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Questions for Discussion: Convergence: Marsupials and Placentals

  • Discuss how the geological history of land masses in the northern and southern hemispheres, combined with the timing of early events in mammalian evolution, led to the separation of ancient marsupial and placental mammals.
  • Discuss the concepts of adaptive radiation and convergent evolution, and how they relate to one another in explaining the evolution of the separate, yet parallel, marsupial and placental faunas found today in Australia and North America.
  • South America was historically home to many more marsupial species (along with some other odd, extinct mammals) than live there today. Discuss how continental drift and competition explain this current situation.