In-depth notes about ruminants' feeding and digestion, good notes for anyone studying or interested in natural sciences.
The notes contain information on:
- Definitions.
- Soil and plant stoichiochemistry.
- Perissodactyla and Artiodactyla.
- Chalicotheres.
- Bronototheres (Titanotheres...
Ruminants feeding and digestion
There are written up notes for this lecture.
Definitions:
Species abundance is the number of individuals per species.
Relative abundance refers to the evenness of distribution of individuals among
species in a community.
Two communities may be equally rich in species abundance but differ in relative
abundance.
Ungulates are large mammals in which they walk on their toes.
Perissodactyl is an order and consists of a group of herbivore mammals that are
odd-toed ungulates.
Artiodactyla is an order and consists of a soup of herbivores that are even-toed
ungulates.
Plantigrades - animals that walk flat on flat feet. For example, squirrels.
Digitigrades - animals that walk on their toes. For example, dogs, cats etc.
Unguligrades - animals that walk on the tip of their toes. For example, ungulates
such as deer,
Soil & plant stoichiochemisty:
Soil chemistry and spatial distribution of nutrients determine:
• Types, abundances and spatial distributions of plant species.
• Nutrients contained within each plant.
• Types, abundances and spatial distributions of herbivorous species and their
behaviours.
• Types, abundances and spatial distributions of predators.
Recap - The abundance (type) of plant determines on what other species will be
found within that area.
When an animal dies in a certain area, the chemical release and nutrients from
that species body is rereleased into the soil. This means that different plant
, species will grow in different areas as different plants require certain nutrients to
grow.
Depending on the plant species will determine on what kind of herbivorous
animals are within that community and their behaviours, this will then determine
what kind of predators are found within that community and their behaviours.
To narrow this down, behaviours meaning what kind of prey predators may hunt
as different prey will have different nutrients passed on from plants.
Perissodactyla and Artiodactyla:
• 1/3 of all extant mammalian genera are herbivores.
• 50% of which are Artiodactyla Orr Perrisodactyla.
• Origin probably in Palaeocene (66-56 mya).
• Global expansion or grasslands.
• Perissodactyls once the most diverse.
• Now there are only 6 genera of Perissodactyls with 16spp.
• About 80 genera of Artiodactyls with 220 spp.
They are both forms of extreme digitigrade.
• Their teeth are usually hypsodont.
• High-crowned.
• Enamel extending past the gum line.
• Extra material for wear and tear.
• Deal with abrasion from silica-rich grasses and grit.
• Their limbs operate in a single plane.
• Cursorial locomotion (adapted for running).
• Calcaneus usually does not articulate with the fibula.
Recap - The biggest dominating grazing animals on the planet at the minute are
ungulates (large mammals with hooves) and they are split into two orders:
Perissodactyla (odd-toed ungulates) - horses, rhinoceroses, tapirs; and
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