Tonight the ELITE TRAIT combatants who have thus far survived, persisted, photosynthesized, and carnaged their way through the first three rounds will now battle to be the champion of their division and enter the FINAL ROAR! #2025MMM
— Katie Hinde (@mammalssuck.bsky.social) 2025-03-28T00:00:24.348Z
But at this stage of the game, better-seeded taxa can no longer rely on HOME HABITAT ADVANTAGE, & the encounter locations are determined randomly, with replacement. the #2025MMM possibilities are… SKY ISLANDS, SEA CAVE, GEOTHERMAL WETLANDS, and most exciting of all… TEMPERATE BROADLEAF FOREST!!
— Katie Hinde (@mammalssuck.bsky.social) 2025-03-28T00:01:22.472Z
Oh right… one more thing… #2025MMM
— Katie Hinde (@mammalssuck.bsky.social) 2025-03-28T00:02:26.154Z
Tonight is rated DC for DIET CARNAGE! SAME GREAT BATTLES, SLIGHTLY FEWER GORY DETAILS #2025MMM
— Katie Hinde (@mammalssuck.bsky.social) 2025-03-28T00:03:10.798Z
First Up: 1-seed Ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba) and Rhizzo (Rhizophagus aggregatum) vs. 2-Seed ALLIGATOR GAR (Atractosteus spatula) #2025MMM
— Katie Hinde (@mammalssuck.bsky.social) 2025-03-28T00:06:20.352Z
From the forest of Mount Jinfo, Ginkgo teamed up with Rhizzo and outlasted Asian Forest Tortoise & Ringed Seal in these figurative and "LITERAL" battles of Roots & Relicts #BecausePLANT #2025MMM
— Katie Hinde (@mammalssuck.bsky.social) 2025-03-28T00:07:03.106Z
Ginkgo sequesters carbon & ozone, and produces oxygen from photosynthesis #EcosystemServices, but as ozone concentrations in the atmosphere increase, Ginkgo's ability to sequester ozone gets worse, water efficiency gets worse, & ability to photosynthesize gets worse (Chen et al. 2022) #2025MMM
— Katie Hinde (@mammalssuck.bsky.social) 2025-03-28T00:07:23.023Z
#2025MMM #EliteTrait #DivisionRootsandRelicts #TeamGinkgo Art by Mary C Freisner @maryfreisner.bsky.social #sciart
— V Pellicer- looking for work! (@veppart.bsky.social) 2025-03-28T00:07:38.522Z
A Ginkgo genome provides new insights into the evolution of gymnosperms! Liu et al (2021) found functioning genes associated with the formation of sperm flagellum, which has been lost in all seed plants EXCEPT ginkgo & cycads, as pollen carries immobile sperm instead doi.org/10.1038/s414… #2025MMM
— Eduardo Amorim (@cegamorim.bsky.social) 2025-03-28T00:07:48.806Z
From Deep in the Heart of Texas, this water rodeo queen GARNAGED her way through the competition, launching Cyanobacteria, pulverizing Horseshoe Crab, and crush-biting Frilled Shark to be the last living fossil swimming! #2025MMM
— Katie Hinde (@mammalssuck.bsky.social) 2025-03-28T00:08:34.965Z
Alligator Gar are widely distributed in freshwater systems but are vulnerable to climate change that can warm & fragment thier waterways. Appropriate Alligator Gar habitat is expected to shift north from the Delta South to the Midwest in the next 50 years (Bartnicki et al. 2024) #2025MMM
— Katie Hinde (@mammalssuck.bsky.social) 2025-03-28T00:09:30.584Z
#2025MMM #EliteTrait #DivisionRootsandRelicts #TeamGar Art by Charon Henning @oddangel.bsky.social #sciart
— V Pellicer- looking for work! (@veppart.bsky.social) 2025-03-28T00:09:43.767Z
Enamel likely evolved ON SCALES, *not* teeth!Fossil and genetic data show ganoine in gars is enamel-like, with shared genes. Ancient fishes like Psarolepis had enamel on scales but dentine-only teeth. Enamel later spread to teeth via patterning shifts. #2025MMMdoi.org/10.1038/natu…
— Eduardo Amorim (@cegamorim.bsky.social) 2025-03-28T00:09:53.508Z
TONIGHT the Ginkgo & Rhizzo face off against the Alligator Gar in the randomly selected habitat of… SKY ISLANDS! #2025MMM
— Katie Hinde (@mammalssuck.bsky.social) 2025-03-28T00:11:33.799Z
"Sky islands” refers to the forested areas at high elevations surrounded by the “seas” of desert-scrub-dominated communities at lower elevations" (Pelletier et al. 2013), as isolated as islands in the ocean!Specifically these #2025MMM combatants meet in the Santa Catalina Mtns of southern Arizona.
