#2021MMM
[Woman at the wheel of a truck, looking over asking "you ready?"]
[Woman at the wheel of a truck, looking over asking "you ready?"]
#2021MMM
[gif is World Wrestler jumping up on arena ropes hollering out "I SAID, ARE YOU READY?!"]
[gif is World Wrestler jumping up on arena ropes hollering out "I SAID, ARE YOU READY?!"]
TONIGHT'S BATTLE FOR #2021MMM CHAMPION HAPPENS NOW!
Or rather happens AFTER some very important pomp & circumstance #2021MMM [gif is trumpet fanfare]
Thanks to @domhall #GuessTheCrest @Primatweeps #PrimatePlaytime @Yara_Haridy #GuessTheSkull & @drmichellelarue #CougarOrNot for revealing #2021MMM contenders in their AWESOME WEEKLY TWITTER GAMES! #FollowThem #SciCommCrossPromotion
Can we get an exuberant round of applause for @grumpator for her amazing work on the @ASULibraries March Mammal Madness LibGuide libguides.asu.edu/MarchMammalMad… #2021MMM [gif is cartoon animals saying "having fun isn't hard when you've got a library card!"]
The #2021MMM materials were requested by 5500+ Educators to use March Mammal Madness with their 440,000+ students! Special thanks to Dr. Stephanie Schuttler @FancyScientist for creating the first science lesson plan in 2018! Now includes language arts & visual arts lesson plans!
A big round of applause for Education Engagement Coordinator @JennaKissel & Prof Alejandra Nuñez-de la Mora for translating Educator Materials into Spanish #2021MMM [gif is standing ovation]
For the genetics & phylogeny info that showcases the biological web of life for all the battles- thank you Profs Anne Stone @StoneLab_ASU, Melissa Wilson @sexchrlab, Elinor Karlsson @eenork, Jesse Weber @EvolEmpiricist, & Eduardo Amorim @cegAmorim #2021MMM
The Sportsing Show Rodent Recap by @MC_Marmot & Roving Rodent Reporters is a highlight every round. Thanks for burning the midnight oil & celebrating all animals & especially rodents! #2021MMM
Thank you to @KateLesciotto for her sports summaries to send out on the wire for teachers to quickly summarize in their classrooms & for folks who don't watch the action live on twitter! #2021MMM
Thank you to Emma & Connor @2021MMMletsgo for amplifying only the official #2021MMM team tweets!
For thousands of years, science & art have together enhanced our understanding & awe of our natural world #2021MMM
Through illustration & narrative, the stories of science are written & made indelible in our hearts & minds. HUZZAH to artwork created by Art Director
@TheOddAngel & artists @maryccasillas @Opellisms @VPellicerArt. You can support their #2021MMM work here: society6.com/mammalmadness
@TheOddAngel & artists @maryccasillas @Opellisms @VPellicerArt. You can support their #2021MMM work here: society6.com/mammalmadness
Weaving Science into Story: NARRATORS! @chumblebiome @am_anatiala @tinkeringprim8 @TCastanea @alyb_batgirl @AnneWHilborn @kwasiscientific @PKurnath @je_light @TanisBP @Drew_Lab @Mammals_Suck @c_n_anderson @MarcKissel @KristiLewton #2021MMM
A huge shout out to Deputy Editor @c_n_anderson #2021MMM
This tournament is made possible ultimately by the life's work of scientists. Find the scientist who inspires you by following @BlkMammalogists @realscientists @biotweeps @scientistselfie @DiversifyEEB & the hashtags #actuallivingscientist #BLACKandSTEM & more! #2021MMM
Lastly, the HEART & SOUL of MARCH MAMMAL MADNESS is this amazing emergent community of fans & contributors to this PERFORMANCE SCIENCE #2021MMM
[gif is gnome knitting a heart that floats up]
[gif is gnome knitting a heart that floats up]
Since 2016, we have honored particularly notable tweeple of the MMM Community with special recognition for their essential contributions of snark, speculation, cheers, alt-narration, & camaraderie. #2021MMM
Due to the extraordinary circumstances of #2021MMM, continuing since #2020MMM, we are suspending honorable mentions & rank orderings* to collectively acknowledge that this tournament is made special by everyone in the community. We love you
