What feature gives rise to the macropod classification shared by quokkas and kangaroos?
Answer
The literal meaning of 'big foot'
The scientific classification of the quokka as a macropod directly relates to the literal translation of the term macropod, which means 'big foot.' This characteristic refers to their specialized hind limbs, adapted for hopping locomotion, a feature shared with their much larger relatives, the kangaroos. While they possess other distinct physical traits like coarse fur and a short muzzle, the name of the family Macropodidae is rooted in this specific anatomical feature relating to their feet.
#Videos
Quokka Facts: NOT a RAT Animal Fact Files - YouTube
Related Questions
To what mammalian lineage does the quokka, Setonix brachyurus, belong?What feature gives rise to the macropod classification shared by quokkas and kangaroos?What sophisticated biological strategy allows a mother quokka to pause subsequent embryo development?Which island serves as the most famous stronghold where quokkas thrive free from introduced predators?What dietary components primarily form the staple diet of the herbivorous quokka?What anatomical specialization characterizes rodents but is explicitly absent in the quokka's structure?What term describes the quokka's typical foraging schedule, which involves activity primarily during darkness?What is the approximate duration of the quokka's gestation period before birth of the underdeveloped joey?Which infraclass classification definitively separates a rat from a quokka in the biological hierarchy?What is the conservation status assigned to the quokka population inhabiting the mainland of Western Australia?