— Katie Hinde (@mammalssuck.bsky.social) 2025-03-28T00:12:37.214Z
Here the movement and process of the earth's crust and climate impact topography, soil, and living organisms in dynamic ways that play out over thousands and millions of years. (Pelletier et al. 2013) #2025MMM
— Katie Hinde (@mammalssuck.bsky.social) 2025-03-28T00:13:18.551Z
The FULL Ginkgo tree and its mycorrhizal fungi Rhizzo #BestFriends are #MMMagically translocated to an elevation of 2.2 kilometers high in a mixed-conifer forest in the ridge & ravine upper mountain, where the soil depth is thickest (Pelletier et al. 2013). #2025MMM
— Katie Hinde (@mammalssuck.bsky.social) 2025-03-28T00:14:01.293Z
As Ginkgo grow during development… their root systems respond to the soil substrate, providing stability to the tree in one of two ways… roots growing DEEP & DOWN or roots growing WIDE & SHALLOW. aka VERTICAL Type or HORIZONTAL Type (Liang et al. 2024) #2025MMM
— Katie Hinde (@mammalssuck.bsky.social) 2025-03-28T00:14:54.601Z
#2025MMM Combatant Ginkgo has a vertical type root system, that requires 4-6 stoat lengths to stabilize the tree (3.3-6 feet, 1-1.5 meters) (Liang et al. 2024)
— Katie Hinde (@mammalssuck.bsky.social) 2025-03-28T00:15:41.173Z
But the average soil depth at this elevation of the Santa Catalina mountains IS ONLY 2 STOATLENGTHS DEEP and the root system buckles against the bedrock!!!!(Pelletier et al. 2024) #2025MMM
— Katie Hinde (@mammalssuck.bsky.social) 2025-03-28T00:16:08.193Z
Alligator Gar is #MMMagically translocated from the Trinity River system in Texas to the forest floor carpeted with ponderosa pine needles! #2025MMM
— Katie Hinde (@mammalssuck.bsky.social) 2025-03-28T00:17:13.967Z
Ginkgo teeters unstable in the shallow soil… #2025MMM
— Katie Hinde (@mammalssuck.bsky.social) 2025-03-28T00:18:08.835Z
Aligator Gar's gills uselessly flap as the fish slowly suffocates out of water. In a last ditch attempt at preserving her life, Alligator Gar's flexible strength makes her flop in the dry top soil, sending up puffs of dust!#2025MMM
— Katie Hinde (@mammalssuck.bsky.social) 2025-03-28T00:17:46.926Z
ALLIGATOR GAR FLOPS INTO A SHALLOW TROUGH OF EXPOSED BEDROCK WITH PUDDLED WATER FROM THE RECENT STORM SYSTEMS IN SOUTHERN ARIZONA!!!!! #2025MMM
— Katie Hinde (@mammalssuck.bsky.social) 2025-03-28T00:19:06.815Z
Ginkgo tilts slightly away from the Alligator Gar toward the cliff… #2025MMM
— Katie Hinde (@mammalssuck.bsky.social) 2025-03-28T00:20:08.740Z
when a Turkey vulture lands on a branch above the SHALLOW BOUND ALLIGATOR GAR… #2025MMM
— Katie Hinde (@mammalssuck.bsky.social) 2025-03-28T00:20:49.582Z
WHAM! The extra 6lbs of Turkey Vulture shifts the timber trajectory and GINKGO CRASHES TO THE FOREST FLOOR & BEDROCK PUDDLE, RIGHT ON ALLIGATOR GAR'S SKULL! #aDifferentKindOfGarnage #2025MMM
— Katie Hinde (@mammalssuck.bsky.social) 2025-03-28T00:21:26.103Z
Ginkgo's crushed root system protrudes above the soil substrate… and now exposed, Rhizzo experiences the mountain air for the first time of its existence #2025MMM
— Katie Hinde (@mammalssuck.bsky.social) 2025-03-28T00:22:20.117Z
Turkey vulture hop trots along the forest floor to the protruding carcass of the dead Alligator Gar to deligthtfully dine (Sazima 2018)… #2025MMM
— Katie Hinde (@mammalssuck.bsky.social) 2025-03-28T00:22:00.476Z
GINKGO & RHIZZO CRUSH ALLIGATOR GAR!!! #2025MMM
— Katie Hinde (@mammalssuck.bsky.social) 2025-03-28T00:22:38.192Z
GINKGO & RHIZZO may be TIMBERED, but they are headed to the Final Roar! #2025MMM
— Katie Hinde (@mammalssuck.bsky.social) 2025-03-28T00:22:49.673Z
#2025MMM #EliteTrait #DivisionRootsandRelicts #DivisionChampion #TeamGinkgo Art by Mary C Freisner @maryfreisner.bsky.social #sciart
— V Pellicer- looking for work! (@veppart.bsky.social) 2025-03-28T00:23:40.363Z
Spotted Gar retinas reveal ancestral traits lost in teleosts—like retinal exo-rhodopsin expression and a lack of crystalline cone mosaics. Their opsin diversity helps trace how genome duplication reshaped ray-finned fish vision. #2025MMM #RIP doi.org/10.1002/jez….
