Murder under the Microscope 2014 quiz text version
Quiz 1 Peacock Spider Primary
The male peacock spider by Jurgen Otto
CC BY-SA 2.0
Information about the peacock spider
There are over 250 types of jumping spider in Australia but the male peacock jumping spider
(Maratus volans) wins the award for Dancing with the Stars. His colourful appearance is spectacular
too. He is so popular, you can find him on Facebook. He has to get his dance right, because he uses
colourful flaps on the sides of his abdomen to dance to mesmerise a potential mate. If he fails, he is
likely to become dinner for the less colourful female.
Peacock jumping spiders were named because of these colourful flaps on their abdomen. When
they were discovered 130 years ago it was thought that the abdominal flaps were used to glide
towards prey. It was called the ‘gliding spider’ but this has been changed to the ‘peacock spider’.
Research and photography by Jurgen Otto has shown the flaps to be used like the tail of a peacock
in its mating display. All this for a creature only 5mm long!
Jumping spiders are mostly daytime predators, stalking and jumping on their prey. Their rear legs
use changes in pressure to leap. Fangs inject venom and front legs hold prey. Like all arachnids
(spiders and mites), they have simple eyes and eight legs, spin silk and have two main body parts;
the cephalothorax and abdomen at the rear. They are distinguished by having eight eyes that are
arranged with two pairs across the front of a square face. The middle pair of eyes is large.
Arachnids, crustaceans and insects, belong to the Arthropods, a group of animals with exoskeletons
and jointed legs. They are unable to generate their own body heat to control their temperature.
Jumping spiders have good vision. Their attack is quick and accurate and they often bring down
prey much larger than themselves. They inject venom to quickly immobilise their prey. One pair of
eyes on each side of the head and one pair at the back give all round vision. This helps detect
danger and movement. Their silk is used as a bungy-cord lifeline during leaps or to help reach prey.
Only a few species of jumping spiders build a web to entrap prey.
Murder under the Microscope 2014 quiz text version
Other groups of jumping spiders mimic ants in their appearance or scent so they can navigate
between ants without being attacked or even invade their colony to devour larvae. The fringed
jumping spider, Portia fimbriata looks like a piece of decayed leaf yet it is amazing in the various
strategies including mimicry and trickery that it uses to capture other spiders. It is found in
savannah woodland and rainforests of northern Australia.
Websites
General description of jumping spiders Master Hunters: Jumping Spider 3 minute video
http://youtu.be/UC_gXrC6oys
One minute video (Jumping spider infiltrates ant colony) on jumping spider deceiving green weaver
ants: Jumping spider infiltrates ant nest http://youtu.be/60Obwxh5Voo
Short video showing a jumping spider catching a bee
http://video.nationalgeographic.com.au/video/kids/animals-pets-kids/bugs-kids/jumping-spiderkids/
Question 1
Select the three features that are adaptations for peacock spider to catch prey.
(Multiple response, 10 points, 2 attempts permitted)
Choices
Large eyes at the front of the head.
Rear legs that allow long leaps.
Fangs that inject venom.
Flaps on the abdomen.
Feedback when correct
That's right! You selected the correct responses.
Feedback when incorrect
That is incorrect.
© NSW Department of Education and Communities
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Murder under the Microscope 2014 quiz text version
Question 2
What three features of the peacock jumping spider make it an arthropod?
(Multiple response, 10 points, 2 attempts permitted)
Choices
The presence of eight legs.
The presence of jointed legs.
The presence of an exoskeleton.
The inability to generate its own body heat.
Question 3
Which two animals are likely to be threats to the peacock jumping spider?
(Multiple response, 10 points, 2 attempts permitted)
Choices
Sea eagle
Bull ant
Jumping spider
King parrot
Question 4
What feature does the peacock spider share with other arachnids (spiders and mites)?
(Multiple choice, 10 points, 2 attempts permitted)
Choices
The presence of eight legs.
The presence of two prominent eyes in the middle of the front of the face.
The presence of flaps of skin on the abdomen.
The movements it uses in its mating dance.
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Murder under the Microscope 2014 quiz text version
Question 5
The life of a jumping spider is not easy. What is the one factor that would make its life dangerous?
(Multiple choice, 10 points, 2 attempts permitted)
Choice
The fact that it preys on animals that also want to eat it.
The fact that its legs extend quickly to allow it to jump.
The fact that its large frontal eyes can focus and move.
The fact it is very tiny.
Question 6
Jumping spiders are venomous yet you see photographs of them on human hands. Select three
reasons that could make handling them safe?
(Multiple response, 10 points, 2 attempts permitted)
Choices
Their fangs are too small to penetrate human skin.
They inject a tiny amount of venom.
Humans are not sensitive to their venom.
Birds are not sensitive to their venom.
Question 7
What TWO pieces of information would show the flaps are not used for jumping to catch food?
(Multiple response, 10 points, 2 attempts permitted)
Choices
The female also possessed flaps at the side of the abdomen.
The female does not possess flaps at the side of the abdomen.
Spiders whose flaps were damaged were unable to jump at food.
Spiders whose flaps were damaged were able to jump at food.
© NSW Department of Education and Communities
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Murder under the Microscope 2014 quiz text version
Question 8
What is the purpose of the abdominal flaps on the male peacock jumping spider?
(Multiple choice, 10 points, 2 attempts permitted)
Choices
Reproduction
Obtaining nutrients
Disposing of wastes
Obtaining water
Question 9
Most jumping spiders prey on insects and spiders. What term describes how they obtain food?
(Multiple choice, 10 points, 2 attempts permitted)
Choices
Scavengers
Plant-eaters
Meat-eaters
Blood-suckers
Question 10
What TWO types of human activities could reduce numbers of peacock jumping spiders?
(Multiple response, 10 points, 2 attempts permitted)
Choices
Vegetation clearing
Using insect sprays
Littering
Spilling oil
Page 5 of 47
Murder under the Microscope 2014 quiz text version
Mahogany Glider Primary Quiz
Information about the mahogany glider
The mahogany glider (Petaurus gracilis) lives in a small area in the vicinity of Cardwell of far north
coastal Queensland. It belongs to a special group of possums that, along with sugar and squirrel
gliders, use flaps of skin to help them leap between trees. It is fairly solitary and does not share its
territory or dens with other groups.
At most it stays in small family groups: mum, dad and the most recent litter of usually two young.
They need a large home range of about 23 hectares, so they can have up to 9 dens for each family.
These dens are in old tree hollows that they line with eucalypt leaves. It is the only endangered
glider in Queensland.
Mahogany gliders are well adapted to the coastal eucalypt and paperbark woodland. Their gliding
membrane between their wrist and ankle allows them to glide up to 60 metres between trees, but
they average 30m. Their long tail stabilises them, particularly when landing on trees. They are
nocturnal, territorial and elusive. Adults weigh less than half a kilogram and are about 62
centimetres long.
Their natural predators are pythons, owls and goannas. They forage for seasonally available nectar,
pollen, insects, gums and sap exuded from some plants, honeydew (from insect secretions), wattle
arils (the attachment of the seed to its pod that is high in protein). This takes almost half their time
and the travel an average of 1.5 km.
The mahogany glider is classified in a family that includes most other gliders, Leadbeater’s possum
and the striped possum. Feathertail gliders and possums belong to a different family. Leadbeater’s
possum is also endangered. It lives in a restricted habitat of old growth forests in Victoria that have
been severely impacted by bushfires.
