1. The honey possum has a long pointed snout, a brush-tipped tongue, reduced jawbones and muscles, and pointed incisors and canines but small peg-like teeth. It also has ridges across the roof of its mouth. Explain how these adaptations relate to the animal’s diet, which is usually a mixture of nectar and pollen.
Answer
The honey possum’s adaptations relate to its diet because they do not need massive jawbones and muscles to eat the pollen and nectar. Their long pointed snout and brush-tipped tongue help the Honey Possum get easier access to the pollen and nectar. The ridges on the top of the mouth also help the honey possum get the nectar and pollen off their tongues.
Reference
Honey Possum, unique nectar-eating marsupial. (n.d.). http://www.honeypossum.com.au/
2. The eastern grey kangaroo has a big space on its upper and lower jaws between the incisors and the premolars. Explain the significance of this morphology (structure). Answer
The gap is called a diastema, the significance of the Eastern Grey Kangaroo’s big space on the upper and lower jaws is to allow food to be stored in the cheek while the Kangaroo …show more content…
The Kangaroo has a the largest ratio where as the Honey Possum has the smallest. This is because the Eastern Grey Kangaroo’s diet of fibrous plants is quite hard to digest making the use of long intestines and fermentation chambers for absorption of nutrients. Honey Possums have a small body and therefore a small digestive system as they only have to digest pollen and nectar, which is digested quite easily. The dingo is a carnivore and has a very effective digestive system to break down the meat of its prey. Its digestive system is bigger because Meat takes substantially longer to break down than plant based foods do. Therefore, the meat stays in the small intestine longer, as the small intestine pulverizes and absorbs the nutrients it
Answer
The honey possum’s adaptations relate to its diet because they do not need massive jawbones and muscles to eat the pollen and nectar. Their long pointed snout and brush-tipped tongue help the Honey Possum get easier access to the pollen and nectar. The ridges on the top of the mouth also help the honey possum get the nectar and pollen off their tongues.
Reference
Honey Possum, unique nectar-eating marsupial. (n.d.). http://www.honeypossum.com.au/
2. The eastern grey kangaroo has a big space on its upper and lower jaws between the incisors and the premolars. Explain the significance of this morphology (structure). Answer
The gap is called a diastema, the significance of the Eastern Grey Kangaroo’s big space on the upper and lower jaws is to allow food to be stored in the cheek while the Kangaroo …show more content…
The Kangaroo has a the largest ratio where as the Honey Possum has the smallest. This is because the Eastern Grey Kangaroo’s diet of fibrous plants is quite hard to digest making the use of long intestines and fermentation chambers for absorption of nutrients. Honey Possums have a small body and therefore a small digestive system as they only have to digest pollen and nectar, which is digested quite easily. The dingo is a carnivore and has a very effective digestive system to break down the meat of its prey. Its digestive system is bigger because Meat takes substantially longer to break down than plant based foods do. Therefore, the meat stays in the small intestine longer, as the small intestine pulverizes and absorbs the nutrients it