— Eduardo Amorim (@cegamorim.bsky.social) 2025-03-28T00:23:35.298Z
NEXT UP: #1-seed ADDAX (Addax nasomaculatus) vs. #2-seed PUMA (Puma concolor) #2025MMM
— Tara Chestnut, PhD (@tcastanea.bsky.social) 2025-03-28T00:26:57.300Z
ADDAX joins the ELITE TRAIT after scaring PECCARY, watching OTTER pounce a migrating bird & accidently hoof smooshing on MOLE. #2025MMM #TheOnlyOnes
— Tara Chestnut, PhD (@tcastanea.bsky.social) 2025-03-28T00:27:33.703Z
Staying hydrated in the desert is no easy task! In order to survive, Addax hold onto water from the grasses they eat for an average of 36 hours – longer than camels! They may store water in their rumen, a part of their complex stomachs used to help break down grasses (Hummel et al. 2008) #2025MMM
— Tara Chestnut, PhD (@tcastanea.bsky.social) 2025-03-28T00:28:05.703Z
#2025MMM #EliteTrait #DivisionOnlyOnes #TeamAddax Art by Mary C Freisner @maryfreisner.bsky.social #mammals
— V Pellicer- looking for work! (@veppart.bsky.social) 2025-03-28T00:28:26.674Z
Only ~300 Addax remain in the wild & ~1000 in ex-situ groups. The latter are vital for preventing extinction, but genetic data show wild Addax hold more diversity than all ex-situ combined. Enhancing genetic management in captivity is crucial to preserve the species. #2025MMM doi.org/10.1111/eva….
— Eduardo Amorim (@cegamorim.bsky.social) 2025-03-28T00:28:34.707Z
PUMA joins the Elite Trait after devouring SAIGA, having a QUOKKA bebe snack & accidently crushing MOLE on a deer carcass #2025MMM #TheOnlyOnes
— Tara Chestnut, PhD (@tcastanea.bsky.social) 2025-03-28T00:29:05.712Z
Well-adapted to living in mountainous habitats, Pumas manage a careful balancing act of speed, distance, and energy use to climb steep hills. To accomplish this, Pumas slow down and climb slopes at an angle so that they minimize steepness, similar to our roads! (Dunford et al. 2020) #2025MMM
— Tara Chestnut, PhD (@tcastanea.bsky.social) 2025-03-28T00:29:50.604Z
#2025MMM #EliteTrait #DivisionOnlyOnes #TeamPuma Art by Olivia Pellicer @opellisms.bsky.social #mammals #sciart
— V Pellicer- looking for work! (@veppart.bsky.social) 2025-03-28T00:30:08.207Z
Fewer genetic studies have been completed on Central & S. American pumas than N. American pumas. However, mtDNA sequencing has shown that Central & S. American pumas form distinct groups and that N. American pumas are genetically homogenous. #2025MMM doi.org/10.3109/1940…
— Eduardo Amorim (@cegamorim.bsky.social) 2025-03-28T00:30:20.900Z
TONIGHT'S RANDOMLY SELECTED HABITAT IS…. TEMPERATE BROADLEAF FOREST!!!!! #2025MMM http://www.fs.usda.gov/cherokee
— Tara Chestnut, PhD (@tcastanea.bsky.social) 2025-03-28T00:31:05.407Z
Specifically, the 650,000-acre Cherokee National Forest (CNF), the largest tract of public land in Tennessee & a key location for American Chestnut restoration #2025MMM Learn more about USDA Forest Service #ScienceInAction to restore this iconic keystone species #2025MMM youtu.be/HnYvUHW04QU?…
— Tara Chestnut, PhD (@tcastanea.bsky.social) 2025-03-28T00:31:36.203Z
CNF Dennis Cove Campground is one of many recreation areas closed because of Hurricane Helene. NOAA reported tropical storm force winds in the area. In 2025, US Forest Service was forced to rescind job offers & fire new staff who were hired to make repairs #2025MMM http://www.fs.usda.gov/recarea/cher…
— Tara Chestnut, PhD (@tcastanea.bsky.social) 2025-03-28T00:32:16.509Z
