March Mammal Madness 2018
AND THE CHAMPION IS....
2nd seed Ambelodon vs 1st seed Pygmy Hippo: EYEING ME, SPYING ME, ROLL OUT!
In the final showdown of the tournament we found our combatants in the Cloud Forest of Colombia (specifically the World Heritage designated Los Katios National Park). The forest habitat felt very at home to the Hippo, although some huffing & puffing due to the altitude. Having mostly coasted through the tournament the hippo was in fine fettle and excited to do a relaxing river float. Amebelodon, a relative of modern-day elephants that went extinct ~5 million years ago known as "shovel-tuskers" for their enlarged lower jaw, had a more grueling journey to the championship. With torn muscle from dancing with Doedicurus and a busted trumpet from the wrangle tangle with Orinoco Crocodile, Amebelodon could not risk any further damage over a a resource widely-available in this particular habitat- water. After a staredown-standoff, Amebelodon ambled to a pool of water upriver... but not after transferring TARDIGRADE to the hippo. Hippo continued munching on aquatic hyacinth as Tardigrade resumed his carnivorous hunting so rudely interrupted by anaconda in Round 1. HIPPO IS THE 2018MMM Champion & Tardigrade endures to be crowned first (and likely only) ever ALT-CHAMPION!
And the final Rodent Recap of 2018 here!
Get your March Mammal Madness swag here & support the artists!
And enjoy this incredible Hausa folktale from a collection published by Tremearne in 1910 about the Elephant & the Hippopotamus that is basically MARCH MAMMAL MADNESS
(although I think that makes me the spider)
Welcome to the 6th Annual
MARCH MAMMAL MADNESS!
Here at our janky headquarters for the tournament you will find bunches of useful info about how to play & follow along. We also have a FB page & you can follow the official twitter account. And librarian Anali Perry and her team at the ASU Library have curated an incredible #2018MMM LibGuide for all your research needs!This page will be updated routinely during the preseason and when we get to the simulated action. To make your navigation barely any easier, I am going to add a list of the content below. Naturally you won't be able to click on anything to navigate there, but it let's you know the content stratigraphy of the site.
1) OUTCOMES
2) THE BRACKET
3) Background
4) Info About The Divisions
5) Bracket FAQ
6) MMM Team
7) Info for Educators
8) SciCommCrossPromotion
9) Tournament Calendar
10) MMM Valentine's
11) Bracket en français
OUTCOMES
Special thanks to ASU students creating SPORTS SUMMARIES OF BATTLES!!!
Undergraduate Jessica Martin is an Air Force Veteran majoring in Anthropology & minoring in Sustainability. Soon to be Graduate Student Jason Krell, Sports Writer for Gaming tournaments.
FINAL ROAR:
1st seed Pygmy Hippo against 4th seed Coyote: PLAYING IT COOL
Play by Play to follow!
SWEET 16:
Ambelodon, Orinoco Crocodile, Deodicurus, Anaconda Pygmy Hippo, Cheetah, Coyote & Porcupine ADVANCE
& Tardigrade... AltAdvances #WhatDoesItMean
Summaries & Play-by-Plays will be posted in the morning!
Antecessors & #AltMammals Round 2
Join Us for the Sweet 16 on Wednesday at 8:30 ET!
Pygmy Hippo, Tasmanian Devil, Crabeater Seal, Cheetah, Harar Hyena, Coyote, Berlin Boar, and Porcupine ADVANCE!
URBAN JUNGLE DIVISION Round 1: Hyena, Boar, Baboon, Coyote, Sewer Rat, Porcupine, Fox & Bobcat ADVANCE! 1st seed Harar Hyena against 16th seed Belo Horizonte Marmoset: CAN I GET A HAR(H)AR? The marmoset found himself alone and far from his home north of Rio de Janeiro. The hyena, a powerful predator but sometimes scavenger, woke just in time from a nap to spy the lonely marmoset on a tree branch. Accustomed to snagging meat off sticks, the hyena lunged; without his family members to warn him, the marmoset noticed the danger too late and was devoured. Narration by Anne Hilborn 15th seed Common Hedgehog against 2nd seeded Cape Town Chacma Baboon: NO MONKEYING AROUND HERE! The baboon was on his way to take advantage of a tipped trash can when the hedgehog spied his approach. In true defensive fashion, the hedgehog self-anointed with some fish skin and saliva to make his spines more effective. Though the hedgehog curled up to provide maximum defense, the baboon was not deterred and used his superior manual dexterity to simply flip the hedgehog over and go straight for the soft underbelly. Narration by Chris Anderson 14th seed Eastern Grey Squirrel against 3rd seed Berlin Boar: BEWARE THE SNACK STEALERS! The migration of boars to urban areas brought these two contestants head to head. The boar and squirrel both like to eat nuts, and the boar found her way into one of the squirrel's hidden caches. The squirrel protested such blatant stealing and, goaded by his friends (but not helped), made the courageous but perhaps ill-advised attempt to claw the boar's eyes out. Undeterred, the boar met the attack with her tusks and the squirrel wisely chose to flee to another cache. Boar advances. Narration by Josh Drew 4th seed coyote against 13th seed Virginia Opossum: MOMMA KNOWS BEST Coyote and opossum found themselves looking for roadkill in the same wildlife corridor. The opossum has a reputation for playing dead when surprised, but the momma opossum was carrying precious cargo and on guard. She heard the coyote's approach and after a brief encounter escaped the battlefield with an empty stomach - but a full (of babies) pouch. Coyote advances. Narration by Tara Chestnut 5th seed Moscow Dog against 12th seed Sewer Rat: DID SOMEONE SAY "UPSET"? The sewer rat took a break from trolling the underground to spend some time on a Moscow city street. The rat gave up dumpster diving and ended up face to face with a lone Moscow Dog. Recognizing its bigger opponent, the rat hid under the dumpster and the Moscow Dog left the battlefield in favor of human handouts. Sewer Rat advances! Narration by Patrice K. Connors 7th seed Porcupine against 10th seed Delhi Rhesus (rhesus macaque): RHESUS GOT LIT UP Aggressive and overconfident, the macaque spied a porcupine girdling a pine tree for bark. As an animal that eats bark as part of its diet, the macaque dismissed the porcupine's warning chatter and went for the bark. The porcupine made a stink about the situation and hit the macaque with its tail, and in its haste to get away the Rhesus missed the branches of the tree it tried to jump on and instead grabbed an electrical wire for a shocking finish. Porcupine advances. Narration by Jessica Light 9th seed Bristol Fox against 8th seed Raccoon: #TRASHTALKING As a new dad, the fox took his duty of scavenging for food and patrolling the territory seriously. The fox was on alert as soon as he discovered the raccoon's presence and bared his teeth in a "threat gape". The raccoon and fox squared off over a nearby trash can, but the raccoon quickly realized that the fox was nearly twice his size at 14 kg and wisely backed off. Fox advances. Narration by Mauna Dasari & Marc Kissel 6th seed Bobcat against 11th seed Striped Skunk: SMELL YA LATER These contestants are generally separated by temporal preferences: bobcats are active in the daytime and skunks are active at night. Bobcat encountered the skunk on his way home, and though the bobcat is a potential predator of the skunk, in 1846 Audobon and Bachman also characterized this cat as "inclined to beat a retreat." Spying the bobcat, the skunk raised his tail but couldn't be sure the signal was seen through the tall grass, so upped the "back off" ante by stomping. Stuffed and ready for bed, the bobcat was not motivated to attack and simply waited until the skunk moved along a minute later. Bobcat advances. Narration by Katie Hinde
Detail play by play here.
