Marine Mammals Flashcard

all animals are:

1. multicellular
2. heterotrophic
3. eukaryotic

cetacean body sizes from largest to smallest

1. blue whale
2. killer whale
3. bottlenose dolphin
4. hector’s dolphin

species brain size from largest to smallest

1. sperm whale
2. blue whale
3. harbor porpoise
4. great white shark

species brain to body mass ratio from largest to smallest

1. human
2. dusky dolphin
3. chimpanzee
4. whale shark

which of the following characteristics are synapomorphies common to all mammals that distinguish them from other classes of vertebrates?

1. nurse their young
2. hairy

Mammals are not classified as members of the Amniota because mammals do not lay eggs. True or False?

False

Some orders which include the marine mammals are:

1. Carnivora
2. Sirenia
3. Cetacea

Ranking of marine mammals from first to last of when their ancestors returned to the sea:

1. Dolphins and Whales
2. Seals and Sea Lions
3. Polar Bear

Pinnipeds are most closely related to which species?


1. mice
2. dogs
3. deer
4. humans

dogs

Dolphins are most closely related to which species?


1. mice
2. dogs
3. deer
4. humans

deer

Which of the following are examples of homologous features?


1. genetic code shared between humans and flies
2. seals, dolphins, and penguins have a similar fusiform body shape (like a torpedo)
3. similar embryos of humans, chickens and fishes
4. baleen whales and whale sharks are both large-bodied filter feeders that eat plankton (small, drifting creatures)
5. seal flippers, bat wings and human arms have the same bones
6. a whale’s blowhole and a human’s nose

 

 

1,3,5

Put the following evolutionary changes (synapomorphies) in the evolutionary history of animals order from first to last:

bilateral symmetry, evolution of a body cavity, deusterome development, segmented bodies, evolution of tissues,

\

evolution of tissues, bilateral symmetry, evolution of a body cavity, segmented bodies, deusterome development

what is the difference between dolphins and porpoises?

they have different teeth shapes: dolphins have cone shaped teeth while porpoises have spade shaped teeth

Homoplasy (similar features that do not result from common ancestry) can be the result of convergent evolution of similar forms due to shared environmental pressures or evolutionary advantages.

**True or False?**

True

How many Kingdoms of life are generally recognized by biologists. (One number only, no decimal places)

6

Synamorphic characteristics

shared derived characteristics

Plesiomorphic characteristics

primitive characteristics

Examples of homology

bat wing, mouse forearm, human arm, and dolphin flipper are all composed of similar bones inherited from a recent common ancestor

Examples of analogy

bats, butterflies, and birds all evolved independently; not from a recent common ancestor

Definition of homology

similarity that exists in species descended from a common ancestor

3 levels of homology

1. Genetic
2. Developmental
3. Structural

Monophyletic

group descended from a single ancestor

Polyphyletic

unrelated organisms descended from more than one ancestor (not suitable in the same taxon)

Paraphyletic

includes most recent common ancestor but not all of its descendents

Information supporting the hypothesis whales evolved from a terrestrial ancestor

1. fossil cetaceans resemble extant terrestrial mammals, extant aquatic mammals, and intermediates
2. phylogeny supported by relative and absolute dating indicating gradual transition between terrestrial and aquatic whale-like forms
3. molecular comparisons indicate hippos are closest living relative of cetaceans and they share a semi-aquatic ancestor
4. some cetaceans have vestigial limbs as adults or embryos

Phylogeography definition

field of study concerned with principles and processes governing the geographic distribution of genealogical lineages especially among closely related species

All marine mammals are

Mammalia, Chordata, Vertebrata, → (Carnivora, Sirenia, Cetacea)

Wallace’s line establishes what boundaries?