ADDAX is astonished by this dense, lush forest & cacophony of forest sounds… the swirling wood thrush song & quacking of wood frogs fill the evening air #2025MMM http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Wood_T… http://www.tn.gov/twra/wildlif…
— Tara Chestnut, PhD (@tcastanea.bsky.social) 2025-03-28T00:33:07.406Z
PUMA feels familiar in this landscape, though it's distant, as mountain lions are designated as extirpated from Tennessee due to the predator control programs of the early 1900s #2025MMM http://www.tn.gov/twra/wildlif…
— Tara Chestnut, PhD (@tcastanea.bsky.social) 2025-03-28T00:33:41.401Z
PUMA is delivered to the forest floor in the shadows beyond ADDAX… downwind from the hoofed mammal #2025MMM
— Tara Chestnut, PhD (@tcastanea.bsky.social) 2025-03-28T00:34:11.602Z
PUMA silently pads to the top of a boulder above the Addax and LEAPS… #2025MMM
— Tara Chestnut, PhD (@tcastanea.bsky.social) 2025-03-28T00:35:09.809Z
THE WINDS SHIFT, and ADDAX catches the felid's scent… different than the lion and leopard predators from home, BUT NEAR ENOUGH! ADDAX alerts with horn-swipes to the air (Packard etal 2014) and DASHES TO ESCAPE! #2025MMM
— Tara Chestnut, PhD (@tcastanea.bsky.social) 2025-03-28T00:37:10.604Z
…into the mighty oak tree directly ABOVE ADDAX!!! #2025MMM
— Tara Chestnut, PhD (@tcastanea.bsky.social) 2025-03-28T00:36:26.907Z
ADDAX immediately catches his horns in budding native azaleas that will blossom in white, pink & orange. LUNGING in a RUSH-CHARGE ADDAX trips on the azalea roots STUMBLING!!! (Packard et al 2014) #2025MMM http://www.nps.gov/grsm/learn/n…
— Tara Chestnut, PhD (@tcastanea.bsky.social) 2025-03-28T00:37:41.198Z
PUMA'S PREDATORY EYES WATCH THE STRUGGLING ADDAX… as his lids drift lower… lower… lower… #2025MMM
— Tara Chestnut, PhD (@tcastanea.bsky.social) 2025-03-28T00:38:15.798Z
PUMA GORGED JUST YESTERDAY ON SAIGA, and puma hunts every 6-10 days, he poses NO RISK TO THE ADDAX as he is still DIGESTING YESTERDAY'S DINNER IN HIS FULL GUT. PUMA slides into a pleasant CAT NAP!!!! #2025MMM
— Tara Chestnut, PhD (@tcastanea.bsky.social) 2025-03-28T00:38:50.005Z
Unaware of the lack of danger, ADDAX thrashes his way OUT OF THE AZALEAS, and FLEES from the FELID OF NO BATTLE!!! #2025MMM
— Tara Chestnut, PhD (@tcastanea.bsky.social) 2025-03-28T00:39:52.905Z
PUMA OUTLASTS ADDAX!!! #2025MMM
— Tara Chestnut, PhD (@tcastanea.bsky.social) 2025-03-28T00:40:25.022Z
Thinking about boosting wild Addax populations w/ individuals from ex-situ groups?That’s called genetic rescue!Simulations by @ckyriazis.bsky.social show that choosing individuals from smaller source populations may reduce extinction risk more effectively. #2025MMM #RIP doi.org/10.1002/evl3…
— Eduardo Amorim (@cegamorim.bsky.social) 2025-03-28T00:40:47.999Z
#2025MMM #EliteTrait #DivisionOnlyOnes #DivisionChampion #TeamPuma Art by Olivia Pellicer @opellisms.bsky.social #mammals #sciart
— V Pellicer- looking for work! (@veppart.bsky.social) 2025-03-28T00:40:42.428Z
#InspirationalIntermission #2025MMM
— Katie Hinde (@mammalssuck.bsky.social) 2025-03-28T00:42:30.423Z
#InspirationalIntermission #2025MMM
— Katie Hinde (@mammalssuck.bsky.social) 2025-03-28T00:43:33.721Z
Next Up: 2-Seed SUN BEAR (Helarctos malayanus) vs. 8-Seed GELADA (Theropithecus gelada) #2025MMM
— Lara Durgavich (@ldurgavich.bsky.social) 2025-03-28T00:45:23.723Z
This battle was a collaborative effort between myself, @marckissel.bsky.social, & @mammalssuck.bsky.social #2025MMM
— Lara Durgavich (@ldurgavich.bsky.social) 2025-03-28T00:46:05.616Z
