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    1vertebrate Characteristics 2020 PDF

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    hmin1805
    This document discusses the characteristics and diversity of vertebrates. It defines vertebrates as animals with backbones and lists their five main groups. All vertebrates share four key characteristics: a notochord, dorsal nerve cord, pharyngeal gill slits, and a post-anal tail. While these define them, vertebrates display tremendous diversity in their 50,000+ known living species, varying in both structure and ecology between primitive and advanced forms and across terrestrial and aquatic environments over 500 million years.

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    1vertebrate Characteristics 2020 PDF

    Uploaded by

    hmin1805
    76 views5 pages
    This document discusses the characteristics and diversity of vertebrates. It defines vertebrates as animals with backbones and lists their five main groups. All vertebrates share four key characteristics: a notochord, dorsal nerve cord, pharyngeal gill slits, and a post-anal tail. While these define them, vertebrates display tremendous diversity in their 50,000+ known living species, varying in both structure and ecology between primitive and advanced forms and across terrestrial and aquatic environments over 500 million years.

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    This document discusses the characteristics and diversity of vertebrates. It defines vertebrates as animals with backbones and lists their five main groups. All vertebrates share four key characteristics: a notochord, dorsal nerve cord, pharyngeal gill slits, and a post-anal tail. While these define them, vertebrates display tremendous diversity in their 50,000+ known living species, varying in both structure and ecology between primitive and advanced forms and across terrestrial and aquatic environments over 500 million years.

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    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    76 views5 pages

    1vertebrate Characteristics 2020 PDF

    Uploaded by

    hmin1805
    This document discusses the characteristics and diversity of vertebrates. It defines vertebrates as animals with backbones and lists their five main groups. All vertebrates share four key characteristics: a notochord, dorsal nerve cord, pharyngeal gill slits, and a post-anal tail. While these define them, vertebrates display tremendous diversity in their 50,000+ known living species, varying in both structure and ecology between primitive and advanced forms and across terrestrial and aquatic environments over 500 million years.

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    VERTEBRATE ZOOLOGY

    Vertebrate Characteristics, Similarities, and Diversity

    In particular we will be examining:

    1) similarities among vertebrates


    2) diversity among vertebrates (i.e. variation or differences)

    Vertebrates
    General definition: animals with backbones
    (backbone = vertebral column surrounding a dorsal nerve cord)
    Examples of vertebrates:
    Using the traditional classification system, there are five
    general groups of vertebrates:
    Fishes, Amphibians, Reptiles, Birds, Mammals

    Definitions of terms we will be using:


    “lower vertebrate” or “primitive” vertebrate (e.g. fishes)
    “higher vertebrate” or “advanced” vertebrate(e.g.mammals)

    Using the traditional classification system all vertebrates are members of:
    Kingdom Animalia,
    Phylum Chordata (i.e. the chordates)
    Subphylum Vertebrata (i.e. the vertebrates)
    Chordates: four basic characteristics (i.e. similarities) that distinguish them
    from other phyla of animals:

    a) Notochord
    the term “chordate” refers to notochord
    notochord is a rod-like structure

    1
    semi-rigid group of cells surrounded by fibrous and elastic sheaths

    acts as a rigid axis on which muscles can act


    allows for undulating body movements (e.g. fish
    swimming)
    lies just ventral to the “dorsal nerve cord”
    present during embryonic development in all vertebrates
    remains throughout life in some primitive vertebrates
    e.g. hagfish and lamprey
    in most vertebrates
    notochord replaced by vertebral column which forms around it
    vertebral column forms from connective tissue that surrounds
    notochord
    slight remnants of notochord are found in intervertebral
    disks in the human vertebral column

    b) Dorsal nerve cord


    forms dorsal to the notochord
    tubular
    anterior end becomes brain in vertebrates
    normally protected by bone or cartilage
    surrounded by neural arch of vertebral column
    brain surrounded by "cranium" of bone or cartilage
    Dorsal nerve cord in vertebrates contrasts with many
    “invertebrates”: that have a ventral nerve cord

    c) Pharyngeal Gill Slits or Gill Pouches

    Gill slits (in blue) in an acorn worm (left) and tunicate (right)

    slits that lead from “pharyngeal cavity” to the outside of


    the body
    Pharyngeal refers to pharynx, which is the area between
    nasal and mouth cavities, and the esophagus.
    gill pouches form in embryos of advanced vertebrates as
    grooves and do not open up

