User:K.white31/sandbox
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Sandbox page for Placentophagy Article: https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=User:K.white31/sandbox/Placentophagy&action=edit
Article Evaluation
I chose to evaluate this article as it briefly discusses a behaviour performed by certain jungle cats. Specifically, it refers to a vocalization, called prusten or chuffing. I find the topic intriguing and would like to research it further to find out more about the particulars of the behaviour. Further, it is a stub article so there is opportunity to add to information in subsequent parts of the assignment.
Lead
The lead begins by referring to which subfamily of animals exhibit the behaviour rather than what the behaviour actually is. The first sentence should define the action in more detail so that readers know exactly what the article is about, and the article should expand from this introduction. This will also help the overall flow of the article. Further, the lead does not present the major sections of the article to be discussed and incorporates a broad range of information that may have been best to save for later sections such as how the sound is made, and specific examples of its use.
Content
The article itself contains very little content, it is a stub article and so it consists only of a Lead paragraph. While the content in the lead is pertinent to the article's topic, there is much more that can be added. The lead briefly touches on when and why the behaviour is exhibited but does not elaborate further. More research on when and how the behaviour was discovered, any studies on the vocalization, as well the difference between this particular sound and other sounds created by the animals could be included in other sections.
Tone
The tone of the article is neutral. There is no evident bias or persuasion. In saying this, the article contains little information. It is likely that there are viewpoints and studies surrounding this topic that were not mentioned in the article, meaning they are underrepresented.
Sources
The lead has two references within, which is not enough to substantiate the topic. The links for the references are functional, but both would be considered poor sources for Wikipedia standards. The first is a definition from an online dictionary and the second from a official snow leopard website. It is fair to say that the article is not thorough as the sources are not indicative of all available literature on the subject. There should be more, specifically ones from academic and peer reviewed references.
Organization
The organization of the article is poor. The article does not flow properly, the lead contains too broad of a scope of information. It should be divided into sections which elaborate on the major aspects of the vocalization.
Images and Media
The article lacks any images or media. While it may be hard to find images that improve a readers understanding of the article, some should be included to make the page more visually appealing. These could be images of scenarios in which the animal will perform the vocalization, or of the phylogeny of the animals that exhibit the behaviour.
Talk Page
The talk page of this article did not contain any relevant discussion from other wiki users. The article is rated as Start-Class on the quality scale.
Overall Evaluation
Overall, the article is underdeveloped. It could be improved by doing more research on the subject, and finding out more about what is known through the available literature. Topics like the discovery of this type of vocalization, the purpose or the circumstances in which animals exhibit this particular sound, and studies related to the prusten vocalization need to be discussed in more detail. Another interesting idea to include would be whether or not this behaviour is learned or innate.
References
Edited Prusten
Reproductive Biology of the Snow Leopard, Panthera uncia
Int. Ped. Book of Snow Leopards 3: 71-79, 1982.
http://snowleopardnetwork.org/bibliography/Blomqvist_Sten_1982.pdf
Evolution of Acoustic Communication Signals of Mammals: Friendly Close-Range Vocalizations in Felidae (Carnivora)
Journal of Mammalian Evolution, Vol. 6, No. 2, 1999
https://link-springer-com.qe2a-proxy.mun.ca/content/pdf/10.1023%2FA%3A1020620121416.pdf