Find out what happened to the mahogany gliders when Cyclone Yasi struck in 2011 by watching the
video at http://youtu.be/eteBeFpIJTY
© NSW Department of Education and Communities
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Murder under the Microscope 2014 quiz text version
Question 1
What is ONE likely reason why mahogany gliders need such a large range?
(Multiple Choice, 10 points, 2 attempts permitted)
Choices
They need to escape pythons.
They need it to practise gliding.
They need it to find enough food.
They do not like company.
Feedback when correct:
That's right! You selected the correct response.
Feedback when incorrect:
You did not select the correct response.
Question 2
Select TWO advantages for the gliders having a large number of dens?
(Multiple Response, 10 points, 2 attempts permitted)
Choices
The gliders can more quickly hide from owls.
The gliders can move close to food trees when flowering.
A large number of dens helps in times of drought.
It is easy to get lost in the dark.
Question 3
Mahogany gliders are the only endangered glider from Queensland. What are TWO likely reasons
for this? (Multiple Response, 10 points, 2 attempts permitted)
Choices
Habitat destruction from land clearing.
Reduction in the population of pythons.
Provision of artificial breeding boxes.
Reduced food after cyclones.
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Murder under the Microscope 2014 quiz text version
Question 4
Mahogany gliders have the smallest distribution of any glider in Queensland. What is an effect of
having a small distribution? (Multiple Choice, 10 points, 2 attempts permitted)
Choices
Feedback
It gives the population a sense of
identity.
The solitary nature of mahogany gliders
means they function as a family unit at
most.
Threats to the population are likely to
more damaging.
Threats such as bush fires, droughts or
cyclones may impact on the entire
population that has such a small
distribution.
It reduces disputes between gliders
over territory.
A small distribution would increase
territorial disputes. When the young
leave the den, they may really struggle
to find their own territory.
Construction of highways and housing
estates will not have much impact.
Habitat destruction by human activities
is more likely to reduce the population
when they are distributed in only a
small area.
Question 5
Mahogany gliders were first described in 1883 but then went unnoticed for over one hundred years.
What are TWO reasons why this occurred? (Multiple Response, 10 points, 2 attempts permitted)
Choices
They have an extensive distribution.
They have a large population.
They are nocturnal.
They are generally silent.
Question 6
What is the most likely threat to mahogany gliders? (Multiple Choice, 10 points, 2 attempts
permitted)
Choices
Feedback
Humans hunting.
They are elusive and unknown for a hundred
years and therefore were not hunted.
Kangaroos eating their grass.
They do not compete with kangaroos.
Rabbits burrowing in their
territory.
Rabbits will not directly impact on trees that
are important to mahogany gliders.
Tree felling.
Tree clearing for agriculture has reduced over
80% of their habitat.
© NSW Department of Education and Communities
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Murder under the Microscope 2014 quiz text version
Question 7
What behaviour helps the mahogany glider survive in its environment?
(Multiple Choice, 10 points, 2 attempts permitted)
Choices
Feedback
Their gliding membrane between wrist This adaptation is not behavioural but a physical
and ankle.
feature.
A long slender tail.
This adaptation is not behavioural but a physical
feature.
Being active during the night.
Being nocturnal helps the gliders avoid some
predators.
Migrating to inland areas when
cyclones come.
Mahogany gliders are territorial and do not
migrate.
Question 8
People have built launching poles to assist the survival of the mahogany glider. In what way would
launching poles help the glider to survive? Multiple Choice, 10 points, 2 attempts permitted)
Choices
It would help the glider to avoid pythons
and goannas.
It would help the glider to build dens.
It would help the glider in windy weather.
It would help the glider to traverse
highways, railways and clearings for
power lines.
Feedback
They still need their dens and it is in the dens
that they would be vulnerable to pythons and
goannas.
Launch poles would at best only provide
temporary refuges.
These would be more exposed than trees in
windy weather.
Crossing these areas more safely is a benefit for
the gliders.
Question 9
Select TWO immediate threats that the mahogany gliders would face after a cyclone.
(Multiple Response, 10 points, 2 attempts permitted)
Choices
Loss of trees housing their dens.
Loss of food sources.
Increase in activity of cats and dogs.
Shortage of water.
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Murder under the Microscope 2014 quiz text version
Question 10
Select FOUR things that the Leadbeater's possum and mahogany glider share? (Multiple Response,
10 points, 2 attempts permitted)
Choices
They belong to the same family.
They both live in a restricted area.
They both live in Queensland.
They are both endangered.
They both have suffered from disasters.
© NSW Department of Education and Communities
Page 10 of 47
Murder under the Microscope 2014 quiz text version
Orange Bellied Parrot Primary Quiz
Mahogany glider at http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mahogany_glider.jpg
By JJHarrison CC BY-SA 3.0
Information about the orange bellied parrot
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The orange bellied parrot (Neophema chrysogaster) is critically endangered. There are,
however many people interested in saving the parrot.
The recovery program encompasses state and federal governments, private organisations
and volunteers. They have not given up hope, but most predictions are that these parrots
just slightly larger than a budgie will be extinct in the wild in the next three years.
In summer, a group of bird-watchers, scientists and volunteers make observations, band
and weigh fledglings, top up feeding trays and install nest boxes at Melaleuca near the
banks of Bathurst Harbour in rugged south-west Tasmanian button grass plains.
It is a World Heritage wilderness, so at least here the influence of humans is all good. They
hope that the parrot will have survived another winter on the South Australian and
Victorian coastlines and migrated back to the only known breeding area.
Efforts are continuing to ensure the wild population is well nourished both before and after
its over-wintering trips across the Strait in the hope of increased survival and breeding
success. Other volunteers spend hours in the hope that they can observe and identify birds
on the mainland but this task is made difficult because after arriving in Victoria they
disperse along the coast between Wilson’s Promontory and the Coorong. Their numbers
concentrate when they return to their partners in Melaleuca by November to breed.
Northward migration of adults occurs in February and the juveniles follow in March/April.
One way of helping the parrot species is to develop captive breeding populations. Seven
zoos and conservation areas are participating in the hope of building this captive
population to 350 by 2016. At Melaleuca, some fledglings are captured in the attempt to
increase the variety in the captive breeding populations and some birds bred in captivity
are released back into the wild.
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Murder under the Microscope 2014 quiz text version
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There are many threats to this tiny population. On the mainland feral and domestic cats
find them easy prey. They have to compete with introduced seed-eaters such as sparrows.
 Their habitats include saltmarshes that have been burnt, grazed, cleared
and developed. If they cannot get enough to eat, their chances of
successfully navigating across wild Bass Strait down to the south west tip of
Tasmania and then breeding are greatly reduced.
 To make the situation worse, female birds released from the breeding
programs, do not seem to be too keen to breed. When the population gets
critically low an event such as illness or severe storm could wipe out the
entire wild population.
Only one other species of parrots is known to migrate. The other, slightly larger but also
endangered Swift Parrot also breeds and summer Tasmania but over-winters in more
inland forests on mainland Australia. It feeds on nectar, particularly from the Tasmanian
blue gum and nests in hollows of old tree trunks and branches.
video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g3eiNNT9bQ4 2 ½ minutes
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2fEogZ8l6o8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6nh27SCqJZM silly (but fun and informative)
http://www.australiangeographic.com.au/news/2010/05/worlds-only-migratory-parrots-in-peril/
Question 1
Carefully observe the photograph of the male orange bellied parrot to answer the next two
questions. Which TWO statements are accurate descriptions? (Multiple Response, 10 points, 2
attempts permitted)
Choices
Uniform colouration.