    2
    used for respiration in lower vertebrates
    gills and blood vessels attached to margins of slits
    also used for feeding in some lower vertebrates
    e.g. filter feeding

    d) Post-anal tail
    used for locomotion in many lower vertebrates
    occurs only during embryonic development some vertebrates
    (e.g. humans)
    Other characteristics common to chordates
    segmented muscle masses (referred to as myotomes or myomeres )
    endoskeleton of cartilage or bone
    bilateral symmetry
    “closed” circulatory system with ventrally located heart
    blood is circulated in vessels

    We have just discussed similarities, now we will discuss diversity.

    Diversity Among Vertebrates


    Vertebrates vary widely (including within specific groups of vertebrates)
    Approximately 50,000 living species of vertebrates have been identified

    Fishes (approximately 24,600 species)


    Birds (approximately 9000 species)
    Reptiles (approximately 7000 species)
    Mammals (approximately 4600 species)
    Amphibians (approximately 4200 species, but many new species of
    amphibians are being identified)

    A) Structural Diversity
    example of a “primitive” vertebrate
    hagfish
    most primitive living vertebrate
    characteristics
    notochord persistent throughout life
    fibrous and cartilaginous skeleton (no bones)
    no jaws
    no paired appendages
    poorly developed brain and reproductive system

    example of an advanced vertebrate


    human (opposite of hagfish characteristics listed above)

    Diversity Among Vertebrates (Continued)

    B) Ecological Diversity in Vertebrates


    Terrestrial Environments
    Temperature range from tropical to arctic

    3
    Humidity ranges from humid to xeric (xeric = dry environment)
    (e.g. tropical rain forests to deserts)

    Aquatic environments
    marine, freshwater, brackish
    (brackish = combination of freshwater and saltwater)
    Some organisms are capable of changing environments
    examples

    some fishes migrate from marine to freshwater to breed


    (e.g. salmon)

    other fishes migrate from freshwater to the ocean to breed.


    (e.g.American eel)

    many vertebrates inhabit both aquatic and terrestrial environments


    (e.g. many amphibians, turtles, marine iguana, sea birds, seals, sea lions, etc.)

    C) Physiological Diversity
    example: Reproduction
    a) gonochorism (two separate sexes)
    most vertebrates have two separate sexes

    b) hermaphroditic
    simultaneous (i.e. at the same time)
    examples: some fishes
    sequential (i.e change sex during life)
    examples: some fishes (and possibly one amphibian)
    including many coral reef fishes

    c) unisexual vertebrates
    egg develops into female without fertilization
    examples: some species of fishes, amphibians, reptiles

    D) Temporal Diversity in Vertebrates (i.e. diversity over time)


    “fossil record” indicates that vertebrates have been on earth for

    approximately 500 million years


    (i.e. oldest vertebrate fossils are approximately 500 million years old)
    the diversity of vertebrates living today is distinctly different from
    other time periods.
    Examples based on “fossil record”:
    1) 550 million years ago
    only aquatic invertebrates are in fossil record, no vertebrates

    2) 410 million years ago


    fishes are abundant in fossil record, but no terrestrial vertebrates

    3) 280 million years ago, amphibians and reptiles were dominant terrestrial vertebrate
    but there were no birds or mammals found in fossil record

    4
    4) 150 million years ago (i.e. the Jurassic Period),
    dinosaurs were dominant terrestrial animals
    only small mammals exist in fossil record
    no birds exist in fossil record

    5) 40 million years ago


    birds and mammals abundant in fossil record
    6) The oldest known human-like fossils (genus Homo) in the
    fossil record are approximately 2 million years old

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