Unlike many herbivores, geladas do not have specialized stomachs. But they DO have a specalized microbiome "highly enriched for…baceteria associated with ruminant digestion" that helps them digest all that fibrous grass. (Trosvik et al 2018) #2025MMM
— Lara Durgavich (@ldurgavich.bsky.social) 2025-03-28T00:46:43.437Z
#2025MMM #EliteTrait #DivisionSameandDifferent #TeamGelada Art by Charon Henning @oddangel.bsky.social #mammals #sciart
— V Pellicer- looking for work! (@veppart.bsky.social) 2025-03-28T00:47:09.307Z
Baniel et al. (2022) used 16S rRNA sequencing to assess Gelada’s gut microbiota maturation & found diversity increased rapidly after birth, followed by gradual changes in composition until weaning, when dietary changes (milk- to plant-based diet) drove shifts. #2025MMM doi.org/10.1016/j.cu…
— Eduardo Amorim (@cegamorim.bsky.social) 2025-03-28T00:47:18.204Z
Sun Bears are excellent climbers! Their large paws, long claws, muscular limbs, and smallish body make them well-suited to live in the forest. #2025MMM
— Lara Durgavich (@ldurgavich.bsky.social) 2025-03-28T00:47:46.298Z
#2025MMM #EliteTrait #DivisionSameandDifferent #TeamSunBear Art by Valeria Pellicer @veppart.bsky.social #mammals #sciart
— V Pellicer- looking for work! (@veppart.bsky.social) 2025-03-28T00:48:16.252Z
Sun bears live in the tropics and don’t need to hibernate. But in hibernating grizzlies, hundreds of genes shift expr. to protect brain, heart, and muscles. Understanding how they do this could change how we treat diseases like diabetes. #2025MMM http://www.nature.com/articles/s42…
— Eduardo Amorim (@cegamorim.bsky.social) 2025-03-28T00:48:18.805Z
TONIGHT'S RANDOMLY SELECTED HABITAT IS…. GEOTHERMAL WETLANDS!!! #2025MMM
— Lara Durgavich (@ldurgavich.bsky.social) 2025-03-28T00:48:52.786Z
Specifically, Yellowstone National Park, home to more than 10,000 hydrothermal features, including hot springs, geysers, mudpots, & fumaroles! (Christiansen et al. 2007; Erfurt-Cooper 2017) #205MMM http://www.nps.gov/yell/learn/k…
— Lara Durgavich (@ldurgavich.bsky.social) 2025-03-28T00:49:36.311Z
Gelada and Sun Bear eye each other warily through the steam of Yellowstone's geothermal features. Around them mud and water roil… beneath mineral crusts of unknown depth and stability… #2025MMM
— Lara Durgavich (@ldurgavich.bsky.social) 2025-03-28T00:50:29.332Z
Sun Bear, adapted to warm climates, is chilled in the early Spring Rockies. His traits help him SHED heat, not conserve it! His high surface area to volume ratio & routine sitting in shade avoid over-heating (Schneider et al 2020). #2025MMM
— Lara Durgavich (@ldurgavich.bsky.social) 2025-03-28T00:51:04.551Z
Unlike Sun Bear, Gelada is unphased by the cool temps. Geladas' easy breezy beautiful fur keeps them warm, and individuals living at the highest altitudes, like Combatant Gelada, have the highest hair density. (Iwamoto & Dunbar 1983) #2025MMM
— Lara Durgavich (@ldurgavich.bsky.social) 2025-03-28T00:52:32.123Z
Gelada stands bipedally to see the ursid better. Sun Bear stands bipedally to see the primate better. #2025MMM
— Lara Durgavich (@ldurgavich.bsky.social) 2025-03-28T00:53:30.819Z
Both strangers in a strange land, unsure and cautious… Gelada and Sun Bear retreat from each other… each picking a different path… #ToEachHisOwn #2025MMM
— Lara Durgavich (@ldurgavich.bsky.social) 2025-03-28T00:54:06.315Z
Sun Bear intrinsically steers toward a warmer and warmer micro-climate. Right now this area of Yellowstone hovers at freezing, as rain turns to sleet to snow, with temps well below his usual coldest of 15C/59F (Schneider et al 2020) #2025MMM