Mostly yellow-green with contrasting orange and blue feathers.
A blaze of orange on the lower belly.
Five long toes with claws.
© NSW Department of Education and Communities
Page 12 of 47
Murder under the Microscope 2014 quiz text version
Question 2
If the orange bellied parrot is about 20 centimetres long (from head to tip of tail), what is the length
of its tail? (Multiple Choice, 10 points, 2 attempts permitted)
Choices
Feedback
5 centimetres.
The tail is more than a quarter of the total length of the parrot.
10 centimetres.
The tail is about half the parrot's total length.
15 centimetres.
The tail is less than three quarters of the length of the parrot.
20 centimetres.
The tail is not as long as the parrot.
Question 3
The size and shape of the beak of the orange bellied parrot are adaptations. How does the beak
help the parrot adapt and survive? (Multiple Choice, 10 points, 2 attempts permitted)
Choices
Feedback
It helps the parrot to find food.
The parrot uses its senses, mainly sight to find seeds.
It helps the parrot to hide from
predators.
The parrot cannot use its beak to defend itself or
hide.
To helps the parrot to pick and eat
seeds.
The beak is strong and sharp enough to break off
grass seeds and crush them.
It helps the parrot to build nests.
The beak is not strong enough to burrow into a tree.
The parrot uses established hollows.
Question 4
What is ONE possible advantage of migrating to the one site in Tasmania to breed? (Multiple Choice,
10 points, 2 attempts permitted)
Choices
Feedback
They are more likely to meet a mate if they
concentrate in the one location.
Severe weather conditions in Bass Strait
results in parrot fatalities.
Migration does not account for arriving at
the one site.
Tasmanians are more likely to care for
them than other groups.
The bird migration is instinctive, not
rational. The volunteers are from many
places, not only Tasmania.
There is less wildlife to compete with in
Tasmania.
Tasmania has significant wildlife but it
may be true that there are fewer
introduced sparrows where they migrate.
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Murder under the Microscope 2014 quiz text version
Question 5
What would be the advantage of migrating at the end of summer? (Multiple Choice, 10 points, 2
attempts permitted)
Choices
Feedback
Avoid the extreme cold of Tasmanian
winters.
Small birds would struggle to survive the cold.
Avoid the risk of dehydration and heat
exhaustion.
A good reason to migrate to Tasmania in
summer, not away from it in winter.
Avoid competition with the Swift Parrot.
Competition is avoided because of their
different locations and food sources.
Avoid the responsibilities of having to
raise the young for too long.
Leaving young too early means fewer
juveniles will migrate successfully.
Question 6
What is the diet of orange bellied parrots? (Multiple Choice, 10 points, 2 attempts permitted)
Choices
Feedback
Kangaroos
Very few parrots are carnivorous, especially not the small orange bellied
parrot.
Pacific gulls
Very few parrots are carnivorous, especially not the small orange bellied
parrot.
Possums
Very few parrots are carnivorous, especially not the small orange bellied
parrot.
Grass seeds
The beak is perfectly adapted to eat grass seeds.
Question 7
What is the best description of orange bellied parrots? (Multiple Choice, 10 points, 2 attempts
permitted)
Choices
Feedback
Large predatory birds.
Not only is the parrot small but lacks the beak and talons
to be a predator.
Tiny insect-eating birds
The curved beak of the parrot is not suitable for catching
insects but is strong and suitable for crushing.
Small-medium seed eating
parrot
Nectar eating honeyeater
© NSW Department of Education and Communities
Honeyeaters, unlike the orange bellied parrots, usually
have longer curved beaks to reach into flowers.
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Murder under the Microscope 2014 quiz text version
Question 8
What is one advantage of being small and green if you are a parrot that spends time in grass and
herbs? (Multiple Choice, 10 points, 2 attempts permitted)
Choices
Feedback
You can fly faster to catch prey.
Colour has little to do with speed.
You can hide easily from predators.
Colouration would work as camouflage.
Goannas will not bother trying to eat
your eggs.
Goannas will search for eggs in nests
irrespective of bird colour.
You stand out more when you are on the
ground.
Standing out is a disadvantage.
Question 9
What is the relationship between the swift parrot and the orange-bellied parrot?
(Multiple Choice, 10 points, 2 attempts permitted)
Choices
Feedback
They are variations of the same species.
While they are both parrots, they are quite
different species.
They do not compete with kangaroos.
They both breed in Tasmania and migrate
for winter to the mainland.
They are both meat-eaters.
They compete with one another for food
and nesting sites.
One eats seeds, the other nectar.
They nest in similar ways but they live in
different types of vegetation and eat
different food so they are not competitors.
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Murder under the Microscope 2014 quiz text version
Question 10
Select ONE item from the physical environment that would affect the growth and survival of the
orange bellied parrot. (Multiple Choice, 10 points, 2 attempts permitted)
Choices
Feedback
Strong winds.
Strong winds could blow them off course and so they
may not survive or reproduce.
Feral cats are not part of the physical environment they
are the living environment.
Sparrows are not part of the physical environment they
are the living environment.
The height of trees is not part of the physical
environment and they do not live in forests anyway.
The number of feral cats.
The number of sparrows.
Height of the blue gum
forests.
Question 11
There is increasing evidence to suggest that since the 1990s foxes have been introduced to
Tasmania. What is the potential impact of foxes on the orange bellied parrot population?
(Multiple Choice, 10 points, 2 attempts permitted)
Choices
Feedback
Increase because of predation.
Fox predation would decrease the population.
Decrease because of predation.
This is a possible impact.
Increase because of competition.
The fox is not a competitor and competition would
initially cause a decrease in the population.
The fox is not a competitor.
Decrease because of competition.
Question 12
On what factors is the life cycle of the orange bellied parrot closely dependent? (Multiple Choice,
10 points, 2 attempts permitted)
Choice
Feedback
Availability of nesting sites.
Partly correct, but there is another option that is
totally correct.
Partly correct, but there is another option that is
totally correct.
Partly correct, but there is another option that is
totally correct.
Partly correct, but there is another option that is
totally correct.
All factors listed impact on the life cycle of the
parrot.
Availability of food in Tasmania.
Availability of food on the mainland.
Availability of mates.
All of these.
© NSW Department of Education and Communities
Page 16 of 47
Murder under the Microscope 2014 quiz text version
Top Predators Primary Quiz
Dingo on Fraser Island by Glen Fergus CC BY SA 2.5
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Dingo_Fraser_Is.jpg
Information about top predators for the primary quiz
We have a love and hate relationship with the top meat-eaters in living communities. At a zoo we
love to see the lions, tigers and marvel at the eagles and sharks. In many cases, humans are the
potential prey so if we saw them in the wild we would be afraid. In other cases they are blamed for
killing our livestock.
The dingo is top predator in many Australian communities. Dingos hunting instincts can be
destructive, particularly of herds of sheep.
