← Back to catalogue
Research draft

marsupial

vr.tr.marsupial · PHY.LIV

Let an agent explain marsupials and their reproduction, relay diversity, evolution and conservation from zoological sources, describe major groups, and distinguish marsupials from placental mammals and monotremes and the young joey from the adult.

Thing Registry Physical world and living systems

Research draft, second pass

A second pass drafted this model: the structure a model of this thing needs, and what is known about it in the world. The line under this one says how the second half was obtained - researched against sources, or recalled without web access, in which case nothing here was read anywhere and every claim is a lead to verify. Unreviewed either way.

written by Claude from model knowledge without web access - no source was read, every claim is a lead to verify

Researched by: Claude

Purpose and description

Let an agent explain marsupials and their reproduction, relay diversity, evolution and conservation from zoological sources, describe major groups, and distinguish marsupials from placental mammals and monotremes and the young joey from the adult.

A mammal of the infraclass Marsupialia whose young are born at an early stage and complete development attached to a teat, often in a pouch, including kangaroos and their young called joeys, rat-kangaroos, koalas, wombats, possums, the small carnivorous marsupial mice or dunnarts, and the American opossums; marsupials number about 330 species, mostly in Australasia and the Americas, and diverged from placental mammals over 100 million years ago.

What it is for: Not applicable; a mammal group.

It can be explain reproduction and groups; relay evolution and conservation; describe examples; distinguish related mammals.

Distinguishing features

Pouch and teat development

Australasian and American

Diverse forms

Ancient lineage

What it looks like

Mammals ranging from kangaroos to mouse-sized dunnarts, many with pouches.

Physical character

species: about 330 count

divergence from placentals: over 100 million years ago

largest: red kangaroo, up to 90 kg note

smallest: long-tailed planigale, about 4 g note

How it is recognised

Mammal with early-born young developing on a teat

Kangaroos and joeys, rat-kangaroos, marsupial mice, koalas, wombats, opossums

Placentals gestate longer; monotremes lay eggs; a joey is any marsupial young

Related models

is a kind of - in registry terms

mammal

belongs to - the infraclass

Marsupialia

is contrasted with - with longer gestation

placental mammal

is exemplified by - the best known marsupial

kangaroo

In practice

Families and kinds

kangaroos, wallabies and rat-kangaroos

koalas and wombats

possums and gliders

dasyurids including marsupial mice, quolls and the Tasmanian devil

bandicoots and bilbies

American opossums and shrew opossums

Identifiers

infraclass Marsupialia

Standards and regulation

Australian wildlife protection laws

IUCN Red List assessments

CITES listings for some species

Failure modes and hazards

Extinctions and declines from predators and habitat loss

Confusing joey with a species

Registry aliases mixing a young stage and groups

Also called

joeyrat kangaroomarsupial mouse

Where this came from

wikidata · CC0 1.0

Also registered as vr.tr.marsupial

Drafted structure

Bundle to layer to finding to question, as the second pass will find it: 4 bundles · 8 layers · 8 findings · 16 questions.

Understand What marsupials are.

Science.

Definition

Definition and reproduction.

Definition

Definition.

  1. What are marsupials, how does their reproduction work, and how do they differ from placentals and monotremes? definition
  2. Is the question about the group, a family, a species or conservation? boundary

Groups

Groups.

Groups

Groups.

  1. What are the major groups, from kangaroos and rat-kangaroos to marsupial mice and opossums, and what is a joey? definition
  2. Which entry fits the specific group? action
Biology Biology and evolution.

Science.

Evolution

Evolution.

Evolution

Evolution.

  1. How did marsupials evolve and spread between the Americas and Australia via Antarctica? provenance
  2. Which references are standard? provenance

Adaptations

Adaptations.

Adaptations

Adaptations.

  1. What adaptations do marsupials show, from hopping to embryonic diapause? provenance
  2. Which sources are cited? provenance
Conservation Conservation.

Application.

Threats

Threats.

Threats

Threats.

  1. Why have so many marsupials declined, and which are threatened? provenance
  2. Which entry fits Australian mammal extinctions? action

Protection

Protection.

Protection

Protection.

  1. How are marsupials protected and recovered? provenance
  2. Which entry fits wildlife conservation in Australia? action
Context Culture and study.

Context.

Culture

Culture.

Culture

Culture.

  1. How do marsupials figure in Aboriginal cultures and national symbols? provenance
  2. Which entry fits kangaroo in culture? action

Study

Study.

Study

Study.

  1. How are marsupials studied, including as models in developmental biology? provenance
  2. Which entry fits mammalogy? action

What the second pass must settle

  • Should kangaroo, dasyurid and opossum be separate primary entries?
  • How should zoological sources be linked?
  • The registry entry has merged aliases naming a young stage and two groups; should they be split off?