Undergraduate Jessica Martin is an Air Force Veteran majoring in Anthropology & minoring in Sustainability. Soon to be Graduate Student Jason Krell, Sports Writer for Gaming tournaments.
FINAL ROAR:
1st seed Pygmy Hippo against 4th seed Coyote: PLAYING IT COOL
This match found our contestants in New York City's Central Park. While coyotes have been seen in the park, it was an unlikely place for our hippo. Luckily, the park has an important resource for the hippo: water. Hot from its time battling the cheetah in the dry grasslands, NYC is chilly for the hippo, but the layer of fat is good insulation. The coyote was headed for the zoo but found itself distracted by the large thing in the lake. Alpha coyotes aren't as afraid of new things as their less dominant counterparts, which meant that our alpha male stepped out onto the ice to check out the unusual looking boulder in the lake. The hippo gave a threat yawn and the animal's movement disturbed the ice and knocked the coyote into the frigid water. Though the coyote managed to climb out of the water it began behaving erratically and park goers concerned about a possibly rabid animal called the Urban Park Rangers and Animal Control. Realizing that our coyote was hypothermic, the Rangers and Animal Control safely captured the coyote to release him back in the wild later. Hippo advances. Narration by Jessica Light, Tara Chestnut, Patrice Kurnath, Lara Durgavich, & Anne Hilborn
1st seed Orinoco Crocodile against 2nd seed Amebelodon: #PuttingYourFootDown
Our crocodile entered this battle with a tardigrade hitchhiker, whilst the Amebelodon brought a torn masseter muscle. This battle took place in a tinaja of Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. The masseter is a muscle which moves the lower jaw, or mandible, up and down, and the injury made it painful for the Amebelodon to use its shovel-tusk to scrape bark from trees. Our Amebelodon was understandably grumpy. During this time, our 900 pound crocodile was lounging in a tinaja and munching on anaconda pieces. Crocodiles digest slowly, so there was plenty of snake left. The Amebelodon approached the crocodile's tinaja looking for water, and since he lived alongside giant crocs from the Miocene he was unthreatened by our Orinoco Croc. The crocodile lunged and sunk its teeth into Amebelodon's trunk. The Amebelodon dragged the croc out of and away from the water until the croc finally released his trunk. Confident, the croc turned his back on Amebelodon and found his tail suddenly stomped on and his retreat stopped. Though our croc tried to fight back, it found itself unceremoniously trampled. Amebelodon Adavances. During the tussle with the croc, tardigrade switched up his ride & #AltAdvances BUT WHAT DOES IT MEAN?! Narration by Asia Murphy, Chris Anderson, Josh Drew, Marc Kissel, & Mauna Dasari
ply-by-play here. MC Marmot recap here.
ELITE TRAIT:ply-by-play here. MC Marmot recap here.
Amebelodon
Orinoco Crocodile
Coyote
Pygmy Hippo
ADVANCE!
Orinoco Crocodile
Coyote
Pygmy Hippo
ADVANCE!
& #TardiGandalf #AltAdvances!?!?
4th seed Coyote vs. 7th seed Porcupine: STICKING THE LANDING. No longer in their cityscape, the Porcupine & Coyote battled in a high-elevation CLOUD FOREST. The Porcupine retreated up a nearby tree thinking it would be safe there. However, the Coyote gave chase bc they can at times climb trees. But not great. Both combatants tumbled to the forest floor. BUT Porcupine self-impaled on their OWN QUILLS! These injuries eventually gave the Coyote the chance to finish the fight. Coyote advances. Narration by Chris Anderson, Jessica Light, & Tara Chestnut.
1st seed Pygmy Hippo vs. 2nd seed Cheetah: NIGHT(MARE) VISION. Forced to fight in foreign territory of the GRASSLAND, the Pygmy Hippo tries to calm itself by noshing on some grass. But the cheetah, not seeing great in the dark, approaches too close & the herbivorous hippo says the best defense is a good offense. The play-by-play was maximal carnage #Charge #Impale #Stomple. Hippo advances. Narration by Anne Hilborn and Asia Murphy.
1st seed Orinoco Crocodile vs. 2nd seed Anaconda:YOU SHALL NOT PASS. At the TINAJA in Bears Ears Monument, we find the Anaconda ALREADY DEAD. Not from the venom in the Komodo bite, but my cancer. Yet while the Crocodile closes in to enjoy anaconda-wrapped, eagle owl-stuffed Komodo Dragon, a new hero emerges! #TardiGandalf! Which is nonsense. No points for AltAdvance. Orinoco Crocodile advances, Tardigrade trades in for a new ride #AltAdvance. Narration by Katie Hinde, Mauna Dasari, & Josh Drew.
1st seeded Doedicurus clavicaudatus vs. 2nd seed Amebelodon fricki: The Upside Down. Transported across millennia to an URBAN PARK, specifically the Gateway Arch National Park in St Louis, neither animal is particularly enjoying its vacation. Doedicurus attempts to dine and decline interaction that’s been the go to tactic for #TankMammal. But aggressively in musthe, Amebelodon flips over Doedicurus for the win. Ambelodon advances. Narration by Marc Kissel, Patrice Connors and Laura Durgavich.
SWEET 16:
Ambelodon, Orinoco Crocodile, Deodicurus, Anaconda Pygmy Hippo, Cheetah, Coyote & Porcupine ADVANCE
& Tardigrade... AltAdvances #WhatDoesItMean
Summaries & Play-by-Plays will be posted in the morning!