The dingo arrived in Australia about 4000 years ago. It was an effective pack hunter and is blamed
for the decline of the Tasmanian tiger on the mainland. At present there is plenty of competition
when it comes to being a predator. Foxes, feral cats and wild dogs are out there in their thousands
if not millions. Some believe these smaller predators do far more damage destroying small native
mammals, reptiles and birds than dingoes. Not only are populations of other predators, but also
introduced herbivores such as rabbits are kept in check by dingoes. Studies have shown that the
activities of dingoes, by reducing the populations of feral competitors and rabbits enhance the
survival of many small, endangered marsupials. Kangaroos have bred in numbers that are
unsustainable, so the dingo’s predatory instincts are a cruel and kind way of reducing starvation at
the end of boom times and maintaining vegetation.
A 5614 kilometre long fence, the longest in the world fence was built across Australia in the 1880’s.
It ran from Jimbour in Queensland to the cliffs of the Nullabor Plain. Called the dingo or dog fence,
one of its purposes was to keep dingoes out of the sheep stations in the south eastern corner of
Australia where most dingoes had been already killed. It has been hailed a success, though some
dingoes remain in all areas of mainland Australia and particularly in alpine, woodland, grassland,
desert and coastal habitats.
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View the video fo 2013 Eureka prize winner about his research on dingoes
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i4jNyQ9xPmU&index=3&list=PLEh1S0YpN664wbOOk_HMFX8F
zikFZHsp2
Dingo conservation site http://www.dingoconservation.com/dingo-distrib.html
View the video of 2013 Eureka Prize for Science Photography winner
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aDTRU1h6dLM&list=PLEh1S0YpN664wbOOk_HMFX8FzikFZHsp
2&index=4
Question 1
Select a description that applies to both dingoes and rabbits. (Multiple Choice, 10 points, 2
attempts permitted)
Choices
Feedback
Predators
Carnivores
Introduced by Europeans
Dingoes have been in Australia long before the
arrival of Europeans.
Pests
Question 2
In arid Australia, dingoes are both predators and scavengers. Select TWO competitors from this list.
(Multiple Response, 10 points, 2 attempts permitted)
Choices
Rabbits
Wedge-tailed eagles
Spinifex hopping mice
Foxes
Question 3
Select THREE factors that limit the size of the dingo population. (Multiple Response, 10 points, 2
attempts permitted)
Choices
The number of Tasmanian tigers.
The number of rabbits.
The number of foxes.
The number of holes in dingo fences.
© NSW Department of Education and Communities
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Question 4
What are TWO beneficial roles of a top predator such as the dingo in natural communities?
(Multiple Response, 10 points, 2 attempts permitted)
Choices
Reduction of the profits of farmers.
Destruction of feral cats and foxes.
Interbreeding with dogs to produce larger predators.
Control of the number of herbivores.
Question 5
What is the best summary of the views of the author of this article about top predators?
(Multiple Choice, 10 points, 2 attempts permitted)
Choices
Feedback
They help balance natural
communities.
They are ruthless killers.
There are many different attitudes to dingoes but this
question relates to perspective of the writer of the
article.
They destroy the livelihood of
farmers.
There are many different attitudes to dingoes but this
question relates to perspective of the writer of the
article.
They should be destroyed.
There are many different attitudes to dingoes but this
question relates to perspective of the writer of the
article.
Question 6
What is the main type of habitat of the Australian dingo? (Multiple Choice, 10 points, 2 attempts
permitted)
Choices
Tundra
Rainforest
Aquatic
Arid
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Murder under the Microscope 2014 quiz text version
Question 7
What is the main problem that sheep graziers have with dingoes?
(Multiple Choice, 10 points, 2 attempts permitted)
Choices
The dingoes run down and kill many sheep and lambs.
The dingoes drink the water in farm dams and bores.
The dingoes destroy fences so that animals escape.
The dingoes kill kangaroos and rabbits.
Question 8
Dingoes in arid and alpine areas have a double layered coat but coastal dingoes do not. Select the
adaptation that coat thickness would affect. (Multiple Choice, 10 points, 2 attempts permitted)
Choices
Reduction in dehydration.
Insulation from temperature extremes.
Quicker drying after rain or swimming.
Sun protection.
Question 9
What is a reasonable prediction about the impact if dingoes became extinct? (Multiple Choice, 10
points, 2 attempts permitted)
Choices
An increase in feral foxes, cats and rabbits.
The impact of droughts would lessen.
The diversity of plants and animals would increase.
Hunters would not have anything to shoot.
© NSW Department of Education and Communities
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Question 10
Dingoes live in packs. What are TWO benefits of living in a group? (Multiple Response, 10 points, 2
attempts permitted)
Choices
Ability to catch prey cooperatively
Mature members help educate the pups.
The top dingo gets the main supply of food.
Only the most cunning dingoes survive.
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Quiz 1 Peacock Spider Secondary
The male peacock spider by Jurgen Otto
CC BY-SA 2.0
Information about the peacock spider
There are over 250 species of jumping spider in Australia but the male peacock jumping spider
(Maratus volans) wins the award for Dancing with the Stars. His colourful appearance is spectacular
too. He is so popular, you can find him on Facebook. He has to get his dance right, because he uses
colourful flaps on the sides of his abdomen to dance to mesmerise a potential mate. If he fails, he is
likely to become dinner for the less colourful female.
Peacock jumping spiders were discovered over 130 years ago. It was thought that the abdominal
flaps were used to lengthen their jump onto prey by allowing them to glide. It was called the
‘gliding spider’ but this has been changed to the ‘peacock spider’. More exhaustive research and
photography by Jurgen Otto has clarified the role of the flaps to be more like the tail of a peacock in
its mating display. All this for a creature only 5mm long!
Jumping spiders are mostly daytime predators, stalking and jumping on their prey. Their rear legs
use changes in hydrostatic pressure rather than muscles to bring about their relatively lengthy
leaps and fangs and front legs hold and inject venom into prey. Like all arachnids (spiders), they
have simple eyes and eight legs, two main body parts the cephalothorax and abdomen and spin silk.
They are distinguished by having eight eyes that are arranged with two pairs across the front of
their square face with the middle pair being mobile and prominent. Arachnids, crustaceans and
insects, belong to the phylum Arthropoda possessing an exoskeleton and jointed legs and being
unable to generate their own body heat to control their temperature.
Jumping spiders have good distance, colour and ultra violet light vision. Their attack is accurate and
they often bring down prey much larger than themselves. They inject venom to quickly immobilise
their prey. The pair of eyes on each side of the head and one pair at the back give almost 3600
vision that is useful for detecting danger and motion. They can detect prey up to 40 cm away. Their
silk is used as a bungy- cord lifeline and to help reach prey. Only a few species of jumping spiders
build a web to entrap prey.
© NSW Department of Education and Communities
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Other groups of jumping spiders mimic ants in their appearance or scent so they can navigate
between ants without being attacked or even invade their colony to devour larvae. The fringed
jumping spider, Portia fimbriata looks like a piece of decayed leaf yet it is amazing in the various
strategies including mimicry and trickery that it uses to capture other spiders. It is found in
savannah woodland and rainforests of northern Australia. One species in the United States visits
the partridge pea plant to eat nectar as well as insects. The plant has nectaries outside the flower
which attract the jumping spiders. The spiders devour insects that might otherwise bite, chew or
suck on the plant.
Websites
http://ednieuw.home.xs4all.nl/australian/salticidae/Peacock_spider_Maratus_volans.htm
(6.04sec)
General description of jumping spiders Master Hunters: Jumping Spider 3 minute video
http://youtu.be/UC_gXrC6oys
One minute video (Jumping spider infiltrates ant colony) on jumping spider deceiving green weaver
ants: Jumping spider infiltrates ant nest http://youtu.be/60Obwxh5Voo
Short video showing a jumping spider catching a bee
http://video.nationalgeographic.com.au/video/kids/animals-pets-kids/bugs-kids/jumping-spiderkids/
Question 1
Select the three features that are adaptations for peacock spider to catch prey.
