How Shoulders Took Over the World (ft. Emily Graslie!)

The video explores the evolution and diversity of mammalian forms, focusing on the role of the shoulder. It highlights the unique mobility of mammalian shoulders, which allows for a wide range of movements and adaptations. The video compares the shoulder structures of different animals, including tetrapods, and discusses how these differences contribute to their evolutionary success. It also examines fossil records to understand the evolutionary history of mammalian shoulders.

What is one of the factors suggested to have contributed to the success of mammals?

• Their diet

• The humble shoulder

• The extinction of birds

• The presence of large predators

What is the unique limb posture called that is found in therian mammals?

• Parasagittal posture

• Squat posture

• Splayed posture

• Lizardy gait

Which animal was found to have the highest range of shoulder motion in the study?

• Tegu

• Frog

• Opossum

• Echidna

What type of force does the tegu's gait exert on its bones?

• Twisting

• Tension

• Compression

• Shearing

Which city is nicknamed the 'City of Big Shoulders'?

• Houston

• Chicago

• Los Angeles

• New York

What group includes the famous Dimetrodon?

• Amphibians

• Monotremes

• Pelycosaurs

• Therian mammals

What does the study of both living animals and the fossil record suggest about mammalian shoulders?

• They are similar to reptilian shoulders

• They are adapted for swimming

• They are rigid and inflexible

• They are mobile and adaptable