1. west of the line: asian fauna and flora
2. east of the line: australian fauna and flora

Theory coined by Alfred Wegener stating major crustal plates move gradually every year; origin of major land mass pangaea

continental drift

allows for the dispersal or restriction of plants and animals

corridors and filter bridges

West-wind Drift Hypothesis

rejected because dolphins followed prey distribution changes

Taxonomic levels

1. Kingdom
2. Phylum
3. Class
4. Order
5. Family
6. Genus
7. Species

3 Large Domains

1. Bacteria
2. Archaea
3. Eukarya

4 Kingdoms within Eukarya

1. protista
2. plantae
3. fungi
4. animalia

All animals are:

1. eukaryotic
2. multicellular
3. heterotrophic
4. mobile
5. lack cell walls

Key transitions of animals

1. tissues
2. bilateral symmetry
3. body cavity
4. segmentation
5. deuterostome development

Phylum Chordata

1. deusterome that belong to the phylum chordata
2. exhibit internal endoskeleton with muscles attached to a notochord

Defining features of chordates

1. notochord
2. nerve chord
3. pharyngeal pouches
4. postanal tail

vertebrate chordates differ from tunicates and lancelets in two important ways:

1. backbone which replaces role of notochord
2. distinct and well-differentiated head

Two characteristics of vertebrates

1. vertebrae
2. cranium (skull)

Three distinct regions in the brains of vertebrates

1. forebrain (smell)
2. midbrain (vision)
3. hindbrain (balance and hearing)

standard chordate features which vertebrates also possess

1. segmental ossification of the notochord
2. musculature segmented into myomeres
3. closed circulatory system

Which species among the vertebrates are the most diverse?

fish

how many million years ago did the earliest vertebrates live in the ocean?

540

Series of key innovations occurring as the vertebrate lineage diversified

1. fossil vertebrates 440 mya were first to contain exoskeleton bone
2. first bony fishes with jaws 400 mya
3. apperance of animals with limbs, tetrapods about 365 mya
4. first animals with watertight eggs (amniotic eggs) 20 million years after tetrapod emergence

Four important characteristics fishes have in common

1. gills (extract dissolved oxygen)
2. vertebral column (internal skeleton with spine)
3. single-loop blood circulation (heart→gills→body→heart)
4. nutritional deficiences(cannot synthesize aromatic amino acids and must obtain via diet)

3 Classes of marine fishes

1. agnatha (jawless)
2. chondrichthyes (cartilaginous)
3. osteichthyes (bony)

Agnathans lack which features from other fishes?

1. jaw
2. paired fins
3. scales

Two types of agnathans

1. hagfishes
2. lampreys

Chondrichthyes consist of these cartilaginous fishes:

1. sharks
2. rays
3. chimaeras

Some characteristics of chondrichthyes

1. grow to large size
2. retain metabolic waste products to achieve osmotic equlibrium
3. heterocercal caudal fin (for lift)
4. placoid scales

Which class of fishes are the most diverse?

osteichthyes

Mammals evolved about 220 mya and shared the following three characteristics:

1. mammary glands
2. hair
3. middle ear

Characteristics which have allowed for mammals to adapt to colder times:

1. endothermy (active at any time of the day/night)
2. teeth (variation allows specialization to eating habits
3. placenta (adaptation for nourishing developing)
4. hooves (locomotion; hooves, claws, fingernails made of keratin)
5. horns (composed of bony core)

Types of mammals in the present time

1. monotremes (egg-laying mammals)
2. Marsupials (pouched mammals)
3. Placental

Marine mammals in the order cetacea

1. mysticetes (baleen whales)
2. odontocetes (toothed whales, dolphins, porpoises)

Marine mammals in the order carnivora

1. polar bear
2. otters (sea and marine)
3. pinnipeds (true seals, sea lions and fur seals, walrus)

Marine mammals in the order sirenia

1. manatees
2. dugong

Which species is the largest diving pinniped?

southern elephant seal

Which species is the deepest diver?

southern elephant seal

How were right whales nearly driven to extinction?

Hunting for blubber

The size of baleen varies among whales depending on their foraging behavior, order the following species from longest baleen to shortest baleen

1. Bowhead Whale
2. Blue Whale
3. Gray Whale

Which of the following characteristics are found in true seals (phocidae) but not sea lions and fur seals (otariidae)?