(Multiple response, 10 points, 2 attempts permitted)
Choices
Large eyes at the front of the head.
Rear legs that allow hydrostatic changes.
Fangs that inject venom.
Flaps on the abdomen.
Feedback when correct
That's right! You selected the correct responses.
Feedback when incorrect
That is incorrect.
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Question 2
Which three features of the peacock jumping spider make it an arthropod?
(Multiple response, 10 points, 2 attempts permitted)
Choices
The presence of eight legs.
The presence of jointed legs.
The presence of an exoskeleton.
The inability to generate its own body heat.
Question 3
Which two animals are likely to be threats to the peacock jumping spider? (Multiple response, 10
points, 2 attempts permitted)
Choices
Sea eagle
Bull ant
Jumping spider
King parrot
Question 4
What feature of the peacock spider is likely to be used in its classification as an arachnid (spider)?
(Multiple choice, 10 points, 2 attempts permitted)
Choices
The presence of eight legs.
The presence of two prominent eyes in the middle of the front of the face.
The presence of flaps of skin on the abdomen.
The movements it uses in its mating dance.
Question 5
The life of a jumping spider is not easy. What is the one factor that would make its life dangerous?
(Multiple choice, 10 points, 2 attempts permitted)
© NSW Department of Education and Communities
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Choices
The fact that its prey is also its predator.
The fact that its legs extend quickly to allow it to jump.
The fact that its large frontal eyes can focus and move.
The fact it is very tiny.
Question 6
Jumping spiders are venomous yet you see photographs of them on human hands. Select three
reasons that could make handling them safe? (Multiple response, 10 points, 2 attempts permitted)
Choices
They are too small for their fangs to work on humans.
The quantity of injected venom is in too small to impact humans.
Mammals are not sensitive to their venom.
Reptiles are not sensitive to their venom.
Question 7
What technology would be useful in discounting the idea that the flaps on the abdomen of the
peacock jumping spider were used for gliding towards prey? (Multiple choice, 10 points, 2 attempts
permitted)
Choices
Light microscope
Electron microscope
Video recorder
Sound recorder
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Question 8
What TWO pieces of evidence support the idea that the flaps on the abdomen are not used for
gliding towards prey? (Multiple response, 10 points, 2 attempts permitted)
Choices
The female also possesses flaps at the side of the abdomen.
The female does not possess flaps at the side of the abdomen.
Specimens of the species that did not have flaps were unable to jump.
Specimens of the species that did not have flaps were able to jump.
Question 9
Two specimens of the peacock jumping spider are kept in a museum as reference for identification
(holotypes). Why would it be important to have two specimens? (Multiple choice, 10 points, 2
attempts permitted)
Choices
To show how much they have changed since they were discovered 130 years ago.
Because the male and female are different.
To show the changes in the spider in different habitats.
To show the changes in the spider as it matures.
Question 10
Researchers have shown jumping spiders their own image in a mirror and in videos. They attacked
the image of a cricket and responded to their own image. What could this behaviour be evidence
of? (Multiple choice, 10 points, 2 attempts permitted)
Choices
Good eyesight
Co-operative behaviour
The ability to solve problems
Use of camouflage when hunting
Question 11
Which characteristic of all living things is addressed by the abdominal flaps on the peacock jumping
male spider? (Multiple choice, 10 points, 2 attempts permitted)
© NSW Department of Education and Communities
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Choices
Reproduction
Obtaining nutrients
Disposing of wastes
Obtaining water
Question 12
Most jumping spiders prey on insects and spiders. What term describes how they obtain food?
(Multiple choice, 10 points, 2 attempts permitted)
Choices
Producers
Herbivores
Carnivores
Decomposers
Question 13
What TWO types of human activities could impact on the populations of peacock jumping spiders?
(Multiple response, 10 points, 2 attempts permitted)
Choices
Vegetation clearing
Insecticide use
Littering
Oil spills
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Question 14
Select TWO reasons why vegetation in the ecosystem of the peacock jumping spider is important
for its survival? (Multiple response, 10 points, 2 attempts permitted)
Choices
As producers at the beginning of the food chains.
As habitat and shelter.
As competitors for nutrients.
As decomposers that ensure the recycling of nutrients.
Question 15
A proposal has been made to use jumping spiders as biological control agents to help control an
insect pest in crops. Which items should be checked before the trial? (Multiple response, 10 points,
2 attempts permitted)
Choices
That the jumping spiders attacked the pest.
That the jumping spiders did not attack other beneficial insects in nearby
ecosystems.
That the jumping spiders did not attack the pollinating insects for the crops.
That the jumping spider did not out-compete other native species.
Question 16
What is the name for the relationship between the partridge pea plant and the jumping spider?
(Multiple choice, 10 points, 2 attempts permitted)
Choice
Competition
Commensalism
Mutualism
Parasitism
© NSW Department of Education and Communities
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Mahogany Glider Secondary Quiz
Mahogany glider at http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Mahogany_glider.jpg
CC-BY-1.0
Information about the mahogany glider
The mahogany glider, (Petaurus gracilis) was discovered by Europeans in 1863 when three
specimens were stored in Queensland Museum and then forgotten. It was only when Dr Steven van
Dyck was doing a bit of a clean-up before the Museum moved over one hundred years later that he
noticed the specimens were significantly larger than squirrel gliders and was its own unique species.
Through some investigation he worked out who had collected it and from where. The investigation
took twists and turns but eventually the mahogany glider was ‘rediscovered’ in tropical lowland
open eucalypt and melaleuca woodland in a narrow belt around Caldwell in far north coastal
Queensland. Here it feeds on nectar, pollen, insects, gums, sap exuded from some plants,
honeydew (from insect secretions) and wattle arils (the attachment of the seed to its pod that is
high in protein).
It is little wonder it remained undetected for so long being nocturnal, generally silent and
superficially similar to the sugar and squirrel gliders. Eighty percent of its habitat has been cleared
for cane farms, bananas, pineapples, pine plantations, grazing and aquaculture and as a result its
numbers dropped to the point where it has been declared an endangered species in the 1990s.
It took a major disaster with the name of Yasi in 2011 when large numbers of habitat trees were
destroyed to spur the community around Caldwell to really take action. Predation by cats and dogs
and structures such as barbed wire fences had negative impacts but habitat fragmentation was the
main issue. With an average gliding distance of 30 metres, highways, railways and even sports
grounds greatly restricted their foraging and movement.
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Question 1
Mahogany gliders are territorial occupying a large home range of about 23 hectares. Select ONE
likely reason why mahogany gliders need such a large range. (Multiple Choice, 10 points, 2 attempts
permitted)
Choices
Feedback
As apex predators they need a large area to
hunt prey.
Gliders are omnivores, but eat mainly plants.
It increases competition for food.
A large territory will reduce the numbers of
gliders competing for food.
It decreases competition for food.
A large territory will reduce the numbers of
gliders competing for food.
It increases the time available to find a mate.
Maintaining a territory demands a lot of
time.
Question 2
Mahogany gliders are the only endangered glider in Queensland. What are TWO reasons for this
status? (Multiple Response, 10 points, 2 attempts permitted)
Choices
Habitat destruction from land clearing.
