Skip to main content
Figure 5 | BMC Evolutionary Biology

Figure 5

From: Forelimb preferences in quadrupedal marsupials and their implications for laterality evolution in mammals

Figure 5

Percent of lateralized individuals in marsupials with different species-typical body orientation. The figure contains data on grey short-tailed opossums (Monodelphis domestica), N = 26, sugar gliders (Petaurus breviceps), N = 23, and red-necked wallabies (Macropus rufogriseus), N = 27. Each bar represents the percent of subjects, which showed significant forelimb preferences based on individual z scores (for feeding on non-living food in grey short-tailed opossums and sugar gliders (Table 1, 2) and for feeding on grass/hay from the bipedal position in red-necked wallabies [44]). The percentage of lateralized individuals increases in the row of marsupial species from terrestrial quadruped (grey short-tailed opossum) and arboreal quadruped (sugar glider) to biped (red-necked wallaby), i.e. together with enhancement of body verticality.

Back to article page