Sex Differences in the Locomotor Ecology of a Gliding Mammal, the Malayan Colugo
Essay Preview: Sex Differences in the Locomotor Ecology of a Gliding Mammal, the Malayan Colugo
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Domain:
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Dermoptera
Family: Cynocephalidae
Genus: Galeopterus
Species: Galeopterus variegates
Ask a question: Do movement strategies differ between sexes of Malayan Colugo?
Background Research: The transitions of moving has occurred in only a few cases, but gliding has evolved independently at least 3o times in vertebrates and is likely to be in included in the movement from one place to another through most arboreal organisms.
Animals might leap or glide between trees to avoid predators
-Malayan are gliding mammals that inhabit Southeast Asia. They rarely descend the forest floor
Hypothesis: If I take wild Colugos and find the initial gliding and avg velocity then I can see the differences in movement strategies between sexes of Malayan Colugo.
Test Experiment: 5 wild Colugos were used for the experiment (3 males and 2 females)
-The horizontal distanced of the initial gliding was measured using a laser range finder
-Data on glide lengths and durations of the observed glides were recorded from the accelerometer
-Found avg velocity was multiplied by its duration recorded from the accelerometers to estimate glide distance.
Between dusk and dawn animals were located visually using radio signal each hr.
-Data loggers remained on animals for 1-6 wks.
-To examine differences between males and females locomotors behavior; they compared differences in glide distance, glides per night and nightly transit distance
-Fine budgets were calculated by summing time intervals for each behavioral class and dividing by the total observed time for each animal.
Control variables: the environment, the food they were given, and ???
Experimental variables:
Draw Conclusions: Males preform more glides and travel a greater distance each nigh then females.
-Females glide primarily too quickly for other behaviors that include territorial defense and mate searching
Critique
What was good?
What was bad?