Reduction in number of barbed wire fences
Provision of artificial breeding boxes
Reduced food after cyclones
Question 3
Select ONE of the rows in the table below to correctly describe the habitat destruction, habitat
degradation and habitat fragmentation of the mahogany glider. (Multiple Choice, 10 points, 2
attempts permitted)
Habitat destruction
Habitat degradation
Habitat fragmentation
A
Clearing of lowland forest to
plant sugar cane
Weeds spread that
compete with juvenile
trees
A linear strip of forest is
cleared for highway
construction
B
Creek beds become eroded
Clearing of all vegetation to
plant pineapples
An ecoresort is built in the
rainforest
C
A railway is constructed
through the forest
Introduced lantana grows
along the creek
Clear felling an area for timber
D
The forest is cleared to build
high voltage power lines
Building housing estates in
what was once forest
A cyclone destroys all trees
and buildings in its path
Choices
© NSW Department of Education and Communities
Feedback
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Row A
This answer distinguishes the different
impacts on habitat
Row B
It is not clear what impact the ecoresort
has on habitat of the glider.
Row C
The examples are in the wrong order.
Row D
There is no example of habitat
degradation.
Question 4
What best describe the trophic level of the mahogany glider? (Multiple Choice, 10 points, 2
attempts permitted)
Choices
Feedback
Herbivore
As well as eating plants, the mahogany glider eats insects.
Carnivore
As well as eating insects, the mahogany glider eats a lot of
plants.
Producer
Producers are green plants.
Omnivore
The mahogany glider eats both plants and animals.
Question 5
Possums and gliders are marsupials. What characteristic do they therefore both share? (Multiple
Choice, 10 points, 2 attempts permitted)
Choices
Feedback
The presence of a gliding membrane.
The gliding membrane is common to
gliders.
The presence of a prehensile (clinging)
tail.
Only some possums have prehensile
tails.
Rearing immature young in a pouch
containing at least one nipple.
This feature is common to marsupial
mammals.
Laying eggs that they incubate.
The only mammals that do this are
monotremes.
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Question 6
What was the discovery of the type (holotype) specimen in the Queensland Museum the incentive
for? (Multiple Choice, 10 points, 2 attempts permitted)
Choices
Feedback
A search for the species in its natural
environment.
They searched for live specimens, firstly
where it was originally collected and the in
lowlands.
A search for other species in the vicinity
of its original collection.
The search related directly to the rediscovered
museum specimen.
A search for evidence of the species in
owl pellets.
Wrong, though this type of evidence has
inspired searches for animals that were
previously believed to be extinct.
A search for the species in other
museums.
Museum curators are interested in
conservation of species, not just the study of
preserved specimens.
Question 7
The mahogany glider can no longer be found where the first specimens were collected. What can
reasonable be concluded from this? (Multiple Choice, 10 points, 2 attempts permitted)
Choices
Human settlement has resulted in the death of
the mahogany gliders.
Its distribution has been reduced.
Climate change has impacted on the
mahogany glider.
The population of the mahogany glider has
dramatically reduced.
© NSW Department of Education and Communities
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Question 8
Mahogany gliders have the smallest distribution of any glider in Queensland. What is an effect of
having a small distribution? (Multiple Choice, 10 points, 2 attempts permitted)
Choices
Feedback
It gives the population a sense of identity.
The solitary nature of mahogany gliders
means they function as a family unit at
most.
Threats to the population are likely to be
more damaging.
Threats such as bush fires, droughts or
cyclones may impact on the entire
population that has such a small
distribution.
It reduces disputes between gliders over
territory.
A small distribution would increase
territorial disputes. When the young leave
the den, they may really struggle to find
their own territory.
Construction of highways and housing
estates will not have much impact.
Habitat destruction by human activities is
more likely to reduce the population when
they are distributed in only a small area.
Question 9
Mahogany gliders were first described in 1883 but then went unnoticed for over one hundred years.
What are TWO reasons why this occurred? (Multiple Response, 10 points, 2 attempts permitted)
Choices
The have an extensive distribution.
They have a large population.
They are nocturnal.
They are generally silent.
Question 10
What is the most serious threat to mahogany gliders? (Multiple Choice, 10 points, 2 attempts
permitted)
Choices
Humans hunting.
Kangaroos eating their grass.
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Rabbits burrowing in their territory.
Tree felling.
Question 11
What behavioural adaptations help the mahogany glider survive in its environment? (Multiple
Choice, 10 points, 2 attempts permitted)
Choices
Feedback
Gliding membrane between wrist and
ankle and long slender tail.
These adaptations are not behavioural but
are physical features.
Long slender tail and being territorial.
Possessing a long slender is a physical
feature.
Being nocturnal and territorial.
Being nocturnal helps the gliders avoid some
predators and territorial ensures sufficient
area for foraging.
Long claws on toes and being nocturnal.
Long claws is not behavioural but a physical
feature.
Question 12
People have built launching poles and nesting boxes to assist the survival of the mahogany glider.
Select TWO ways in which these structures would help the glider to survive? (Multiple Response,
10 points, 2 attempts permitted)
Choices
They would increase mobility and available shelter after a cyclone.
They would increase reproduction rate during drought.
They would help the gliders adapt to humans and bush fires.
They would help the gliders to avoid cats and dogs
Question 13
Select TWO immediate threats that the mahogany gliders face after a cyclone. (Multiple Response,
10 points, 2 attempts permitted)
Choices
Loss of trees housing their dens.
Loss of food sources.
Increase in activity of cats and dogs.
Shortage of water.
© NSW Department of Education and Communities
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Question 14
What problem is the construction of launch poles and tree planting to create wildlife corridors for
the mahogany glider addressing? (Multiple Choice, 10 points, 2 attempts permitted)
Choices
Feedback
Habitat fragmentation.
These things will help reduce isolation.
Habitat destruction.
Habitat destruction requires even
more.
Habitat degeneration.
These do not help overcome damage
such as erosion or weed invasion.
Habitat migration.
Mahogany gliders are not migratory.
Question 15
Which of the following are all physical features that are adaptations of the mahogany glider?
(Multiple Choice, 10 points, 2 attempts permitted)
Choices
Feedback
Semi-prehensile tail, gliding membrane,
These particularly help the mahogany
grasping hands and feet
glider move through its territory.
Wings, eyes at the side of the head,
The glider does not have wings and its
prehensile tail.
tail is only partially prehensile. Eyes at
the side of the head would restrict the
ability to accurately leap.
Gliding membrane, suction pads on
Being nocturnal is behavioural and they
feet, nocturnal.
use claws and grasping feet.
Nocturnal, territorial, grasping hands
The first two are behavioural
and feet.
adaptations.
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© NSW Department of Education and Communities
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Quiz 3 Macquarie Island Secondary
Macquarie Island
Information about Macquarie Island
Half way between Tasmania and Antarctica in the Southern Ocean, the rugged windswept
Macquarie Island is a success story in the eradication of feral animals. Rabbits, rats and mice caused
erosion, destroyed vegetation and disrupted the breeding of many species of bird. The eradication
process was both painstaking and expensive. First they had to determine that the program would
not impact on the elephant seals, fur seals, sea lions, penguins and other birdlife such as albatross
that use the island for breeding. The albatross can soar for 1000km a day with little effort in search
of food, but return annually to where they hatched to breed. They form lifelong pair-bonds. The
rabbits were brought to the island by sealers about one hundred and fifty years ago. Since then the
rabbits invaded most parts of this cold rugged island, eroding the soils with their burrows and
building up to a population of about 100 000. Workers initially reduced the populations by dropping
baits using helicopters. After the feral populations were in decline, they followed up with three
years of scouring the island with specially trained dogs that were able to detect any remnant
individuals. They assumed that any feral pest that survived on the inaccessible cliffs would by then
have ventured into the path of the dogs and their handlers. Even the survival of one breeding pair
would have been considered a failure.
