Question

What are TWO major ecological niches that living (or recently extinct) marsupials have failed to fill, which are instead filled exclusively by non marsupial mammals?

Answer 1

Two ecological niches that marsupials have failed to fill are:-

1. Marine
2. Grassland

Marsupials are mammals which have pouch where they carry their young ones and do not have a very long gestation period. Most of the marsupials chose their niches based on their structure like for example since the marsupial moles have longer nails and claws, they are able to burrow a tunnel and stay within it. Most of the marsupials are found in Australia and South America and most common habitat of the marsupials is tropical rainforest. There are some marsupials like the pygmy possum which are able to live in the Alps of Australia. Most of the marsupials require a dry habitat for their survival and they generally live in the tropical rain forests. Some of them also live underground by digging a tunnel. They are not able to live in the tundra and grassland ecological niches as their system and body is not designed to function and survive in such conditions. The tundra and grassland ecosystem are filled by many different types of non marsupial mammals and hence they are able to adjust to such conditions.