Antecessors division:
1st seed Deodicurus against 4th seed Andrewsarchus: JAWDROPPING
We went back in time about a million years for this battle, which took place along the modern-day coast of Uruguay. Deodicurus, aka #TankMammal, was looking for food. Andrewsarchus was almost 18,000 km away from home and roughly 40 million years in the future. Andrewsarchus mistook #TankMammal for a boulder, but when the boulder started to move Andrewsarchus lunged for the Deodicurus with its massive jaws. Deodicurus smashed its head into Andrewsarchus' snout and hit just the right spot to stop the predator. Andrewsarchus tried to circle around but Deodicurus managed to keep a side to the predator, but Andrewsarchus moved to gnaw on Deodicurus' bony hindquarters. #TankMammal waited just long enough for Andrewsarchus to break a tooth on his bony hide and give up in favor of searching for softer prey. Deodicurus advances. Narration by Asia Murphy & Patrice Kurnath.
3rd seed Dimetrodon against 2nd seed Amebelodon: DROPPING DIMES
The Not-Dinosaur Dimetrodon and distant-elephant-relation Amebelodon faced off in Nebraska. Dimetrodon was looking for food and wandered into Amebelodon's environment (who was also looking for food). Dimetrodon spotted a baby Amebelodon and tried to bite the baby, but Momma Amebelodon rushed to protect the baby. The Dimetrodon weighed an average of 150 kg whereas the Amebelodon weighed about 9,000 kg; the Dimetrodon tried to flee, but couldn't avoid a kick to its sail that it sent it ... well, sailing. Amebelodon advances. Narration by Marc Kissel.
When the Kat's away:
1st seed Orinoco Crocodile vs. 5th seed Secretary Bird: DE-FEET-ED
We returned to the Orinoco basin for this battle, where the Secretary bird found itself over 8,000 km from its home in Sub-Saharan Africa. The bird stopped to drink from a river that was also a release site for captive born Orinoco crocodiles. Before being released into the wild, our crocodile's favorite food was chicken. The Secretary bird spied the hungry croc just as he was set to strike and tried to take flight. The croc, with a bite force strong enough to break a human femur (roughly 4,000 Newtons), grabbed the bird by the ankle. The bird's 7-foot wingspan was enough to get him in the air, but not enough to win. Orinoco Crocodile advances. Narration by Mauna Dasari.
3rd seed Komodo Dragon vs. 2nd seed Green Anaconda: THE STRUGGLE IS REAL
These contestants faced off in Yaguas National Park in Peru. The Komodo dragon spotted a dead deer under a bush and approached only to find the other end of the deer already being swallowed by a 70 kg anaconda. The anaconda let go of the deer and wraps around it to drag the carcass away, but the lizard bit down and ground its teeth on the snake's tail. The snake struck the dragon in retaliation and wrapped itself around the 65 kg dragon. The Komodo dragon refused to let go and the anaconda flipped the dragon upside down in the water, squeezing the entire time. Komodo dragon couldn't hold up under the pressure. Green Anaconda advances. Narration by Katie Hinde. BUT WAIT! The tardigrade made an appearance on the back of the anaconda and continues to #AltAdvance!
Great Adaptations:
1st seed Pygmy Hippo vs. 4th seed Tasmanian Devil: IN-DANGERED SPECIES
The hippo started this battle grazing on a "hippo lawn" like a proper forager. The scavenging Tasmanian Devil (now classified as endangered by the IUCN) found a carcass of a duiker on the hippo lawn and screamed in delight. Startled, the hippo yawned and head-shook as a threat display, and the timid T.Devil took the hint and high-tailed it off the battle field. Pygmy Hippo advances. Narration by Chris Anderson.
3rd seed Crabeater Seal vs. 2nd seed Cheetah: SEAL THE DEAL
The seal was wildly out of his depth on the plains of the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania. Serengeti was about 100 degrees hotter in temperature than the seal's native Antartica, so he managed to drag his 600-pound bulk into a water hole in an attempt to stay cool. The cheetah approached the water hole looking for a drink and was startled when the seal started to move. The seal lunged at the approaching cheetah and showed his impressive teeth in a behavioral display he'd use against rival males. Though cheetahs are successful predators (for cats), they don't know what to do with themselves when their prey doesn't run. Our cheetah was disturbed by the seal's directness and moved away to wait. Unable to regulate its body temperature in such heat, the seal expired anyway. Cheetah advances. Narration by Anne Hilborn & Josh Drew.
Urban Jungle:
1st seed Harar Hyena vs 4th seed Coyote: NO MORE LIVING THE HY-LIFE
These contestants faced off in the streets of Ethiopia. The coyote was unfamiliar with the area but had found a dump in which to hunt for rodents. The hyenas of Harar also scavenge the dump, however, and our hyena and coyote crossed paths at said dump. At 20 kg the coyote was smaller than the hyena (60 kg), but the coyote went on the offensive and targeted the hyena's vulnerable spot: her rump. The hyena tucked into herself in defense and the coyote, acknowledging his inferior odds, darted away. Hyena gave chase, but the coyote crossed a nearby highway and the hyena was struck by a car in her attempt to follow. Coyote advances. Narration by Lara Durgavich & Tara Chestnut.
3rd seed Berlin Boar vs. 7th seed Porcupine: #POKINGTHEBOAR
This battle brought us back to Berlin, where the half-blind boar was rooting around a tree for food whilst also trying to keep an eye on her piglets. The porcupine, who needed a break after her run in with some aggressive primates in previous rounds, made its way toward a nice tree it could hide in. Porcupine had chosen the boar's tree, but scented the pig before seeing her. Unwilling to give up the only tree in the area big enough to support its 12 kg frame, the porcupine put up his quills and blindsided the boar. Startled (and tired), Momma boar decided to see herself and her piglets out rather than fight. Porcupine advances. Narration by Jessica Light.
Antecessors & #AltMammals Round 2
Summaries will be posted in the morning, but until then: Deodicurus, Andrewsarchus, Dimetrodon, Ambelodon, Orinoco Crocodile, Secretary Bird, Komodo Dragon, and Anaconda ADVANCE!
& Tardigrade... AltAdvances #WhatDoesItMean
Twitter Play-by-Play!
Twitter Play-by-Play!
1st seed Orinoco Crocodile vs. 9th seed Goliath Tarantula: SPIDEY SENSES NOT TINGLING ANYMORE. Each contestant in this bout had previously defeated a species related to their opponent. But while the tarantula is the largest spider in the world, it didn’t stand a chance against a crocodile. After failing to damage crocodile’s eyes with spidey’s chitinous hair, spidey’s underdog run was ended in a single bite. Orinoco Crocodile advances. Narration by Chris Anderson
5th seed Secretary Bird vs. 13th Mantis Shrimp: PUTTING ITS FOOT DOWN. Despite an impressive array of acrobatics from the Mantis Shrimp, the Secretary Bird’s stomp was too strong. The stomatopod dodged the first foot, but a follow up finishes the fight. Secretary Bird advances. Narration by Joshua Drew.
