Tonight in #MMMAfterDark: Yellow-footed Antechinus (Antechinus flavipes) vs Indo-Pacific Bottlenose Dolphin (Tursiops aduncus)!
First, the tiny thunder from down under! Yes, Antechinus comes from Straya & weighs in at a whopping quarter stoat (~55 g) #StoatsAsMeasurement #MMMAfterDark 
A generalist, this monster marsupial is found in a variety of habitats, ranging from rainforest to scrubland. Surprisingly, you don't have to wait until night to see them: they are active during the day! #MMMAfterDark #2022MMM
Meanwhile, if you're looking for our second contestant, the Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin (BND), you'll want to search the coasts around the Indian and western Pacific oceans. #MMMAfterDark
The Indo-Pacific BND is so large (average 660 lbs) that they would squash any stoat. Long-lived, they can celebrate up to forty birthdays in the wild. #MMMAfterDark #2022MMM
Like bats they use echolocation to find food, & although they are not nocurnal themselves, like many nocturnal mammals they have a tapetum lucidum. This reflecting membrane in the eye helps their vision in low light underwater. #MMMAfterDark
Their huge brains means they are trainable for use in movies, tv shows, and theme parks but their complex social & emotional behavior raises serious ethical issues about them being in captivity for human entertainment. #MMMAfterDark
Tonight we're located besides the Daintree River just outside of Daintree National Park in northeastern Australia. Named after a European geologist, it was only just last year that the land was returned to the Eastern Kuku Yalanji people theguardian.com/australia-news… #MMMAfterDark
It's mid-September (#ExhibitionBattles breaking all the rules). Due to some unseasonable weather, the Daintree river is overflowing its banks. As rain comes down in a shimmering curtain, water laps at a small log. Inside, Antechinus sleeps. #MMMAfterDark
Only two months ago, the log had been a communal resting spot for Antechinus & his brothers. Unfortunately, approximately 100% of male Antechinus die during mating season. #MMMAfterDark
Antechinus is a rare male survivor (Marchesan & Carthew 2004), but he's just barely hanging on. Half his fur is gone & he's got some slight internal bleeding. In this case, sexual healing will exacerbate things. #MMMAfterDark researchgate.net/publication/24…
It's because of how much energy Antechinus has put into Foxtrot-Uniform-Charlie-Kilo'ing that he doesn't notice when his log begins to rock in the steadily rising water. He's swept away on the river current! #MMMAfterDark
CUT TO BLACK #MMMAfterDark
Dawn breaks pearly & calm after the freak storm. Debris litters the waves. In the shallower waters, the limpid surface is broken by curving dark grey backs & spouts of breath of a pod of female dolphins #MMMAfterDark
They are feeding peacefully, taking some respite from the stresses of being in mixed sex groups where "aggressive coercive behaviour by males towards females [is] high" (Fury et al 2013) journals.plos.org/plosone/articl… #MMMAfterDark
When the American Cetacean Society said "This species is flexible in its
behavior" they may not've been directly referencing their sexual behavior, but they should have. BNDs in general get up to all sorts of sexual shenanigans. #MMMAfterDark acsonline.org/index.php?opti…
behavior" they may not've been directly referencing their sexual behavior, but they should have. BNDs in general get up to all sorts of sexual shenanigans. #MMMAfterDark acsonline.org/index.php?opti…
Some of these shenanigans are made possible by a conveniently positioned clitoris. Research by one of the world's premier investigators of animal vaginas Patricia Brennan @sexinNature found evidence that BND clitorises are functional #MMMAfterDark sciencedirect.com/science/articl…
Functional clitorises are found in species that engage in copulation outside of the reproductive period, & let's just say BND do that A LOT. Check out Biological Exuberance: Animal Homosexuality & Natural Diversity by Bruce Bagemihl for a long section on dolphins #MMMafterDark
Ok, back to our pod in the shallows, as well as feeding, they are indulging in a bit of beak-genital propulsion. There is a fair amount of splashing which rocks a nearby log. What is that scrap of brown that is clinging to it? #MMMAfterDark
It's Antechinus! #MMMAfterDark
*Sploooosh* And there he goes! Antechinus is too tired to swim &sinks slowly towards the sea bed when he is spotted by the intellegent, curious, behaviorally flexible dolphins who are down to...uh.... play games 😏😏😏 #MMMAfterDark
A particularly curious female approaches Antechinus, swimming past him several times, & nudging him with her snout. When he doesn't respond she grasps him between her teeth & hurls him skyward! #MMMAfterDark
He breaks the surface & coughs wetly, but the respite is short. He tumbles & splashes back down into the sea and....another dolphin grabs him & throws him in the air! #MMMAfterDark
Soon, Antechinus is tousled, tumbled, gnawed on & mostly drowned. Distracted from their toy by the pod of males that has come charging in, the females drop Antechinus. As the dolphins leave the scene, Antechinus twitches weakly but victoriously #MMMAfterDark #2022MMM
ANTECHINUS outlasts the INDO-PACIFIC BOTTLENOSE DOLPHINS (and all this year's other male Antechinus)!! #MMMAfterDark
Epilogue: Antechinus drowns very shortly afterwards. His corporeal body may be no more, but his genes will live on! #IfYoureReproducingYoureWinning #MMMAfterDark
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