— Lara Durgavich (@ldurgavich.bsky.social) 2025-03-28T00:54:50.369Z
Trying to select which forested cliff to head toward, Gelada sends up a contact call toward his group, producing a long & complex sequence of vocalizations… but only silence returns. (Gustison et al 2019) #2025MMM
— Lara Durgavich (@ldurgavich.bsky.social) 2025-03-28T00:55:33.606Z
Sun Bear's micro-climate is getting warmer as his path leads into pools of warmer water and many orange and yellow mineral deposits. The rough mineral crust is warm beneath his strongly-clawed paw pads… #2025MMM
— Lara Durgavich (@ldurgavich.bsky.social) 2025-03-28T00:56:07.605Z
SSCCCRACK!!! #2025MMM
— Lara Durgavich (@ldurgavich.bsky.social) 2025-03-28T00:56:42.292Z
Sun Bear takes an errant step & his back paw breaks through the thin crust of minerals to the boiling water underneath!! (Christiansen et al. 2007; Erfurt-Cooper 2017) #2025MMM
— Lara Durgavich (@ldurgavich.bsky.social) 2025-03-28T00:57:53.538Z
Sun Bear regains his balance & quickly retracts his poached paw, the only body part to touch the scalding water!! He begins to limp away in a hurry, shifting more of his weight away from his injured paw! #2025MMM
— Lara Durgavich (@ldurgavich.bsky.social) 2025-03-28T00:58:46.809Z
SUN BEAR HAS MOVED BEYOND THE MINERAL CRUST & TURNS TO HEAD DOWN INTO A GULLY… #2025MMM
— Lara Durgavich (@ldurgavich.bsky.social) 2025-03-28T00:59:31.690Z
SUN BEAR DROPS DEAD!!! #2025MMM
— Lara Durgavich (@ldurgavich.bsky.social) 2025-03-28T01:00:20.132Z
Geothermal gas emissions have collected in a gully, creating lethally high pockets of carbon dioxide (CO2) & hydrogen sulfide (H2S)!!! (Christiansen et al. 2007; Erfurt-Cooper 2017) #2025MMM
— Lara Durgavich (@ldurgavich.bsky.social) 2025-03-28T01:01:29.067Z
A death gulch claims another ursid victim in Yellowstone! #2025MMM cowboystatedaily.com/2024/05/11/d…
— Lara Durgavich (@ldurgavich.bsky.social) 2025-03-28T01:02:02.087Z
Gelada selects a safe sleeping spot on a cliff above the Geothermal Wetlands. #2025MMM
— Lara Durgavich (@ldurgavich.bsky.social) 2025-03-28T01:02:35.442Z
GELADA OUTLASTS SUN BEAR!!! #2025MMM
— Lara Durgavich (@ldurgavich.bsky.social) 2025-03-28T01:03:08.160Z
ALWAYS FOLLOW PARK GUIDANCE- stay on trails, stay on boardwalks! All too often park visitors are injured and unalived from geysers and geothermal water when they don't follow directions. (Erfurt-Cooper 2018) #2025MMM
— Lara Durgavich (@ldurgavich.bsky.social) 2025-03-28T01:03:31.092Z
#2025MMM #EliteTrait #DivisionSameandDifferent #DivisionChampion #TeamGelada Art by Charon Henning @oddangel.bsky.social #mammals #sciart
— V Pellicer- looking for work! (@veppart.bsky.social) 2025-03-28T01:04:24.873Z
Can sun bears survive modern threats?Genomics from a 100,000-year-old polar bear reveals ancient gene flow with brown bears during climate upheaval. Maybe mixing helped them survive.#2025MMM #RIP http://www.nature.com/articles/s41…
— Eduardo Amorim (@cegamorim.bsky.social) 2025-03-28T01:04:17.409Z
Last Up: 1-Seed POLAR BEAR (Ursus maritimus) vs. 2-Seed NARWHAL (Monodon monoceros). This battle was co-written with @chloejosefson.bsky.social & @mammalssuck.bsky.social & me #TeamWork #2025MMM
— Brian Tanis (@tanisbp.bsky.social) 2025-03-28T01:08:35.811Z
Polar Bears have high resting metabolic rates due to their large mass & carnivorous diet. They have adapted to prefer energy-dense prey to meet energetic demands & fuel daily activities (Pagano et al. 2018) & become "walking hibernators" in response to starvation (Lennox & Goodship 2008) #2025MMM