Not always has Macquarie Island been a conservation area. It was discovered by Europeans in 1810
by a sealer from Sydney. The fur seal population was decimated in 10 years with 120 000 seals
being killed in the first eighteen months of sealing. The elephant seals were the next to be
exploited. By the 1840’s they had moved on from the elephant seals who had been harvested for
their oil-rich blubber until they, too were depleted. Next the king penguins were an easy target,
even if not quite so useful for oil production. They finally demonstrated their adaptability by
targeting the royal penguins on another part of the island.
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The fact that today 850 000 breeding pairs of royal penguins breed on the island is a testament to
the resilience of the species and that conservation measures that commenced in the 1960’s were
not too late.
In 1997 Macquarie Island received World Heritage listing. Part of the reason for this listing is its
unique geology, being the result of the junction of two tectonic plates and the uplift of an undersea
ridge that exposes rocks from deep crust and upper mantle that can be seen in this pristine form
nowhere else on the Earth’s surface. The ridge broached the ocean surface about 600 000 years
ago and is still uplifting. The uplift has been likened to toothpaste being squeezed out of tube.
Pillow basalt formations that result from lava extruded into the ocean, basalt flows and dyke
extrusions help comprise this rugged island. Earthquakes are frequent and can be severe. This is the
nearest Australia gets to tectonic plate boundaries.
Watch resource: Macquarie Island 7.30 program 4.25 minutes
http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/content/2014/s3983044.htm
Read/ research in greater depth from http://www.antarctica.gov.au/living-andworking/stations/macquarie-island
Question 1
What could be considered to the best summary of the article in the Resources section of this quiz?
(Multiple Choice, 10 points, 2 attempts permitted)
Choices
Macquarie Island in transition from exploitation to conservation and
rehabilitation.
Environmental disaster about to unfold on Macquarie Island.
Discovery of pristine island under threat from global warming.
New Zealand and Australia vie for ownership of island in Southern Oceania.
Question 2
What geological feature is likely to be found on Macquarie Island? (Multiple Choice, 10 points, 2
attempts permitted)
Choices
Limestone caves.
Coal deposits.
Rare fossils of huge dinosaurs.
Faults and folded rocks.
© NSW Department of Education and Communities
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Question 3
In addition to the conservation status of the island a large marine reserve has been declared
around the island. Why would it be considered necessary to protect sea life here? (Multiple Choice,
10 points, 2 attempts permitted)
Choices
Breeding populations of marine mammals and birds require a good supply of marine food.
Fishing trawlers may cause damage to the volcanic rocks
It will build up populations so a game fishing resort could be developed.
The easy removal of feral pests increased confidence to do more.
Question 4
What is the best summary of the problems caused by rabbits on Macquarie Island? (Multiple
Choice, 10 points, 2 attempts permitted)
Choices
Feedback
Reduction of breeding penguins
Rabbits are not predators, but destroy
because of predation.
habitat through erosion.
Habitat destruction by erosion.
Nests collapsed and were destroyed
and vegetation depleted due to erosion
caused by their digging and burrows.
Competition with marine mammals for
Rabbits occupy a totally different niche
food.
to marine mammals.
Lack of food for apex predators and
In fact rabbits may have been easy prey
scavengers.
for some apex predators such as skuas.
Most apex predators would be in the
ocean, eg killer whales.
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Question 5
What abiotic factor would influence the success of the rabbit population?
(Multiple Choice, 10 points, 2 attempts permitted)
Choices
Wind speed.
Feedback
Rabbit burrows would provide
adequate shelter from the winds.
Predators are biotic factors in the
ecosystem.
Competitors are biotic factors in the
ecosystem.
Rabbits need sufficient depth of soil to
build burrows.
Predators.
Competitors.
Soil depth.
Question 6
What did the baiting of rabbits, rats and mice depend upon? (Multiple Choice, 10 points, 2
attempts permitted)
Choices
Other wildlife not taking the bait.
Rats and mice eating the poisoned
rabbits.
Rats, mice and rabbits competing for
bait.
The poison in the bait being nonbiodegradable.
Feedback
Baiting could not have been conducted
if the protected fauna also succumbed
to the bait.
The bait would need to directly target
all three groups of feral animals to work
efficiently.
They would need to ensure there was
sufficient bait that all feral animals
could easily take it.
The poison could not stay in the soil
and water as it could eventually build
up in the islands protected inhabitants.
Question 7
What is the advantage of the remoteness and difficulty of human access to Macquarie Island for
the albatross populations? (Multiple Choice, 10 points, 2 attempts permitted)
Choices
They could nest on the beaches and not
just the cliff tops.
They could shelter in the old rabbit
burrows without disruption.
They were less likely to be hunted for
their feathers.
They will not have to compete with
humans for food.
© NSW Department of Education and Communities
Feedback
Nesting on the beaches would expose
them to extreme competition with the
marine mammals and penguins.
Collapsing rabbit burrows is the threat,
not the saviour.
Some species of albatross have been
captured for their feathers.
To some extent albatross still do have
to compete with long-line fishing
trawlers for food.
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Question 8
1.9 What would be an adaptation common to most of the fauna that breed on Macquarie Island?
(Multiple Choice, 10 points, 2 attempts permitted)
Choices
A streamlined shape.
A large surface area.
Low body weight.
Nocturnal behaviour.
Feedback
Most fauna swim or dive to catch food and so a
streamlined shape is an adaptation.
A large surface area would lead to greater loss of body
heat. Most animals adapted to cold water have a
relatively large volume for a small surface area.
Low body weight would imply little reserves of blubber
or fat. Most of the fauna rely on some form of
insulation such as blubber, many thick layers of fur or
feathers.
Nocturnal behaviour is a good adaptation for desert
conditions, but is of little advantage here.
Question 9
Why would the long-range feeding flight of the albatross be an advantage? (Multiple Choice, 10
points, 2 attempts permitted)
Choices
Avoid competition with sea
mammals and penguins.
Avoid predation by gulls and
skuas.
Avoid becoming secondary
catch in long-line commercial
fishing.
Avoid the impact of the hole in
the ozone layer.
Feedback
The sea mammals and penguins tend to dive deeper
than albatross, but having an extensive range helps
them find food away from the mammals and
penguins.
Predation by gulls and skuas happens at the breeding
sites and targets eggs and chicks that are not yet able
to fly long-range journeys.
This is actually the major risk for albatross populations
and has resulted in their significant decline.
Their journeys actually traverse large areas where the
hole in the ozone layer is greatest.
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Question 10
What is a disadvantage for then protected breeding colonies on Macquarie Island if their
populations decline? (Multiple Choice, 10 points, 2 attempts permitted)
Choices
Lack of biodiversity.
Lack of competition for food.
Lack of food for predatory rats.
Lack of breeding sites and
habitat.
Feedback
Small populations result in little genetic diversity.