3rd seed Komodo Dragon vs. 6th seed Eurasian Eagle Owl: STOMACH HOOTS. Eurasian Eagle Owl is known to eat a lizard from time to time, and so owl swooped for a scaly snack. But what owl wasn’t the only one on the hunt for Komodo dragon hatchlings. Owl became the bonus bird for a hunting, fill size Komodo Dragon who snapped owl’s neck & swallowed her whole. Komodo Dragon advances. Narration by Katie Hinde.
2nd seed Green Anaconda vs. 10th seed Common Octopus:“POP” GOES THE OCTOPUS. Sometimes the arena makes all the difference. In this battle, the octopus was forced out of its saltwater environment and into a freshwater river. With no way to balance the salt in its body with the water outside, octopus’s cells fill until they burst. The Anaconda casually swims by, with its microscopic tardigrade passenger still in tow! Green Anaconda advances. Tardigrade #AltAdvances. Narration by Lara Durgavich.
ANTERCESSORS Round 2:
1st seed Doedicurus clavicaudatus vs. 8th seed Thalassocnus catans: THIS TANK’S TREADS CAN’T STOP TRUCKIN’. It’s not ideal to eat before a fight, which puts the Marine Sloth in a pinch. After finishing its foraging, aqua sloth crosses paths with the Doedicurus. Feeling threatened, the #TankMammal charges! The aqua sloth tries to counter, but its bones are too heavy to strike in time. Doedicurus advances. Narration by Patrice K. Connors.
2nd seed Amebelodon fricki vs. 7th seed Homo floresiensis: FEAR ME, FLO! We saw last time just how formidable the Amebelodon is, which beat its opponent by flicking it off the field of battle. And this time, Flo the hominid manages to startle the wrong animal. As the Amebelodon charges, Flo tumbles out of the way and scrambles for safety. Amebelodon advances. Narration by Marc Kissel.
4th seed Andrewsarchus Mongoliensis vs 5th seed Thylacoleo Carnifex: FIRST FIERCE FIGHT — FOR FOOD. In the animal kingdom, sometimes stubbornness pays off. In the battle between Andrewsarchus and Thylacoleo, neither predator wanted to give up their claim to a fresh kill. Certain of its size advantage, Andrewsarchus didn’t respect the staying power of Thylacoleo and paid for it with a permanent reminder across its snout. But Andrewsarchus escalated and fought off the smaller Thylacoleo. Andrewsarchus advances. Narration by Asia Murphy.
3rd seed Dimetrodon Limbatus vs. 7th seed Pseudaelurus Quadridentatus: SAIL AWAY PUFF QUADDY. Puffy’s usual tactics fail due to Dimetrodon’s signature sail. Unable to pounce on its opponents neck or back, Puffy is forced to flee in the face of a Dimetrodon. As a reward for its troubles, Dimetrodon gets to finish Puffy’s meal and advances. Narration by Anne Hilborn and Jessica Light
Join Us for the Sweet 16 on Wednesday at 8:30 ET!
Pygmy Hippo, Tasmanian Devil, Crabeater Seal, Cheetah, Harar Hyena, Coyote, Berlin Boar, and Porcupine ADVANCE!
Great Adaptations Round 2:
1st seed Pygmy Hippo vs. 9th seed Maned Rat: DISPUTES OVER DINNER
In the first battle of the night we found the hippo and maned rat searching for dinner along the same stream in Sierra Leone. The maned rat didn't find the wetter climate to its liking, but soon found its attention turned to the hippo. The hippo had arrived to forage for fruits and ferns on its 5-6 hour feeding bout. On edge, the rat piloerected to show his poison bits, but the hippo presented a big challenge at a weight of 180-275 kgs (as opposed to the rat, which weighs in around 2-3 kg). The rat wisely decided that one challenge was enough for the day and forfeited the grounds to the hungry, hangry hippo to forage in another spot. Pygmy hippo advances. Narration by Patrice Connors.
5th seed Water Deer vs. 4th seed Tasmanian Devil: BEDEVILED
Though the diurnal water deer is at home in the coastal plains and marshy areas of China and Korean, this battle found us in the Tasmanian woodlands. The solitary deer happened upon the grisly sight of the Tasmanian devil munching on the carcass of a kangaroo. Naturally, the water deer let out a scream (or a "whicker") and snarls to show his saber canines. The Tasmanian devil answered with a scream of his own and the deer, which usually tries to avoid a fight, did just that and hopped off. Tasmanian Devil advances. Narration by Marc Kissel.
6th seed Jaguarundi vs. 3rd seed Crabeater Seal: SQUASH THE COMPETITION
The battle took place on the pack ice of the Southern Ocean, providing the Crabeater Seal with home court advantage. Jaguarundi got the drop on the seal by smelling his crustacean breath, but didn't have the advantage for long. Though the seal was unaccustomed to meeting a threat out of the water, the home court advantage worked in his favor. The jaguarundi lost the element of surprise due to its dark colored coat against the ice, but pounced anyway. Even with 9.7 mm teeth, however, the jaguarundi was unable to pierce the seal's 5 cm thick blubber and soon found that his hopes - and himself - squashed. Crabeater Seal advances. Narration by Josh Drew.
10th seed Aye-Aye vs. 2nd seed Cheetah: AYE DIDN'T SEE THAT ONE COMING
We returned to the Serengeti plains at sunset. The nocturnal aye-aye can travel up to 4 km a night by ground and tree. Though it was previously thought that Cheetahs would mostly stay put at night, Anne Hilborn discovered that they can move a lot at night as well. This evening, the cheetah decided to seek a better vantage point in a tree where he proceeded to startle himself and the aye-aye (in the middle of his dinner, no less). Both combatants fell out of the tree; the aye-aye snapped at the intruder and made the mistake of turning his back on the cheetah, who promptly bit his head off. Cheetah advances. Narration by Anne Hilborn.
Urban Jungle Round 2:
1st seed Harar Hyena vs. 9th seed Bristol Fox: WHO'S LAUGHING NOW
At 218 stoats (or 48kg) our female hyena was more than 3x times heavier than our male fox at 63 stoats (or 14kg). Our combatants faced off in the streets of Harar. The fox was confused about how he ended up on these Ethiopian city streets but spied a meaty cow femur. Unfortunately for him, the hyena also spied that bone, and though the fox immediately took up a submissive stance the hyena decided not to let sleeping dogs (or foxes) lie. She grabbed him by the scruff to show him who was boss ... and broke his neck. Harar Hyena advances. Narration by Asia Murphy.
