eyes open few weeks after birth

Which family of order carnivora has an elongated rostrum w well developed canines and carnassials?

Family canidae

Almost all ____ are social animals and live in groups

Canids

Which of the canids are the exception are not usually pack animals? How do they live instead?

foxes

• live in small family groups w male and female working together to hunt and raise their young

What are the methods by which Canids communicate w eachother?

• scent signals

• visual clues and gestures

  • vocalizations

What is the diet of foxes?

omnivorous

What do foxes do w excess food?

cache it, burying for later consumption

Family and suborder of Weasels, otters, badgers:

• Family Mustelidae

  • Suborder Caniformia

Which is the largest family in Order Carnivora?

Mustelidae

(suborder caniformia)

What are the subfamilies of Family Mustelidae?

• Subfamily Lutrinae (otters)

• Subfamily Mustelinae (weasels, ferrets, etc)

Which family of suborder Caniformia has reproduction that involves induces ovulation and delayed implantation?

Mustelidae