A new mammal has been discovered in the thickly-forested mountains of Papua New Guinea.The squirrel-like animal lives in the canopy of the forest and has a diet rich in leaves.On occasion,however,the animal drops to the ground to quickly fill its cheeks with its own fecal droppings,for ingestion once it is safely back in the trees.The GI tract of this animal would most likely include ________.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The behavior described is coprophagy, which is common in animals that have a diet rich in fibrous plant material. A simple stomach and a large cecum are characteristic of such animals because the cecum helps in the fermentation and breakdown of cellulose from plants.

A New Mammal Has Been Discovered in the Thickly-Forested Mountains