12th seed Sewer Rat vs 4th seed Coyote: PAINT THE TOWN… RED
These combatants faced off in Chicago, where the coyote's diet consists mainly of ... you guessed it: rats! Our sewer rat found himself cornered in a dark alley and leapt out of the way of the coyote's first attack. Coyotes miss 2/3 of the time, so this particular coyote was undeterred. The rat made a run for it with the coyote in hot pursuit, but took a wrong turn and found himself at a DEAD end. With a "shrieking vocalization" the desperate rat jump-attacked the coyote's head. The coyote counterattacked with a pounce of his own, however, and the rat was no match for his larger opponent. Coyote advances. Narration by Katie Hinde & Jessica Light
7th seed Porcupine against 2nd seed Cape Town Baboon: #COMEATMEBRO
This battle found us back in Cape Town, where our resident baboon had just finished a meal of hedgehog (RIP Sonic). The little critter left a bad taste in our baboon's mouth, so he set out looking for water. The water crisis led the baboon into the richer part of the city in search of a pool. He found one, but it had already been claimed by an overheated and unhappy porcupine. The baboon was unfazed since this porcupine was smaller than a Cape porcupine; unfamiliar with baboons, the porcupine sized him up at roughly the size of a young cougar. Determined, the porcupine put himself between the baboon and the water and exposed his barbed quills (and a warning odor). Porcupine called the baboon's threat-yawning bluff and slapped him in the face with a tail full of quills to win the day. Porcupine advances. Narration by Mauna Dasari.
6th seed Bobcat vs 3rd seed Berlin Boar: BOAR-ED
At roughly 12kg (60 stoats) the male bobcat was large, but the female boar had him beat at roughly 100kg (454 stoats). Our boar had just given birth to piglets, which made her behavior "increasingly protective and unpredictable" and also drove her to forage to sustain lactation. The bobcat approached stealthily and pounced the sleeping piglet pile, but their squeals of fear masked momma's return. At an impressive 25 miles an hour, the momma boar charged into the bobcat and biting down on one of his haunches. Infuriated, the bobcat slashed one of the sow's eyes with his switchblade claw. Momma boar flung the bobcat… into a graffitied wall. Berlin Boar advances. Narration by Katie Hinde, Mauan Dasari, Anne Hilborn, & Jessica Light
What a night of CARNAGE & HIGH DRAMA in the #AltMammals Round 1.
Hhere is the play-by-play)& the key things to know:
Crocodile, Anaconda, Mantis Shrimp, Secretary Bird, Eagle Owl, Octopus, Tarantula, & Komodo Dragon ALL ADVANCE. They are point scorers this round.
Here's a rundown of what happened to the species that did not win their battles:
Praying Mantis: Drowned
Hellbender: Gulped
Turtle: Broken Beak
Horseshoe Crab: Kicked Apart
Shark: Suffocated & Consumed
Beaded Lizard: Perforated
Viper: Emulsified
Tardigrade: Unscathed & #AltAdvances????
Alt Advances???? WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?!!!
We 'bout broke twitter as folks melted down at the ambiguity... what it means is...
WHEN THE KAT’S AWAY DIVISION Round 1:
1st seed Orinoco crocodile vs.16th seed praying mantis: MANTIS OUT OF ITS DEPTH!
While the praying mantis fought hard to make it out of the wildcard battle, it came into its first-round battle as a deep underdog. In fact, the crocodile completely snubbed its nose at the mantis, catching it with a squirt of water from its nose while fighting for territory. Stuck between two crocs and a wet place, the only thing that sunk faster than mantis were its chances for victory. Crocodile advances. Narration by Asia Murphy.
3rd seed Komodo Dragon vs. 14th seed Hellbender: SCOOP, SHAKE, SNACK!
In a match as open and shut as the Komodo Dragon’s mouth, the Hellbender was spotted out from under a rock along a stream. The Snot Otter’s inability to recognize the scent of the Dragon as a predator was the cause of its undoing, as it was knocked to the shore and gulped down. Komodo Dragon advances. Narration by Tara Chestnut.
4th seed Alligator Snapping Turtle vs 13th seed Mantis Shrimp: DOUBLE KNOCKOUT! It seemed like the Alligator Snapping Turtle had the Mantis Shrimp right where it wanted when the latter confused its vermiform appendage for a juicy worm. But thanks to a crucial missed bite from the turtle, the Mantis Shrimp struck with it’s punch that created a shock wave. The force cracked the turtle’s beak. Mantis Shrimp Advances. Narration by Joshua Drew.
2nd seed Green Anaconda vs. 15th seed Tardigrade: I WILL SURVIVE!
Two hunters stalk their prey, each unaware that their true battle is against each other. And while the Anaconda strikes at a juvenile capybara, the tardigrade is knocked away in the swirling waters. Anaconda Advances. BUT water bear clings to a snake scale… & #AltAdvances?!?!? What does that mean… find out NEXT WEEK! Narration by Mauna Dasari.
5th seed Secretary Bird vs. 12th seed Horseshoe Crab: CRACK THAT CARAPACE UP! Horseshoe Crabs have hardy carapaces that keep them safe, but the kick of a Secretary Bird can hit with the force of six-times its body weight. There’s no way a crab creeping in the dirt could stay composed while on the wrong end of a wild strike! Its shell is shattered with ease. Secretary Bird advances. Narration by Chris Anderson.
7th seed Cookie Cutter Shark vs. 10th seed Common Octopus: SMELL YA LATER, SHARK! The best offense is a good defense & the Octopus lashed out two tentacles from its coral cave hiding place to snatch the shark. Cookie cutter shark couldn’t get a flesh scoop of the octopus. Size doesn’t scare the shark under most circumstances, but it could not escape the suffocating clutches of its opponent. Octopus advances. Narration by Joshua Drew.
6th seed Eurasian Eagle Owl vs. 11th seed Beaded Lizard: WARFARE ECOLOGY In attempt to seek shelter from the coming cold, the Beaded Lizard clambered up to a cliff-side cave to discover a clutch of delicious owlets. With talon and beak, the heaviest owl perforated the Beaded Lizard. Eurasian Eagle Owl advances. Narration by Katie Hinde.
8th seed Bothrops asper vs. 9th seed Goliath Tarantula: THE GREAT VENMON BATTLE. Both of these animals are capable of killing with a bite, but the tricky tarantula leveraged its lair to extreme effect. While B. asper slithered by looking for prey, it missed the silk-covered trip wire. And before Bothrops knew better, tarantula delivered a lethal, disgesting bite. Tarantula advances. Narration by Jessica Light.
Detail play by play here.
Round 1 Antecessor:
“Upsets absent from round one of Antecessors division”
In a battle across epochs, the winner is often the animal suited to the environment.
Ambelodon (2) v Deinogalerix (15)
Despite the gusto demonstrated by Deinogalerix in charging the Amebelodon, the smaller insectivore was swept away by its mammoth-sized opponent. The Amebelodon’s shovel-like lower jaw was the real star of the match. While they normally help strip bark from trees, they helped the Amebelodon launch the Deinogalerix out of bounds.