— Brian Tanis (@tanisbp.bsky.social) 2025-03-28T01:09:21.302Z
However, only pregnant Polar Bears hibernate, helping them cope w/ increased demands of reproduction. They mate in Spring but delay gestation (via embryonic diapause) until hibernation (late Fall) when they spend ~2mos before giving birth and another 3 mos lactating (Murphy & Fenelon 2020). #2025MMM
— Brian Tanis (@tanisbp.bsky.social) 2025-03-28T01:09:50.600Z
#2025MMM #EliteTrait #DivisionTuxedoStyle #TeamPolarBear Art by Olivia Pellicer @opellisms.bsky.social #mammals #sciart
— V Pellicer- looking for work! (@veppart.bsky.social) 2025-03-28T01:10:12.816Z
Southeast Greenland polar bears persist in a region with much more sea ice-free days than other polar bears! Genetic data suggest that they are also genetically distinct from other polar bears and should be considered the 20th subpopulation of the species #2025MMM doi.org/10.1126/science.abk2793
— Eduardo Amorim (@cegamorim.bsky.social) 2025-03-28T01:10:22.405Z
Toothed whales (like Narwhal) have flexible rib cages that allow for lung compression in response to depth-related pressure changes that would otherwise cause their lungs to burst (Rommel et al. 2006). #2025MMM
— Brian Tanis (@tanisbp.bsky.social) 2025-03-28T01:11:12.707Z
During dives, Narwhal do not breathe; insights into their physiology during oxygen-poor (hypoxic) conditions have been applied to understanding human physiology during COVID-19 infections (Williams & Davis 2021). #2025MMM
— Brian Tanis (@tanisbp.bsky.social) 2025-03-28T01:11:36.206Z
#2025MMM #EliteTrait #DivisionTuxedoStyle #TeamNarwhal Art by Valeria Pellicer @veppart.bsky.social #mammals
— V Pellicer- looking for work! (@veppart.bsky.social) 2025-03-28T01:11:54.203Z
Louis et al (2020) used mtDNA genome analyses to assess narwhal population history in relation to past climatic shifts. They showed narwhals had a long-term low effective population size, which increased after the Last Glacial Maximum (when suitable habitat expanded) #2025MMM doi.org/10.1098/rspb…
— Eduardo Amorim (@cegamorim.bsky.social) 2025-03-28T01:11:59.902Z
Tonight begins in the high arctic, along the costal shore of The Barrow Strait in Nunavut. Here is where both arctic combatants call their native home, which they both have been enjoying with home habitat advantage through the first 2 rounds! #2025MMM
— Brian Tanis (@tanisbp.bsky.social) 2025-03-28T01:13:30.305Z
The Narwhal is wary and alone. Orcas had targeted the pod & in evasive maneuvers, our narwhal split away from the group. Now Narwhal swims alone much closer to the shoreline, moving quietly so not to attract attention of nearby predators (Laidre 2006). #2025MMM
— Brian Tanis (@tanisbp.bsky.social) 2025-03-28T01:14:09.006Z
But one predator does sense the narwhal… Polar bear sits quietly on the shoreline still consuming yesterday's CAPE BUFFALO, when the lone cetacean catches his attention. #2025MMM
— Brian Tanis (@tanisbp.bsky.social) 2025-03-28T01:14:44.003Z
While typically cetaceans make up less than 6% of a polar bear’s diet, during the spring, close proximity with migrating whales in this strait can increase consumption rates with some individuals having more than half of their diet consisting of narwhal meat!!! (Galicia 2021) #2025MMM
— Brian Tanis (@tanisbp.bsky.social) 2025-03-28T01:15:50.611Z
