Bilby: Secrets of an Australian Marsupial by Edel Wignell

2015 ◽  
Vol 68 (7) ◽  
pp. 378-378
Keyword(s):  
Development ◽  
1988 ◽  
Vol 104 (4) ◽  
pp. 549-556 ◽  
Author(s):  
J.M. Hutson ◽  
G. Shaw ◽  
W.S. O ◽  
R.V. Short ◽  
M.B. Renfree

The ontogeny of Mullerian inhibiting substance (MIS) production by the developing testis of an Australian marsupial, the tammar wallaby (Macropus eugenii), was determined during pouch life using an organ-culture bioassay of mouse fetal urogenital ridge. This information was related to the morphological events during testicular migration and descent. MIS biological activity was found in testes (but not ovaries or liver) of pouch young from 2 to 85 days of age. MIS production had commenced by day 2, which is within a day of the first gross morphological signs of testicular differentiation. Mullerian duct regression occurred between 10 and 30 days, which partly coincided with testicular migration to the inguinal region and enlargement of the gubernacular bulb (15 to 30 days). These observations are consistent with the hypothesis that MIS may be involved in testicular transabdominal migration. The epididymis commenced development and growth only after the testis had descended through the inguinal ring. This provides no support for the suggestion that the epididymis is involved in testicular descent into the scrotum. The basic sequence of events in post-testicular sexual differentiation in the wallaby is sufficiently similar to that seen in eutherian mammals to make it an excellent experimental model for future studies of testicular differentiation, migration and descent.


1957 ◽  
Vol 31 (4) ◽  
pp. 257-264 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dorothea F. Sandars

A new species Fibricola sarcophila, is described from Sarcophilus harrisii from Tasmania. The history of previous records of strigeid from marsupial hosts is outlined and their possible relationships discussed.


2019 ◽  
Vol 280 (3) ◽  
pp. 423-435 ◽  
Author(s):  
Meg L. Martin ◽  
Natalie M. Warburton ◽  
Kenny J. Travouillon ◽  
Patricia A. Fleming
Keyword(s):  

2018 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 171914 ◽  
Author(s):  
Axel H. Newton ◽  
Frantisek Spoutil ◽  
Jan Prochazka ◽  
Jay R. Black ◽  
Kathryn Medlock ◽  
...  

The Tasmanian tiger or thylacine ( Thylacinus cynocephalus ) was an iconic Australian marsupial predator that was hunted to extinction in the early 1900s. Despite sharing striking similarities with canids, they failed to evolve many of the specialized anatomical features that characterize carnivorous placental mammals. These evolutionary limitations are thought to arise from functional constraints associated with the marsupial mode of reproduction, in which otherwise highly altricial young use their well-developed forelimbs to climb to the pouch and mouth to suckle. Here we present the first three-dimensional digital developmental series of the thylacine throughout its pouch life using X-ray computed tomography on all known ethanol-preserved specimens. Based on detailed skeletal measurements, we refine the species growth curve to improve age estimates for the individuals. Comparison of allometric growth trends in the appendicular skeleton (fore- and hindlimbs) with that of other placental and marsupial mammals revealed that despite their unique adult morphologies, thylacines retained a generalized early marsupial ontogeny. Our approach also revealed mislabelled specimens that possessed large epipubic bones (vestigial in thylacine) and differing vertebral numbers. All of our generated CT models are publicly available, preserving their developmental morphology and providing a novel digital resource for future studies of this unique marsupial.


2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
V. Gonzalez-Astudillo ◽  
J. Henning ◽  
L. Valenza ◽  
L. Knott ◽  
A. McKinnon ◽  
...  

AbstractKoalas are an iconic Australian marsupial undergoing precipitous population reduction in South-East Queensland from complex interacting threats. To investigate the causes of death and the interaction of comorbidities with demography in South-East Queensland koalas, a large scale, high-throughput prospective necropsy survey was conducted spanning 2013–2016. During this period, 519 necropsies were conducted in 155 young/subadult koalas, 235 mature, 119 old koalas and 10 of unknown age. Similar numbers of males and females were assessed. Trauma and infectious disease at were the most common single diagnoses. However, comorbidity was frequent, including multicentric infection or infectious disease in combination with trauma or senescence. Female koalas had proportionally more reproductive chlamydiosis compared to males in which the ocular and urinary systems were more commonly affected. Comorbidity and disease were strongly associated with poor body condition, and trauma was associated with good body condition. Animals affected by motor vehicle trauma were often in better body condition than those affected by animal attack, tree fall or other causes of trauma. This study identified a higher frequency of infections and comorbidity then previously reported, confirming the complex nature of interacting threats to the koala population.


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