Essay on How Marsupials Adapt to the Arid Australian...

How Marsupials adapt to the arid Australian Environment Introduction The increasing aridity of the Australian continent over the past 20 million years has favoured organisms that could adapt to dry conditions. Marsupials have developed a variety of behavioural, physiological and morphological adaptations to survive in these arid conditions with little or no food and free water for extended periods of time. Marsupials living in Australia’s hot arid environment must deal with exposure to extreme conditions such as high temperatures, solar radiation and limited food and water supply. More than 50% of the world’s marsupial species occur only in Australia (Steffen et al 2009), which indicates their ability to adapt to Australian†¦show more content†¦Arid zoned habitats provide challenging conditions for small marsupials. Some marsupials live underground to provide protection from predators and exposure to heat and also assist with water balance and energy expenditure as discussed by Warnecke (2010) King and Bradshaw (2008) describe a behavioural avoidance mechanism called thermal refugia. Rock wallabies and bettongs use thermal refugia to survive in arid environments. Movement patterns Red Kangaroos have developed a behavioural adaptation, which involves travelling long distances in search of fresh food and water as discussed by Barker and Greenslade (1982). Research indicates that the number of red kangaroos, which may be found in areas that have recently received rainfall, is 270 times greater than areas without rainfall (Barker Greenslade 1982). Travelling extensive distances for improved food and water supplies is likely to be inherited behavioural adaptation from the time when there were no artificial watering points and kangaroos would have been required to locate permanent bodies of water (Barker Greenslade 1982). Morphological Adaptations Marsupials have a variety of morphological adaptations to assist living in arid environments. Planigales are among the smallest marsupials and oftenShow MoreRelatedWhy the Flora and Fauna of Australia so Unique2158 Words   |  9 Pagesconsiderable changes in climate and ecosystems. The interaction of these forces (the unpredictable changes) is exactly what happened to Australia and as a consequence, drove the native Australian animals onto a very unique evolutionary path different from any other area land- no matter how similar their environments. It is widely accepted that between 260-180 million years ago, all of the Earth’s land was a part of one single large landmass called ‘Pangaea’. However, 180 million years ago Pangaea