FINAL EXAMINATION
ZOOLOGY 403 -- Natural History of Vertebrates
FINAL EXAMINATION
ZOOLOGY 403 -- Natural History of Vertebrates
(40) TRUE-FALSE:
_____ The wapiti (elk) and Jefferson's mammoth once inhabited Illinois.
_____ Biologists can get some of the same viral and rickettsial diseases as the animals they study and thus should take
precautions.
_____ Communication using sounds as signals occurs in at least some species of fish, amphibians, birds, and mammals,
but not reptiles.
_____ The normal gestation of an opossum is short compared to all other Illinois mammals of similar size.
_____ Some birds exhibit a type of migration called altitudinal migration.
_____ Lyme disease is caused by a virus and is spread by ticks.
_____ The blue coloration of blue jays is due to a mixture of blue pigments deposited within the feather itself.
_____ Ungulates typically shed antlers entirely, but if any shedding of horns occurs it involves only the outer sheath.
_____ Some oceanic and freshwater fish live their whole life in zones where light does not occur.
_____ Reptile poison gland substances commonly help immobilize or kill prey but also they usually begin the digestion
process.
_____ The red-breasted merganser, horned grebes, and ruddy ducks we observed on field trips would likely have been
preparing to court and nest on those same lakes.
_____ Tortoises hold the record among vertebrates for maximum life span.
_____ The eastern phoebe commonly places its nest under a cliff overhang or other structure with the nest attached to
the rocky surface.
_____ The darters of Illinois are brilliantly colored all year round.
_____ Sound spectrograms are helpful to help distinguish the two gray treefrog species of Illinois.
_____ Some reptiles specialize in eating other reptiles.
_____ Behavioral characteristics can be useful when trying to identify birds under field conditions.
_____ Metachrosis occurs in at least several species within each class of vertebrates.
_____ There is at least one mammal species that locates its food using the electrical impulses given off by the prey.
_____ When handling live vertebrates, it is best to restrain the animal in a manner that offers the animal some comfort
yet prevents any attempt to break free; in other words, neither too severe nor too casual.
(26) MULTIPLE CHOICE (Choose the one best answer):
_____ A mammal species of southern Illinois which makes two-inch tubular runways through the grass litter on top of
the ground surface is 1) deer mouse, 2) eastern mole, 3) prairie vole, 4) all of the above, 5) none of the above.
_____ Where plague is suspected in a rodent population, you should 1) avoid being bitten by the rodents, 2) kill some
rodents and send brain tissue to nearest state pathology lab, 3) kill the remaining rodents with poison bait,
4) wear surgical face mask while working in the area, 5) avoid getting flea bites.
_____ Sockeye salmon of North America are 1) limnodromous, 2) anadromous, 3) catadromous, 4) exogenous,
5) none of the above.
_____ The eastern cottontail belongs to the order 1) Muridae, 2) Theria, 3) Leporidae, 4) Rodentia, 5) none of the
above.
_____ The hoary bat belongs to the order 1) Myotis, 2) Vespertilionidae, 3) Chiroptera, 4) Passeriformes,
5) Mammalia.
_____ The type of fall-spring migration shown by humpback whales worldwide is called 1) vagrant, 2) longitudinal,
3) latitudinal, 4) altitudinal, 5) none of the above.
_____ Polygyny is a mating system where (1) one female has several male mates, (2) one male has several female
mates, (3) most males and females have several mates, (4) all of the above, (5) none of the above.
_____ Hantavirus is a disease of (1) fishes, (2) birds, (3) mammals, (4) all of the above, (5) none of the above.
_____ Salamanders typically have 1) internal fertilization & internal development, 2) internal fertilization &
external development, 3) external fertilization & external development, 4) external fertilization & internal
development, 5) none of the above.
_____ Teeth are adapted to aid prey capture and feeding in at least some (1) fishes, (2) amphibians, (3) reptiles,
(4) all of the above, (5) none of the above.