Deodicurus (1) v Jugulator (16)
The Deodicurus claimed home-turf as the number one seed, forcing the Jugulator to duke it out in a cold environment that didn’t suit its large surface area to volume ratio. The #TankMammal Deodicurus provided the boulder-like launch pad for Jugulator to leap out of the tournament.
Dimetrodon (3) v Aegyptopithecus (14)
While Dimetrodon is neither a mammal nor a dinosaur, it did manage to win its bout against Aegyptopithecus. The primate ancestor. Without any route of retreat, Aegyptopithecus was shredded.
Andrewsarchus (4) v Nuralagus rex (13)
Without any natural predators on its island home, Nuralagus rex's relatively tiny eyes and ears meant it missed the 1,000 kg, 5 ft Andrewsarchus while foraging for food on the forest floor. And by the time the two did make eye contact, Nuralagus rex never expected that Andrewsarchus would take a taste-test with a crushing chomp.
Thylacoleo (5) v Procoptodon (12)
Suited to the shrublands of southeastern Sahul, marsupial "lion" Thylacoleo simply snuck up on the grazing Procoptodon. Ambushing the ancient kangaroo from a crouching position like a modern-day feline, it destroyed the competition with its powerful jaw muscles.
Pseudaelurus (6) v Archaeoindris (11)
The ability to stage a comeback is crucial in March Mammal Madness since the unexpected can strike at any time. And in last night’s match against Archaeoindris, Pseudaelurus’ lost its element of surprise when it snapped a twig while stalking its opponent from a tree. Despite the slip up, Archaeoindris’ lack of predator awareness meant Pseudaelurus had lucked out and could attack the giant lemur face-to-face for the win.
Thalassocnus (8) v Cynognathus (9)
Swimming isn’t Cynognathus’ strong-suit, which cost it dearly while it tried to battle the #WaterSloth Thalassocnus. The two hardly had a chance to interact before the #DinoDog got caught in a #RIP tide.
Homo floresiensis (7) v Paleoloxodon (10)
When it comes to a battle between mammals, big brains rock and rocks can cause big problems. Both Homo floresinsis and Paleoloxodon were smaller versions of their modern relatives, the elephant still had the relative size advantage. However, the ability to overcome its fears helped Homo floresiensis dodge a costly charge, while its opponent's tournament chances came crashing down.
All the twitter official play-by-play!
All the twitter official play-by-play!
Stay Tuned for Urban Jungle next Monday!
Round 1 GREAT ADAPTATIONS
What an exciting night of GREAT ADAPTATIONS going head-to-head in March Mammal Madness.
Deputy Editor Chris Anderson let us know that the poor vision of the Star-Nosed Mole left it unaware of the crushing Hippo tusk headed its way.
Giving us a cheetah girth guide to know if they are hungry enough to hunt, expert Anne Hilborn let us know Cheetah was suitably motivated to devour a Fat-Tailed Dunnart in the middle of devouring a dung beetle- you are what what you eat eats!
Edible Dormouse, whose hibernation is sustained by its fatted tail, was no match for Crabeater Seal’s wild teeth, explained by marine biologist Josh Drew.
Marc Kissel roused himself in the middle of the night in Cape Town, South Africa where he is doing research to explain that the venom of the critically endangered Solenodon couldn’t stack up to the splashing, lashing water deer and it wisely ran away. The Water Deer didn’t even have to use his saber-sharp canines.
As largely predicted Jaguarundi, a felid that looks more like a weasel snarfed the snorkel nosed Desman and the marsupial Tasmanian Devil with the amazing bite force crunched the Ghost Bat with the sensitive hearing. Hat tip to Jessica Light and Patrice K. Connors for narrating these battles.
In the first upset of the tournament, Lara Durgavich let us know how the Madagascan Aye-Aye was too novel and unsettled Coatimundi in a highly-discussed displacement.
And many MMM fans felt a great disturbance in the tournament, as if millions of voices suddenly cried out in terror and were suddenly silencedwhen they discovered from Katie Hinde that the spurs of the Platypus were all out of venom in March so long after the mating season. Indeed Platypus’s wicked spurs skated harmlessly across the thick skin on the flanks of the Maned Rat who didn’t even need to use his bark poison paste on his specialized hairs to deflect the platypus.
Of the 2000+ fans who submitted brackets to the Official Unofficial Scoring site of John Doty… only 23 folks have correctly called all 9 battles so far in 2018 MMM!
Tune in for Round 1 of the Antecessors Division, this Thursday at 8:30PM EST.
WILD CARD "The early bird gets ambushed as Praying Mantis defeats Goldcrest"
In a showing of stealth over swoop, the praying mantis caught the goldcrest by surprise in the wildcard match of the 2018 March Mammal Madness tournament. The mantis, which feeds on everything from rodents to insects to birds, ambushed the goldcrest, biting into his bird brain while the gold crest pursued another insect. Maybe they should call it the PREYING mantis!
Tune in for round one of the Great Adaptations division, this Wednesday at 8:30 EST:
Special Thanks to Jason Krell & Jessica Martin for creating the sports recaps!
Background
Here are all of the details of this over-the-top performance science extravaganza. Scroll down to see the contributors: organizers, narrators, artists, cross-promoters, librarians, naturalists AND MORE! Scroll a bit further to find info for educators. & Follow along on twitter at #2018MMM for all the fan chatter or follow March Mammal Madness if you just want the official tweets. This year, as per usual, we have some new things up our sleeves so get ready for THE BEST MMM EVER!!! and yes I say that every year, and every year I AM RIGHT! Here at MMM we subscribe to a growth model- the sky, sea, mountains, desert, tundra, swamps, forest, and chapparal is the limit.
Divisions
Some species are incredibly adept at making human habitats their own, such as bobcat, raccoon, and coyote. These animals that not only survive but thrive in suburbs and cities will be honored in the URBAN JUNGLE Division!
TrashPanda
Mammals descended from Mammaliaformes that descended from Therapsids that descended from the Synapsids that emerged over 300 million years ago. Among these fossils species that “came before” are some of the most spectacular creatures to have ever roamed the Earth. We bring you the ANTECESSORS DIVISION!
(image from ExtinctWiki)
All mammal species are unified in their synthesis of milk to nourish, protect, and guide newborn development. But some mammals bring a little extra panache to the scene. Maybe it’s a Swiss army nose, maybe it’s venom, maybe it’s lathering your sides w/ chewed up poisonous tree bark (go maned rat!). For them we bring you the more Darwinian than Dickensian, GREAT ADAPTATIONS Division!
2018 March Mammal Madness will feature
AN ENTIRE DIVISION OF NON-MAMMALS!
BRACKET FAQ
How do I play?
