Monito del Monte
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Monito del Monte[1] | ||||||||||||||||
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| Dromiciops gliroides Thomas, 1894 |
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 Map of Dromiciops gliroides distribution
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Dromiciops australis |
Monito del Monte ("little mountain monkey", Dromiciops gliroides)
History: According to studies the Monito del Monte, which is today found in South America, could be potentially a native of Australia. Tiny prehistoric bones have been found on Queensland farm and are being directly linked to the Monito del Monte. One of Australia’s earliest known marsupials was the Djarthia, which is a primitive mouse-like animal that lived about 55 million years ago. The Djarthia is now being labeled by scientists as a primitive relative of the small marsupial known as the Monito del Monte. This research suggests that the Monito del Monte is certainly a living fossil, the last of a lineage that can be traced back to Djarthia.[3]
Reproduction: The Monito del Monte normally reproduces in the spring and can have a litter size varying anywhere between 1-4 young. The females have a pseudovagina, and a fur lined pouch containing 4 mammae. When the young are stable enough to leave the pouch they are nursed in a nest, and then carried on the mothers back. When the young are weaned, they still remain in association with the mother. Males and females both reach sexual maturity after 2 years.[4] [5] [6] [7]
Living Areas: The Monito del Monte mainly live in trees, where they construct spherical nests of water resistant bamboo leaves. These leaves are then lined with moss or grass, and placed in well protected areas of the tree. The nests are sometimes covered in grey moss as well to additionally conceal the animal. While these nests protect the Monito del Monte from the cold, they are also used as a place to hibernate when the weather becomes cold.[8] [9] [10]
Seed Dispersal: A study performed in the temperate forests of Southern Argentina showed a mutualistic seed dispersal relationship between D. gliroides and Tristerix corymbosus, also known as the Loranthacous mistletoe. The Monito del Monte is the single dispersal agent for this plant, and without it the plant would go extinct. The Monito del Monte eats this seeds of T. corymbosus, and then excretes them to disperse the seeds. Scientists speculate that the co evolution of these two species could have occurred 60-70 million years ago.[11] [12]
[edit] References
- ^ Gardner, Alfred (November 16, 2005). Wilson, D. E., and Reeder, D. M. (eds). ed. Mammal Species of the World (3rd edition ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press. pp. 21. ISBN 0-801-88221-4. http://www.bucknell.edu/msw3.
- ^ Diaz, M. & Teta, P. (2008). Dromiciops gliroides. 2008 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2008. Retrieved on 28 December 2008. Database entry includes justification for why this species is listed as near threatened
- ^ Beck, Robin M.D., Henk Godthelp, Vera Weisbecker, Michael Archer, Suzanne J. Hand. "Australia's Oldest Marsupial Fossils and their Biogeographical Implications." Plos One Journal (2008)
- ^ Angel E. Spotorno, Juan C. Marin, Marco Yevenes, Laura I. Walker, Raul Fernandez Donoso, Juana Pinchiera, M. Soleda Barrios, R. Eduardo Palma. "Chromosome Divergences Among American Marsupials and the Australian Affinities of the American Dromiciops." Journal of Mammalian Evolution 12/1997: 793-799
- ^ Brugni, Norma, Veronica R. Flores. "Allassogonoporus dromiciops n. sp. (Digenea: Allassogonoporidae) from Dromiciops gliroides (Marsupialia: Microbiotheriidae) in Patagonia, Argentina ." Systematic Parasitology 68(2007)
- ^ Wilson, Don E., DeeAnn M. Reeder . Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference. 3. JHU Press, 2005
- ^ Lidicker, Jr., William Z., Michael T. Ghiselin. Biology. 4. Menlo Park, California: The Benjamin/Cummings Publishing Company, 1996
- ^ Macdonald, David. Encyclopedia of Mammals. New York City: Facts on File , 1995
- ^ Nowak, Ronald M., Chris R. Dickman . Walker's Marsupials of the World . JHU Press, 2005
- ^ Lord, Rexford D. Mammals of South America. JHU Press, 2007
- ^ Garcia, Daniel. "Seed dispersal by a frugivorous marsupial shapes the spatial scale of a mistletoe population." Journal of Ecology 9703/2009 217-229.
- ^ Amico, Guillermo C., Marcelo A. Aizen, Mariano A. Rodriguez-Cabal . "The potential key seed-dispersing role of the arboreal marsupial Dromiciops gliroides ." Acta Oecologica 35(2009): 8-13