But a smart bear knows the odds… targeting a large male narwhal with room to swim away is a waste of energy than a filling meal. Narwhal in the diet of most polar bears comes from scavenging individuals that died navigating gaps in the ice (Galicia 2021) #2025MMM
— Brian Tanis (@tanisbp.bsky.social) 2025-03-28T01:17:07.810Z
Polar Bear turns to refocus on Cape Buffalo carcass…WHEN SUDDENLY AN ORCA STREAKS TOWARD THE NARWHAL! #2025MMM
— Brian Tanis (@tanisbp.bsky.social) 2025-03-28T01:18:26.008Z
NARWHAL FLEES THE ORCA TOWARD THE POLAR BEAR ON THE SEA ICE!!! #2025MMM
— Brian Tanis (@tanisbp.bsky.social) 2025-03-28T01:19:12.807Z
JUST AS THE #MMMagic Translocation Portal Opens relocating Narhwal and Polar Bear to a GEOTHERMAL WETLANDS!!! [Did you think we forgot about that???] #2025MMM
— Brian Tanis (@tanisbp.bsky.social) 2025-03-28T01:20:17.305Z
SPECIFICALLY the Tauranga geothermal system adjacent to the Bay of Plenty in Aotearoa / New Zealand! (Carden et al. 2024; de PS Zuquim et al. 2022) #2025MMM
— Brian Tanis (@tanisbp.bsky.social) 2025-03-28T01:21:23.303Z
Still fearful of the a possibly lurking orca, Narwhal makes use of the shallow water (Laidre et al. 2006), where the warm springs from the Tauranga geothermal system flows into the lagoon… the Narwhal gets caught on a submerged muddy sandflat! #BEACHED #2025MM
— Brian Tanis (@tanisbp.bsky.social) 2025-03-28T01:22:34.702Z
Under extreme stress, most organisms have elevated flight or fight responses. But Narwhal instead has a massive DROP in heart rate, as low as 4 beats per minutes! This "Paradoxical Response" likely conserves oxygen as long as possible… (Williams 2013). #2025MMM
— Brian Tanis (@tanisbp.bsky.social) 2025-03-28T01:23:57.207Z
Seeing the Narwhal stranded in the shallow pool, polar bear re-calculates the odds of a successful hunt & moves in fast for a FEAST! After all, spring is the MAIN GORGING season of Polar Bears that will continue to consume meat available many days in a row! #2025MMM
— Brian Tanis (@tanisbp.bsky.social) 2025-03-28T01:25:48.407Z
POLAR BEAR DEFEATS NARWHAL!!! #2025MMM
— Brian Tanis (@tanisbp.bsky.social) 2025-03-28T01:26:09.909Z
AS FORETOLD in 1877!!! commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:An…
— Brian Tanis (@tanisbp.bsky.social) 2025-03-28T01:26:43.303Z
#2025MMM #EliteTrait #DivisionTuxedoStyle #DivisionChampion #TeamPolarBear Art by Valeria Pellicer @veppart.bsky.social #mammals #sciart
— V Pellicer- looking for work! (@veppart.bsky.social) 2025-03-28T01:26:53.421Z
Analyses by Louis et al. (2020) also showed that narwhals have among the lowest levels of diversity of all cetaceans for which population-level mtDNA genome data are publicly available #2025MMM #RIP doi.org/10.1098/rspb…
— Eduardo Amorim (@cegamorim.bsky.social) 2025-03-28T01:27:08.799Z
AND YOU HAVE YOUR FINAL ROAR!!! Ginkgo & Rhizzo #RootsAndRelicts, Puma #TheOnlyOnesGelada #SameAndDifferent AND Polar Bear #TuxedoStyle #2025MMM
— Katie Hinde (@mammalssuck.bsky.social) 2025-03-28T01:30:00.065Z
#2025MMM ELITE TRAITEMOJI BATTLE RESULTS!🌳🍄🟫🆚🐊:🌫️🏝️/🌳🫚🪨/🐊😵🌳💥🐊/🦅🍽️🐊/🌳↔️/🏆🌳🍄🟫🦌🆚😼:🌳🌰/😼🤫🛫/🦌😤😱🦌🌸🔄/😼🥱😴/🦌🏃🏽♂️➡️👋🏽/🏆😼☀️🆚🐒:🌋🏞️/☀️👀🐒/🐒☀️🧍🏻♂️☀️🐒🔀/☀️🦶🏻🔥/☀️👇🏻😵/🏆🐒🐻❄️🆚🦄:🐻❄️🤔🍽️/☠️🦄🐻❄️/🌋🏞️🦄🛑🏖️/🐻❄️🤔🦄/🐻❄️🍽️🦄/🏆🐻❄️
— Jess Popescu (@jesspopescu.bsky.social) 2025-03-28T01:28:35.117Z
#2025MMM ELITE TRAIT WINNERS:GeladaPolar BearPumaGinkgo & RhizoJoin us MONDAY 3/31 at 8PM EST for the battle of the FINAL ROAR!
— March Mammal Madness (@mmmletsgo.bsky.social) 2025-03-28T01:37:01.546Z
Christopher N Anderson 
Leave a comment