We can only suggest the following for maximal fun & learning. Print out the bracket, predict who will win in each of the match-ups in round one, then round two, and so on and so forth, all the way out to your prediction who wins IT ALL! Get your friends, colleagues, and/or family to play. Post brackets on wall prominently. Trash talk their selections that depart from yours. Follow along in real time to battle play by plays on twitter by following hashtag #2018MMM or @2018MMMletsgo scheduled bout nights (see schedule below). If twitter isn't your thing, check the FB page or this blog for updates a couple hours AFTER the bouts conclude for the night.
Most Importantly: Cackle when your predicted animal triumphs, complain when they lose. Laugh & learn along the way!
How are the winners determined?
The organizers take info about their weaponry, armor, fight style, temperament/motivation, and any special skills/consideration and estimate a probability of the outcome and then use a random number generator to determine the outcome- this is why there are upsets in the tournament.
Another thing that can happen is if a species has to battle in an ecology that is really bad for it- so if a cold adapted species is battling in a tropical forest- it can dangerously overheat- changing the outcome probabilities. Sometimes an animal gets injured or snaps a canine in a previous round that carries over into the next round- just like an injury of a star player totally changes a basketball team's outcome. Also hiding or running away counts as a forfeit.
In the early rounds the battle location is in the preferred habitat of the better-ranked combatant in the battle, and ecology can play a huge role in what happens. Once to the Elite Trait the battle location is random among 4 ecologies (Urban Park, Cloud Forest, Tinajas, Savanna Grassland) in Elite Trait, Final Roar, and Championship battles. The location is announced right before the battle.
Are the battles one on one or do social mammals get their buddies?
The battles are one individual from the species vs. one individual from the other species. Also as you are estimating your outcomes, assume that the combatants represent the most prime-aged, badass, kickass specimen of that species. And just as in nature, there can occasionally be scientifically-grounded outsider interference.
Is the battle always to the death?
The battles are NOT always “nature, red in tooth and claw.” Sometimes the winner "wins" by displacing the other at a feeding location, sometimes a powerful animal doesn't attack because it is not motivated to- a few years ago in the “Who in the What Now?” Division we had a dhole lose to a binturong because the night before dhole had gorged on babirusa and the gut passage time of wild-canids being 24-48 hours. This meant that the dhole was still full from the night before and unwilling to take the risks of tangling with the binturong. Even a small claw cut or bite wound can get infected and lots of times an animal will back down rather than take a risk for little potential benefit.
"Don't mind me, just walking by."
Wait, I thought this was a battle of mammals! What are all those #AltMammals doing here?
Did you know that longtime MMM co-organizers Chris Anderson & Josh Drew aren't even Mammalogists? Chris is an entomologist & Josh is a marine biologist who primarily studies fish? #NotEveryoneIsPerfect. Also did you know that for the launch of #2018MMM I will be Down Under on a clinical speaking tour? Well when the Kat's away...
The internet is full of AWESOME, ACCURATE information- but also a lot of garbage. How do I know I’m getting accurate info about the species when I am doing my research?
ASU Libraries, Oxford University Press, & Wiley have built special MMM portals with freely available resources, articles, and other things for your students to use as you research species (to be updated later on March 1st). The ASU portal is incredibly comprehensive! Oxford University Press will have articles about how teachers are using March Mammal Madness. You can also find great info from zoos, scientist societies, and even searching stories from news outlets. But some news outlets are more reliable than others.
I love otters! Can I call them my "spirit animal" without perpetuating racism?
Most probably not. If you have a deep affinity for an animal, but your identity means you are culturally appropriating when you use the term, JK Rowling has you covered- "patronus."
What do the numbers next to the Mammals mean?
These correspond to the relative rankings among the species. 1 is the highest/best ranked team in the division and 16 is the lowest/worst- the number assigned is referred to as "seeding" but its functionally interchangeable with ranking (seeded/ranked are therefore also interchangeable).
The single elimination bracket battle favors the strongest teams until you get out to the semi-finals: 1 plays (crushes) 16, 2 plays 15…
Oh and just like the military, or the hunger games- it’s up or out. As soon as a species loses, it’s out of the tournament. #OneAndDone
What is an "upset"?
This is when a low ranked team beats a high ranked team. 9 beating 8 isn't a super impressive upset. In the actual NCAA tournament upsets happen when a 12 will beat a 5 or an 11 will beat a 6, once every few years a 15 will beat a 2 in the first round. For example: “Coming off its 11th national championship the season before, UCLA was ready to make another run through the 1996 NCAA tournament as a No. 4 seed. But in his final year as coach, Pete Carril and his 13 seeded Princeton offense got the best of the Bruins, stunning Jim Harrick’s squad in the first round with a last-second basket on a backdoor cut.”
Remember in 2017 when 8-seed Sphinx/Wisconsin
defeated 1-seed Sabertooth Cat/Villanova and folks were so salty?
#SoAwesome
So should I always pick the better-ranked mammal?
No! Real fans don’t abandon their favorite mammals just because they are pathetic at this kind of battle (although hopefully well-suited to their particular ecological niche). For example, my primate picks in 2013 performed dismally because my well-established monkey agenda was in direct opposition to reality: that apes totally wiped the floor with them. People will clown you if your bracket is TOO conservative by always picking the better-ranked team.
That bracket is sick! Who made it?
MMM fan and Design Thinker & Aero-Robotics Program Director at Safety Third Racing Will Nickley! In 2016 after the launch, he very, very nicely "here, I fixed that for you." I suspect that any number of graphic designers thought my original janky bracket was the design equivalent of Comic Sans (a font that has some really great things going on, by the way!). Anywho, Will has been kind enough to provide official brackets for #2017MMM and #2018MMM. And since March Mammal Madness 2017 Will Nickley launched the non-profit Local Tech Heroes!
How can I find out the specific species that is the combatant?
Indeed, sometimes the common name leaves a lot of room for interpretation. Here are the Latin Binomials for all of the combatants.
MMM Team ROLL CALL!
Dr. Katie Hinde (Editor-In-Chief)
& Chris Anderson (Deputy Editor-in-Chief)
We are also delighted for the return of battle narrators Dr. Josh Drew, Columbia University, Mauna Dasari, Ph.D. Student, University of Notre Dame; Dr. Marc Kissel, Lecturer Appalachian State University; Dr. Patrice Kurnath Connors, Post-doctoral Researcher & Instructor, University of Utah; Dr. Jessica Light, Associate Professor and Curator of Mammals, TAMU. We have also recruited new narration talent and convinced Dr. Lara Durgavich, lecturer, Harvard University, Dr. Anne Hilborn of Virginia Tech and Asia Murphy of Penn State, and Dr. Tara Chestnut of Mt. Ranier National Park
And since science is most badass when paired with kickass art- we are so excited to welcome back tattoo artist and scientific illustrator Charon Henning as MMM Art Director & welcome Mary Casillas. Charon provided this year's logo and the art team will continue to astound and astonish us with incredible creations! Selected art is available at the Mammal Madness Society6 shop- all proceeds go to supporting the artists who dedicate hundreds of hours to this the “Performance Science” of MMM.