_____ On a southern Illinois spring field outing, one might find (1) ringneck snake, (2) osprey, (3) badger,
(4) all of the above, (5) none of the above.
_____ Red leg is an ailment of frogs that is caused by: (1) protozoan, (2) virus, (3) rickettsia, (4) bacteria,
(5) fungus.
_____ Ichthyology is the study of (1) fishes, (2) Agnatha, (3) Chondrichthyes, (4) Osteichthyes, (5) all of the above.
(32) MATCHING (Choose the one best answer):
_____ Northern Phalarope 1. male brood pouch
_____ Bitterling 2. male brood patch for incubation
_____ Wood Duck 3. bubble nest
_____ Seahorse 4. earthen/mud nest
_____ Siamese Fighting Fish 5. tree cavity nest
_____ Chimpanzee 6. mouth brooder
_____ Northern Fur Seal 7. freshwater clam "nest"
8. woven nest
9. delayed implantation
10. estrous and menstrual cycle
The following animals of southern Illinois overwinter with the aid of:
_____ Eastern Chipmunk 1. Hibernation/Protracted Dormancy
_____ Ruddy Duck 2. Food Storage
_____ Green Frog 3. Migration 5. Both 2 & 3
_____ Cottonmouth 4. Both 1 & 3 6. Both 1 & 2
Match the following structures to the area of their function:
_____ Ampullae of Lorenzini 1. Vision 6. Infra-red perception
_____ Weberian apparatus 2. Taste 7. Electrical-field perception
_____ JacobsonŐs organ 3. Touch
_____ Facial pits 4. Smell
_____ Vibrissae 5. Hearing
(36) FILL-IN (Please be SPECIFIC with your answers):
The ______________________________ is a mammal that has a poison-injecting claw with associated gland
located on its hind legs.
A spherical nest structure composed especially of dried leaves and located high among the branches of trees on the
main SIUC campus is probably made by _________________________________________.
The yellow of a milletseed butterflyfish of the Hawaiian Islands is caused by
_______________________________________________________,
whereas the red on the throat area of a ruby-throated hummingbird is caused by
______________________________________.
One way that bird wing morphology overcomes wing-tip vortex is by:
________________________________________________________.
The dental formula of the coyote is 3-1-4-2 over 3-1-4-3. Thus how many total molars would each individual
have in its mouth: __________.
Give the common or scientific name of a vertebrate species native to Illinois that is also found in Africa and Asia:
___________________________.
A variation of parthenogenesis that requires mating to activate egg development but does not involve fertilization
per se is called _______________________________.
Exogenous photophores of fish contain ____________________________ which create bioluminescence.
Egg laying is typical of what mammalian order: ________________________.
A joey is the name given for young _____________________________, whereas an
alevin is a young ___________________________.
Give a complete common name of one species in the following:
Passeriformes _________________________________
Squamata _______________________________________
Cetacea _______________________________________
Anura (Salientia) _______________________________
Testudines (Chelonia) ____________________________
(14) ILLUSTRATIONS:
Draw an appropriate animal showing the following and clearly label the item(s) on
your drawings:
Nasolabial grooves --
Nuptial tubercles --
Hemipenes --
Rictal bristles --
ILLUSTRATIONS (cont.)
For each of the following, sketch, label, and clarify one vertebrate-animal example,
clearly showing its specialized structure(s) . Also give the common name of the species
you are citing as having the adaptation you have drawn.
1. INSECTIVOROUS: Example species ___________________
2. PISCIVOROUS: Example species ___________________
3. PLANKTON FEEDING: Example species ___________________
(4) ESSAY (Write complete sentences and be specific with your answer):
It is often said that "the closer you look at the world of nature the more beauty and wonder
you discover." What memorable discovery about vertebrate natural history happened for
you during field observations for this course that would underscore the truth of the above
statement. Be thorough in describing your observation and discovery.
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Instructor's home page
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URL: http://www.science.siu.edu/zoology/zool403/exam2.html
Last updated: 4-Jan-02 / ghw