Talk:Marsupial

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[edit] Metatheria/Marsupialia

Should we be using this for the Scientific classification tables or the Metatheria subclass? The Metatheria page seems to say that it is a more modern classification. The University of Michigan Museum of Biology uses Metatheria. I will not change it because I am not an animal scientist. -- PlatinumX 02:36, 16 Mar 2004 (UTC)

To me, I think use of the Metatheria makes sense, but I think the question should be posted to users before a change is made, so I'm adding an article where the poll can be taken. --216.228.163.41 01:01, 30 May 2004 (UTC)

This article contradicts with Mammalia and many others, because of Marsupialia / Metatheria. I think it must be fixed as soon as possible, but - no changes since 30 May 2004. On the other hand, if the infraclass is Metatheria, then what is Marsupialia - just some abstract group within Metatheria? Or has it scientific taxonomic name too? --78.61.94.98 13:25, 7 July 2007 (UTC) (Nomad)

[edit] Which taxon

Should we maybe use superorder instead of magnorder?--Ingoolemo 01:09, 2004 Jun 6 (UTC)

[edit] Taxonomy

I don't think this classification (McKenna & Bell's, apparently) is a good one. The Ameridelphia is probably paraphyletic. I think my own classification (Mammal Taxonomy is better and the Metatheria and Marsupialia pages should be merged. Ucucha 14:28, 10 Apr 2005 (UTC)

[edit] Pouch Clarification

This article assumes that the reader knows that nipples are inside the pouch. It would be nice if this could be worded to make that more clear. And, along those same lines, I followed the Pouch link to see if it clarified this. Unfortunately, it gets redirected to Ileo-anal pouch. I'm not sure that should happen, but it is definately not related to this topic. But I enjoyed the page otherwise! :-) PerlKnitter 14:34, 11 August 2005 (UTC)

[edit] References

There appear to be a few footnotes, but they aren't referenced at the bottom of the article. Shouldn't they be? Also, the author references "M.J. Spechtt" with respect to the Marsupials and Placentials evolving independently. That's an interesting fact, and I would love to read the reference. But if the reference is not well accepted, I'd like to know that. OrangeMarlin 19:31, 27 December 2005 (UTC)

[edit] Number of species

The first part of the article says that there are between 260 and 280 species of marsupials, but in the second part of the article the sum of the numbers of species in the orders is 334!? —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 83.131.10.241 (talk • contribs) .

Fixed. The lower section numbers wer updated, but the upper seciton had not been. - UtherSRG (talk) 00:40, 20 April 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Infraclass, not subclass

Since the subclass rank is already occupied by Theria, of which Marsupiala is a subdivision, Marsupiala should be an infraclass. The Theria page confirms this. Jerkov 13:06, 18 June 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Marsupial Frogs

I added marsupial frogs but UtherSRG removed them. Why? Are not marsupial frogs marsupial? Is convergent evolution a reason why marsupial frogs are not marsupial enough to appear on the marsupial page? --SafeLibraries 17:45, 16 August 2006 (UTC)

Because they already have an article, marsupial frog, which I put a link to at the top of the article where it belongs. In addition "marsupial frog" is unique, while "marsupial mammal" is redundant - the frogs are named for the mammal. "Marsupial" by itself with no context refers to the mammal; it only refers to the frogs in the context of the frogs. - UtherSRG (talk) 18:22, 16 August 2006 (UTC)

I see now. I missed before that "This article is about mammal. For the frogs, see marsupial frog" was added to the top of the page. That's a great solution. Thanks. --SafeLibraries 18:35, 16 August 2006 (UTC)

[edit] ancestral homeland?

I'd like to see a little more about (or links to) the continental drift theories explaining why there are marsupials in Australia and South America but not in Africa. Were there marsupials in Antarctica, Madagasgar and India? I'd love to see a map showing the pre-drifted continents with a hypothetical "homeland" of the marsupials shaded in. User:bigfun 21:36, 30 March 2007 (UTC)

Marsupials probably originated in North America and - in contrast to most placentals - reached both South America and Australia. They survived in Eurasia and North America (I'm not sure about Africa) until sometime in the Miocene; their extinction was probably caused by climatic changes. Ucucha 18:55, 31 March 2007 (UTC)

Marsupials did live in antartica. They had to pass through it to reach Australia. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 58.166.82.187 (talk) 21:06, 15 May 2008 (UTC)

[edit] more info?

this article is a bit thin, could saome one go into more detail? maybe list a few more marsupials? —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 125.238.48.40 (talk • contribs).

Someone had vandalized the page. I've fixed it. - UtherSRG (talk) 06:08, 27 January 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Macropods

what makes Marsupial mammal in the family Macropodidae different to other animals —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 203.160.120.242 (talk • contribs).

Have you read Marsupial and Macropodidae? - UtherSRG (talk) 13:18, 9 May 2007 (UTC)

[edit] south-east asian origin

The speculation that marsupials may have reached Australia via south-east Asia is so absurd that it shouldn't even be raised in this article. Marsupials have existed in Australia long before Australia drifted anywhere near Asia. The assertion that marsupials co-exist with "primates, hoofed mammals and other placentals" in Indonesia is false, as it overlooks the fact that they are separated by the Wallace Line, a deep channel in the sea within Indonesia that has insured that the eastern part (east of Lombok Strait) has never been connected by a land bridge to the western part during periods of low sea level. Thus only a few flying mammals and rodents (which presumably caught a ride on floating logs) have managed to cross. --59.154.24.148 (talk) 07:43, 30 December 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Marsupial neurology

The opening paragraph suggests that the only major difference between marsupials and placentals is their respective reproductive systems. This is misleading. For one thing, marsupials and monotremes lack corpora callosa. Not sure where to mention this, as the opening paragraph of this article already seems a bit overlarge, but this is hardly enough data to justify a new section. 89.0.101.51 (talk) 13:24, 18 January 2008 (UTC)

Do you have verifiable and reliable source that you can cite? - UtherSRG (talk) 14:56, 18 January 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Please clarify the cloaca bit

Marsupials have a cloaca that is connected to a urogenital sac in both sexes.

In what way is this sac urogenital? The text explains how it serves a role in waste removal, but has it got a genital role as well? Shinobu (talk) 22:40, 26 March 2008 (UTC)