Individuals that survive will have the short term benefit
of obtaining food more easily with fewer competitors.
This is a disadvantage for the rats, not the protected
breeding populations.
A smaller population would initially mean less
competition within the species.
Question 11
What is the reason that two populations from Macquarie Island share the same ecological niche?
(Multiple Choice, 10 points, 2 attempts permitted)
Choices
Albatross and penguins because they
are both birds.
Elephant seals and king penguins
because they have useful oils/blubber.
Elephant seals and sea-lions because
they both dive to great depths to catch
food.
Sea-lions and fur seals because they are
both mammals.
© NSW Department of Education and Communities
Feedback
Just because they are both birds does
not imply that they occupy the same
role within an ecosystem
Sharing the same use for humans is not
related to their roles in the ecosystem.
Both populations carry out a similar
role in the ecosystem
Both being mammal does not imply a
similar ecological role.
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Top Predators Secondary Quiz
Great white shark by sharkdiver68 at
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Carcharodon_carcharias.jpg
Information about top predators
In the ecosystems that we share, humans have a love and hate relationship with the top predators.
Lions, tigers, wolves, dingoes, eagles and sharks inspire both fear and amazement. Humans, or our
livestock, are potential prey but their adaptations that make them successful top predators are a
source of fascination. In many cases our fear overrides our behaviour and top predators have been
killed to the point that they are now listed as endangered species.
The dingo is top predator in many Australian ecosystems, both natural and agricultural. Their pack
hunting behaviour and eerie howling evoke fear, yet they have had a close relationship with
indigenous inhabitants since their arrival. Dingos hunting instincts can be destructive, particularly of
herds of sheep. Recently scientists have done some studies and believe that dingoes do more good
than harm, even to farms.
The dingo arrived in Australia about 4000 years ago. It has been blamed for the decline of the
Tasmanian tiger on the mainland. At present there is plenty of competition when it comes to being
a predator. Foxes, feral cats and dogs are out there in their hundreds. Some believe these smaller
predators do far more damage destroying small native mammals, reptiles and birds than dingoes.
Not only are populations of other predators, but also feral herbivores such as rabbits are kept in
check by dingoes. Studies have shown that the activities of dingoes, by reducing the populations of
feral competitors and rabbits enhance the survival of many small and endangered marsupials.
Kangaroos have bred in numbers that are unsustainable, so the dingo’s predatory instincts are to us
a both cruel and kind way of culling.
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Murder under the Microscope 2014 quiz text version
Another group of top predators that have recently aroused controversy are the sharks. There is a
lot of publicity that results from shark attacks. Western Australia have completed a three month
trial of culling specified shark species after a number of well-publicised fatal attacks. Baited drum
lines were set in seven locations, 170 sharks were caught. Some people argue that we are invading
their territory, and suffer the consequences as a result. Others are concerned about well-being and
confidence of swimmers in popular surfing locations. Some cynics believe tourist dollars are the
driving force. Over 50 sharks have been shot or killed and the program has been hailed a success.
Yet the species that has been most associated with fatal attacks, the great white shark has not been
caught and the tiger shark, that has not been linked to any of the recent fatalities in either Perth or
the south west of Western Australia has had its population reduced by what some people regard as
needless slaughter.
Consider the number of deaths that result from top predators compare to deaths from road
accidents in Australia. You have to wonder at the cost of programs such as shark culling versus the
potential tourist dollar benefits. Fear of the top predators needs to be addressed by more creative
and varied management systems and continued research.
http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/fish/great-white-shark/
An article arguing abut the cull of sharks in Western Australia at http://theconversation.com/fivetake-home-messages-from-was-official-shark-cull-numbers-26381
View the video fo 2013 Eureka prize winner about his research on dingoes
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i4jNyQ9xPmU&index=3&list=PLEh1S0YpN664wbOOk_HMFX8F
zikFZHsp2
Dingo conservation site http://www.dingoconservation.com/dingo-distrib.html
View the video of 2013 Eureka Prize for Science Photography winner
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aDTRU1h6dLM&list=PLEh1S0YpN664wbOOk_HMFX8FzikFZHsp
2&index=4
Question 1
What is the key message from reading the article in the Resources section of this quiz? (Multiple
Choice, 10 points, 2 attempts permitted)
Choices
Top predators are a risk to humans and should be killed.
Top predators play an important role in balanced ecosystems.
Top predators are cruel and ruthless killers.
Top predators do not have any enemies.
© NSW Department of Education and Communities
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Murder under the Microscope 2014 quiz text version
Question 2
What is a reasonable recommendation about great white shark management? (Multiple Choice, 10
points, 2 attempts permitted)
Choices
More research should be carried out to determine accurately their status and biology.
Drum line baiting and culling of sharks should continue irrespective of trial results.
Government decisions about shark culling should be based on popular opinions.
Funds for research on marine ecosystems should be reduced.
Question 3
What is the tropic level of top predators? (Multiple Choice, 10 points, 2 attempts permitted)
Choices
Producers
Carnivores
Herbivores
Decomposers
Question 4
What are TWO possible short-term effects of a decline in the population of dingoes? (Multiple
Response, 10 points, 2 attempts permitted)
Choices
Increase in the number of rabbits.
Increase int he number of foxes.
Decrease in the number of great white sharks.
Decrease in the number of kangaroos.
Question 5
Cage diving with great white sharks has become a popular thrill-seeker activity. Divers see the
sharks close-up when they come in to take bait. What is a potential problem of cage diving?
(Multiple Choice, 10 points, 2 attempts permitted)
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Murder under the Microscope 2014 quiz text version
Choices
Attracting great white sharks to tourist areas increase conflict with humans.
Great white sharks might confuse aquaculture enclosures with dive cages.
Great white sharks will lose the ability to hunt for themselves.
More people might want to conserve the population of great white sharks.
Question 6
Despite its wide distribution in sub-tropical waters, the great white shark is a threatened species.
What is a reasonable course of action? (Multiple Choice, 10 points, 2 attempts permitted)
Choices
Monitor the population of great white sharks to learn about their movements,
feeding and reproduction.
Establish a worldwide captive breeding program.
Ban swimming in all areas where great white sharks frequent.
Expand cage diving with great white sharks.
Question 7
Which THREE statements about top predators are correct? (Multiple Response, 10 points, 2
attempts permitted)
Choices
They are carnivores.
They attack humans.
They have no enemies.
They are at the end of food chains.
They have a relatively small biomass.
Question 8
Guardian dogs and alpacas have been used by some sheep graziers to protect flocks from dingo
and wild dog attack. What statement summaries this? (Multiple Choice, 10 points, 2 attempts
permitted)
Choices
A creative solution to the problem of stock attacks.
A waste of time and effort when aerial baiting can be used.
An example of violation of animal rights.
A temporary measure until a substitute for sheep is developed.
© NSW Department of Education and Communities
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Murder under the Microscope 2014 quiz text version
Question 9
What is the greatest threat to dingoes and great white sharks? (Multiple Choice, 10 points, 2
attempts permitted)
Choices
Catching and killing by humans.
Interbreeding with feral animals.
Reduction of food because of human activities.
Habitat destruction.
Question 10
What THREE adaptations for predation do dingoes and great white shark share? (Multiple Response,
10 points, 2 attempts permitted)
Choices
Flesh-tearing teeth.
Ability to accelerate.
A good sense of smell.
An ability to hung in packs.
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