And very, very special shout out to @CheerStoat, your felt puppet gifs & cheers bring so much joy. Thank you. #2021MMM
If you are getting sad about #2021MMM coming to an end YOU CAN KEEP THE FUN LEARNING GOING IN APRIL w/ DINOSAURS!!! #2021AAA
https://twitter.com/CurrieMuseum/status/1376685635390611458
Important announcement: In honor of the 10th Annual March Mammal Madness in 2022, we are putting together a commemorative, retrospective book. If you want us to email you when the book pre-order site goes live, submit your email here #2021MMM: forms.gle/fUpR83ErFAPdZx… #2021MMM
After reviewing tonight's battle, the Taxon Story Association of America has rated this narration... C for CARNAGE!!! #2021MMM 
Now... the March Mammal Madness Animal Anthem "Joy to the World" by Three Dog Night #2021MMM
And without further ado #2021MMM
TONIGHT
The Championship
Aves vs. Mammalia
#ThunderFromDownUnder vs. #DeathFromAbove
RED, IN FUR RED vs. Of MYTHS & MONSTERS
KANGAROO vs HARPY EAGLE
Osphranter rufus vs. Harpia harpyja
#2021MMM
The Championship
Aves vs. Mammalia
#ThunderFromDownUnder vs. #DeathFromAbove
RED, IN FUR RED vs. Of MYTHS & MONSTERS
KANGAROO vs HARPY EAGLE
Osphranter rufus vs. Harpia harpyja
#2021MMM
This battle narration was a team effort by @tinkeringprim8 @je_light @PKurnath @TCastanea @MarcKissel & me! #2021MMM
... and Kim Carnes
... and Kim Carnes
Tipping the scales at 85kg (185lbs, 385 stoats) the Red Kangaroo is the largest macropod (and marsupial) living in the world today (Freedman et al. 2020) #StoatsAsMeasurement #2021MMM academic.oup.com/mspecies/artic…
But the extinct giant short-faced macropod Procoptodon goliah was even bigger, weighing in at ~240kg! This large kangaroo was so big that it probably could not hop & instead had a "bipedal striding gait" (Janis et al. 2014) #2021MMM journals.plos.org/plosone/articl…
And let's see some images of that giant fossil kangaroo... #2021MMM
The oldest described rock art in Australia is of a 6-foot Kangaroo & was recently dated to 17,000+ years ago using wasp nests #InvertebrateAssist & is a collaboration with the Balanggarra traditional owners #2021MMM smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/170…
Harpy eagle is the largest eagle alive today, with females tipping the scales at 9kg (41 stoats) & measuring over 100cm in body length (3 stoats) with a wing span pushing 2m long (6 stoats)! (Fowler & Cope 1964) #BigBird #StoatsAsMeasurement #2021MMM tinyurl.com/5xyu76r3
But the Haast's eagle, Hieraaetus moorei, was an even bigger threat from the skies of New Zealand until its extinction ~1400. At 15 kg, it was ~1.5 times the size of Harpy eagle & could hunt & crush prey 15 times its weight (Bunce et al 2005) #2021MMM journals.plos.org/plosbiology/ar…
Harpy Eagles are "unique among eagles having a large retractable facial disc" like owls. Raising the feathers of their facial disc directs sounds to their ears, enhancing their ability to triangulate predation targets (Miranda et al 2020) #2021MMM peerj.com/articles/9756/#
Her disc’s a feather show
Her beak a stealth surprise
Her wings are never slow
She's got Harpy Eagle eyes
#2021MMM
[gif is Harpy Eagle]
Her beak a stealth surprise
Her wings are never slow
She's got Harpy Eagle eyes
#2021MMM
[gif is Harpy Eagle]
As the full moon rises, the lone Kangaroo is bipedally jumping #saltation to a seasonal water hole in Nitmiluk National Park, Australia an area where the wet tropics transition to the semi-arid zone within the Northern Territories. #2021MMM
Kangaroo pauses in the night, something is amiss. #2021MMM
Standing to his full 6-foot height, Kangaroo looks around... as HARPY EAGLE streaks down #TalonsOut #DeathFromAbove #2021MMM
Quickly lifting tiny T-Rex arms, Red Kangaroo prepares to face-punch Harpy Eagle!!! #2021MMM
But Harpy Eagle is much bigger than a wedge-tailed eagle & Red Kangaroo leans back on his massive stabilizing tail as he does for fighting (Freedman et al. 2020), poised to forcefully kick the bird!!! #2021MMM
Which is of course ridiculous nonsense.