Dr. Anne Stone of the School of Human Evolution and Social Change & Dr. Melissa Wilson-Sayres of the School of Life Sciences, ASU will be on deck tweeting about genetics, genomics, and phylogeny of battle species!
The American Society of Mammalogists will once again be tweeting photos from their Mammal Images Library. Folks contributing from ASM include Brian Tanis, Sean P. Maher, Jessica Light, and more! All the images there are free to download, and higher-res files of all the images can be requested. The big bonus for the Mammal Images Library is that all the images have correct IDs and are up-to-date taxonomically. What an amazing resource!
In 2018 we welcome the contributions of the eMammal team. They will be live-tweeting camera trap photos captured from citizen scientists and professionals all around the world. eMammal houses the largest database of mammal detections in the world and includes open access favorite photos and data. Staff contributing includes Stephanie Schuttler and Roland Kays from the NC Museum of Natural Sciences, and Jen Zhao and Megan Blance of the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute.
The Aldo Leopold Foundation @AldoLeopoldFdn will again provide the 'Inspirational Intermission" images & quotes about conservation & land stewardship in both historical and contemporary context. The Foundation’s mission is to foster care for people, land, and communities through the legacy of Aldo Leopold, best known as the author of the conservation classic A Sand County Almanac and founder of the field of Wildlife Ecology. They also have a very active FB page. Director of Education Jennifer Kobylecky & Public Program Coordinator Anna Hawley will be spearheading efforts from the Foundation.
ASU Library is getting involved too! Anali Perry, René Tanner, Mimmo Bonanni, Ashley Gohr, and Joel Smalley have created a guide and curated online resources that lists recommended resources, targeting a general K-12 audience to help with researching their brackets. A link to the guide will be posted here when the bracket goes live March 1st!
Once again Oxford University Press is proud to be participating again in this year’s tournament by curating a special collection of research from Journal of Mammalogy and Mammalian Species. These titles from the American Society of Mammalogists have published great research on species competing in MMM. Check out their March Mammal Madness Special Collection and take advantage of the free content to aid in assembling your bracket. Thanks to Nicole Taylor & Lauren Godwin for making this possible! & here's Nicole's infotastic essay reporting how the tourney is used by educators!
We are also pleased to announce that Biotropica – the journal of the Association for Tropical Biology and Conservation – has also curated a special collection of research on some of the tropical species competing in #2018MMM. The collection will be available to all through the end of the tournament, so take advantage of it as you prepare your bracket. Thanks to Biotropica’s Editor Emilio Bruna and Christen Pruitt from Wiley for making this possible, and be sure to follow @Biotropica on twitter as they cheer for all the tropical species in the competition!
The Cleveland Museum of Natural History (the first Natural History Museum I went to as a little kid!) returns to tweet images of their collections and how to use collections for scientific research! Museum curators, scientists, and educators will be team-tweeting from the @CMNHzoology.
We are also pleased to announce that Biotropica – the journal of the Association for Tropical Biology and Conservation – has also curated a special collection of research on some of the tropical species competing in #2018MMM. The collection will be available to all through the end of the tournament, so take advantage of it as you prepare your bracket. Thanks to Biotropica’s Editor Emilio Bruna and Christen Pruitt from Wiley for making this possible, and be sure to follow @Biotropica on twitter as they cheer for all the tropical species in the competition!
The Cleveland Museum of Natural History (the first Natural History Museum I went to as a little kid!) returns to tweet images of their collections and how to use collections for scientific research! Museum curators, scientists, and educators will be team-tweeting from the @CMNHzoology.
How to Keep Up with the Tournament:
Follow the action on twitter #2018MMM or see storify archive linked on this post daily once the tournament launches. To reach broader audiences we have launched a Facebook March Mammal Madness page- share early & often!
Educators & Parents & other here just for the facts- I recommend following @2018MMMletsgo. For the 3rd year in a row, Brown University class of 2020 student, Emma curates only the bout tweets and not spectator #TrashTalk that shows up when you follow the hashtag #2018MMM.
More twitter accounts to follow:
@Mammals_Suck, @Drew_Lab, @c_n_anderson,@TheOddAngel, @Mammalogists, @CMNHedu, @JenKatWork, @MarcKissel,@chumblebiome, @mwilsonsayres, @StoneLab_ASU, @PKurnath, @je_light @AnneWHilborn @am_anatiala @tinkeringprim8 & @TCastanea
But you should follow all of these accounts just as a matter of principle.
If this is your first year playing, check out info from 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013; the Wikipedia page (thanks Human Person & Brendan McDermott!); and these examples of the amazing radio and print media coverage from previous years.
TEAM March Mammal Madness!!!
For Educators
EDUCATORS- if you want early access to the bracket to develop teaching materials for your students, submit your email address here. Via that same form you also have the option to answer a few short questions so we can better understand how educators use the tournament. We'll be sending out the bracket Feb 20th well in advance of the Wild Card Battle March 12. New to March Mammal Madness? Check out the page for last year's tournament & the wikipedia page to see how the game is played!
And guess who's back...
Twitter SciCommCrossPromotion
We were really excited to have announced the MMM combatants via SciCommCrossPromotion of TWITTER BIOLOGY GAMES!
You should play these games & follow these folks.
MONDAY Feb 5th
TUESDAY Feb 6th
WEDNESDAY Feb 7th
THURSDAY Feb 8th
FRIDAY DOUBLE FEATURE! Feb 9th
#CityNatureQuiz by Kelly Brenner 1PM EST
#CougarOrNot by Dr. Michelle LaRue 12:30-2:30PM EST
COYOTE & BOBCAT REVEALED!
FEBRUARY 20th SPECIAL REVEAL OF ALT-MAMMAL COMBATANT!!
#TrickyBirdID by Jason Ward 8PM EST
COYOTE & BOBCAT REVEALED!
FEBRUARY 20th SPECIAL REVEAL OF ALT-MAMMAL COMBATANT!!
#TrickyBirdID by Jason Ward 8PM EST
Calendar
Valentines by Charon Henning & Mary Casillas:
(see more details about artists above,
Valentines Citations (because we always anchor to primary literature at MMM): Tevis 1947, J Mammalogy; Andeldt 1985, Wildlife Monographs; Jones et al. 2008, PNAS; Giglioli 1881, Nature; Larivière & Walton 1997, Mammalian Species; Allman 1866, Trans Zool Soc Lond.
(MMM Officials can not substantiate the accuracy of the translation)
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