1. Breeding, pupping, and nursing young on the ice
2. Extended fasting during pupping and breeding
3. High Blubber Content
4. Gallumphing on Land

Which family of cetaceans has the greatest number of species?

delphinidae

Why are sea otters found associated with kelp forests?

otters eat urchins which eat kelp

Order the following cetaceans in terms of their swimming speed from fastest to slowest

1. fin whale
2. gray whale
3. northern right whale

How do dolphins produce echolocation clicks?

using air sacs near the blowhole and projecting through the melon

How do dolphins receive (hear) echolocation clicks?

through the lower jaw

What best describes the cervical (neck) vertebrae of true dolphins (delphinidae)

they are fused (inflexible)

difference between true dolphins and porpoises

teeth

According to the film Dolphins: The Ultimate Guide and the SF ACS Talk what was responsible for the death of harbor porpoises in both Scotland and San Francisco Bay?

bottlenose dolphins

method used to estimate abundance and monitor movements of bottlenose dolphins, dolphins, harbor porpoises, humpback whales, and gray whales in and around SF Bay

Photo ID

What do humpback whales in SF Bay mainly eat?

anchovy

According to the SF ACS talk, where are the humpback whales we see in SF Bay most likely to breed?

Mexico

According to SF ACS talk, what poses the greatest danger to humpback whales feeding near the Golden Gat Bridge in SF Bay.

vessel collisions

According to the SF ACS talk, what was found to be the cause of the death for gray whales that died in SF Bay during the recent Unusual Mortality Event?

vessel strike and malnutrition

Marine mammal skill with pronounced sagittal crest.

california sea lion

examinign scalpulae of several marine mammals of similar size, you notice that one has a much larger scalpula than the rest with pronounced ridges → this specimen most likely belongs to which family?

otariidae

You examine a pinniped skull, which features should you examine closely to find clues on whether it is a phocid or an otariid skull

1. nasal bone
2. zygomatic arch
3. supraorbital region

Examinign skulls of several marine mammals, you notice that one is much heavier for its size than the rest, the only teeth you see are molars, so which specimen most likely belongs to which family?

Triechidae

Examining the skulls of several marine mammals, you notice that one has both sharp canines and very large, blunt molars that remind you of a nut cracker, this speciment most likely belongs to which family?

mustelidae

Largest member of the Otariidae, similar skull to bear skull (minus teeth), sometimes found in SF Bay Area (including Farallon Islands) and this species is more commonly found to the north (e.g. Alaska).

steller sea lion

this marine carnivore has the largest bacalum (penis bone) of any species

walrus

the apex predator of the antarctic has large canines and interlocking teeth which it uses to feed on fish, penguins, and seals.

leopard seal

primary prey source for the crabeater seal is large crustaceans, including snow crabs, king crabs, giant crabs, and rock lobsters.

False

Where is the nearest place you could find this species

Coast of Florida

When looking at the skull of a sperm whale, you notice a large space above the jaws and in front of the frontal bones. What is the name and function of the organ found there?

Spermaceti Organ - Sound Production

Smallest member of the rorqual family gets its scientific name from the acute angle of its rostrum and has also been one of the species most commonly hunted by industrial whaling vessels in the modern era.

minke

Why were the right whales (balaenidae) considered the “right whales to kill” by early whalers?

1. longest baleen
2. slow swimming
3. float when killed
4. high blubber content

These animals belong to which family of marine mammals?

Balaenopteridae

Examine the photo above. What does this species eat?

1. fish
2. whales
3. seals
4. dolphins
5. sea lions
6. porpoises

Which of the following marine mamals has fused cervical vertebrae?

1. pilot whale
2. bottlenose dolphin
3. killer whale
4. harbor porpoise

Where in the worlds are most pinnipeds found?

polar and subpolar regions

Which of the following species are capital breeders (females stay with pups from birth to weaning?)

1. northern elephant seal
2. ringed seal
3. hooded seal

Which of the following species has the fastest time to weaning (time from birth to weaning of pups?)

hooded seal