#2021MMM
[gif is busy cartoon beaver waving away a dog saying "No time for your nonsense."]
#2021MMM
[gif is busy cartoon beaver waving away a dog saying "No time for your nonsense."]
1) The full moon was three nights ago & tonight the moon is waning gibbous, providing 88% illumination. #2021MMM timeanddate.com/moon/phases/au…
2) Harpy Eagles are diurnal hunters, perching on a tree branch to launch an attack on prey species, & interestingly, male Harpy Eagles are more likely to target terrestrial prey (Miranda et al. 2017) #2021MMMM
RESETTING THE SCENE: in mid-afternoon, our lone Kangaroo rests in the shade of one of the scattered Eucalyptus trees, the rainy season is ending and the spinifex grasses are plentiful. (Michelle et al. 2004) pic by @TimDolby #2021MMM semanticscholar.org/paper/Vegetati…
Within the park & throughout Australia's Top End, invasive feral cats, cane toads, buffalo, pigs, horses, donkeys, and cattle are contributing to catastrophic declines in native mammal species #2021MMM theconversation.com/the-mystery-of…
And #MMMagic brings a new invasive species to the mix- THE HARPY EAGLE!
She lands to perch hunt from a Eucalyptus tree 30 feet from Kangaroo's own shade-providing Eucalyptus tree.
#2021MMM
She lands to perch hunt from a Eucalyptus tree 30 feet from Kangaroo's own shade-providing Eucalyptus tree.
#2021MMM
She'll turn her talons on you
You won't get to think twice
She's faster than you’ll know
She got Harpy Eagle eyes
#2021MMM
You won't get to think twice
She's faster than you’ll know
She got Harpy Eagle eyes
#2021MMM
Kangaroo prepares to "pentapedal crawl, with the tail serving as a crutch when the hind feet are off the ground after the forelimbs have first moved forward together" to graze on some of his preferred grasses... (Freedman et al. 2020) #2021MMM
A gravelly <whoom whooomp> resonates from the branches above Kangaroo, followed quickly by a wailing cry! #2021MMM
THE BARKING OWL!
A familiar noise to Red Kangaroo #2021MMM
A familiar noise to Red Kangaroo #2021MMM
Pausing to use olfaction & vision to assess the landscape, Red Kangaroo catches a scent on the wind... #2021MMM
Red Kangaroo's Osphranter ancestors were roaming Australia as far back as 5.3 million years ago, shaped by selection pressures from numerous predators, including marsupial "lions" (Thylacoleo) and thylacines (Freedman et al. 2020) #2021MMM
In contemporary Australian landscapes, the only natural, endemic animal predators of Red Kangaroos are dingoes... wedge-tailed eagles (Freedman et al. 2020). #2021MMM
And she'll rend you
She'll twist bend you
All the better just to end you
She's ferocious
and she knows just what it
takes to make a sloth rush.
She got howler monkey's ripped off thighs,
She's got Harpy Eagle eyes
#2021MMM
She'll twist bend you
All the better just to end you
She's ferocious
and she knows just what it
takes to make a sloth rush.
