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 ____________.
A)a simple stomach and a large cecum
B)a simple stomach, a short small intestine and colon, and a small cecum
C)a short intestine and no cecum
D)a long small intestine with abundant villi and an appendix at the beginning of the large intestine

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The animal's behavior of re-ingesting fecal matter suggests hindgut fermentation, which is facilitated by a large cecum where microbial digestion of plant material occurs.

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