Sunday 1 February 2009

Answers to Cranial Challenge

First of all, well done to Neil Kelley, who got all 26 questions correct! So, here are the answers to Cranial Challenge:

A: Aardwolf (Proteles cristatus, Hyaenidae)
B: Babirusa (Babyrousa babyrussa, Suidae)
C: Cassowary, southern (Casuarius casuarius, Casuariidae)
D: Dugong (Dugong dugon, Dugongidae)
E: Echidna, short-beaked (Tachyglossus aculeatus, Tachyglossidae)
F: Fox, red (Vulpes vulpes, Canidae)
G: Gharial/gavial (Gavialis gangeticus, Gavialidae)
H: Hornbill, Malabar pied (Anthracoceros coronatus, Bucerotidae)
I: Ichthyosaurus communis, Ichthyosauridae
J: Jerboa, Mongolian five-toed (Allactaga sibirica, Dipodidae)
K: Kangaroo, eastern grey (Macropus giganteus, Macropodidae)
L: Lemur, brown (Eulemur fulvus, Lemuridae)
M: Mastodon, American (Mammut americanus, Mammutidae)
N: Narwhal (Monodon monoceros, Monodontidae)
O: Orca (Orcinus orca, Delphinidae)
P: Pangolin, long-tailed (Manis longicaudata, Manidae)
Q: Quetzalcoatlus sp., Azhdarchidae
R: Rhinoceros, Sumatran (Dicerorhinus sumatraensis, Rhinocerotidae)
S: Shoveler, northern (Anas clypeata, Anatidae)
T: Thylacine/Tasmanian wolf/Tasmanian tiger (Thylacinus cynocephalus, Thylacinidae)
U: Ursus spelaeus (cave bear), Ursidae
V: Velociraptor mongoliensis, Dromaeosauridae
W: Whale, bowhead (Balaena mysticetus, Balaenidae)
X: Xiphias gladius (swordfish), Xiphiidae
Y: Yak (Bos grunniens, Bovidae)
Z: Zebra, Burchell’s (Equus burchellii, Equidae)

I hope you all learned a little something, and had fun having a go.

2 comments:

Neil said...

The babirusa is particularly appropriate. In primary school we were assigned to write a report about our favorite animal. While most of my classmates went for horses, lions, giraffes etc. I elected to write my report about babirusa. My teacher called my parents in and told them that she was impressed with my creativity, but I was supposed to write about a real animal, not invent one of my own. Apparently she didn't bother to check a dictionary....

m said...

I did much the same: when asked to write about/draw a reptile, I chose the gharial. I think they thought I made it up too.