She got howler monkey's ripped off thighs,
She's got Harpy Eagle eyes
#2021MMM
A dingo trots into the scene. #2021MMM
Harpy Eagle's visual scanning of the eucalptus trees for sloths, monkeys, and pottos has been to no little avail, but the terrestrial movement of the dingo catches her eye. #2021MMM
She'll take you to her nest
For her chick’s appetite
They'll go in through your chest
She got Harpy Eagle eyes
She'll take a plummet at you
Roll you like you were dice
Until you come out blue
She's got Harpy Eagle eyes
#2021MMM
For her chick’s appetite
They'll go in through your chest
She got Harpy Eagle eyes
She'll take a plummet at you
Roll you like you were dice
Until you come out blue
She's got Harpy Eagle eyes
#2021MMM
On the occasions that Harpy Eagle targets carnivora... its definitely mesopredators like foxes, ocelots, raccoons & tayra,
not an apex canid predator like a dingo! (Miranda 2018) #2021MMM journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.11…
not an apex canid predator like a dingo! (Miranda 2018) #2021MMM journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.11…
Kangaroo is also poised to burst running... if the dingo is part of a pack! #2021MMM
Adult male Red Kangaroos are typically able to evade predation from dingoes, unless drought conditions complicate matters (Doherty et al. 2018) #2021MMM pubag.nal.usda.gov/catalog/6267881
Two more dingoes lope into the glade, one does a short distance greeting vocalization to the already present dingo, while the third dingo attempts to initiate play with a bow (Déaux & Clarke, 2013) #2021MMM
Red Kangaroo is disinclined to linger; the presence of dingoes can inhibit red kangaroos from using open pastures even without overt predatory behavior (Freedman et al. 2020) #ThereGoesTheNeighborhood #2021MMM
Quietly pentapedal crawling to a dry, depressed stream crease, Red Kangaroo has withdrawn without getting noticed by dingoes...
BUT OTHER EAGLE EYES ARE WATCHING!
#2021MMM
BUT OTHER EAGLE EYES ARE WATCHING!
#2021MMM
Harpy Eagle takes flight!
Her focus on the dingoes, she must have only caught sight of part of Red Kangaroo...
perhaps she mistakes him for a juvenile red brocket, one of her rare meals (Miranda 2018). #2021MMM
Her focus on the dingoes, she must have only caught sight of part of Red Kangaroo...
perhaps she mistakes him for a juvenile red brocket, one of her rare meals (Miranda 2018). #2021MMM
You’re gripped through
when she rips you off your feet
with the strips she makes you
She's ferocious
and she knows just what it takes
to make a sloth rush.
All the prey going to die
She's got Harpy Eagle eyes
#2021MMM
when she rips you off your feet
with the strips she makes you
She's ferocious
and she knows just what it takes
to make a sloth rush.
All the prey going to die
She's got Harpy Eagle eyes
#2021MMM
Red Kangaroo has picked up speed in the dry streambed, useful for avoiding shrubs & bushes that cause tripping.
Red Kangaroo is locomoting at ~11mph...
(Freedman et al. 2020)
#2021MMM
Red Kangaroo is locomoting at ~11mph...
(Freedman et al. 2020)
#2021MMM
BUT THE STREAKING EAGLE IS GOING 50mph!!!! (pic by Mdf via Wikimedia Commons)
#DeathFromAbove #2021MMM
#DeathFromAbove #2021MMM
Harpy Eagle is #TalonsOut aiming for the Red Kangaroo's head visible above bank the dry streambed... #LethalCerebralWounds (Cavalcante et al. 2019) #2021MMM
HARPY EAGLE... ALMOST... TO... KANGAROO... #2021MMM
RED KANGAROO EXPLODES FROM THE GULLY TURNING 90 DEGREES WITH ARMS THROWN UP, REPELLING HARPY EAGLE!!! #2021MMM
The Kangaroo's jump presented "a key instantaneous anti-predator response that created a moment of hesitation at the very last moment, thus interfering with attack completion" by the Harpy Eagle (Cavalcante et al. 2019) #2021MMM scielo.br/scielo.php?pid…
Harpy Eagle pivots on the wind, circling for another attack... Harpy Eagle routinely "makes several flights before a successful attack, probably due to visual and anatomical constraints in birds of prey that limit fine-adjustments during flights" (Cavalcante et al. 2019) #2021MMM
But now viewing the full size & defensive posture of Red Kangaroo, Harpy Eagle recognizes that this is no prey! #2021MMM
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