7. Arthropods 1 Flashcards
1
Q
- how are arthropods classified? 2
A
- arthropoda is a phylum
2. split into 3 subphyla - trilobites, chelicerates and mandibulates`
2
Q
what adaptations do arthropods have? 6
A
- these are crown group features
- pronounced tagmatisation
- chitin in exoskeleton-muscle fibres can pull against it, allowing fast movement
- jointed appendages for rapid movement
- complex mouth parts
- ventral nerve cord and dorsal donut brain that goes around esophagus
3
Q
What advantages do the adaptations of arthropods give them? 7
A
- chitinisation protects from predators and dehydration
- muscle anchor points
- possibility of jointed limbs and segments
- wade range of feeding habits
- rapid movement
- hormones control molting of exoskeleton, molting leaves arthropod very vulnerable
- 380/90m years ago, movement onto land lead to a total change in the ecosystem eg. plant coevolution and pollination
4
Q
Describe some early arthropods. 3
A
- burgessia has a telson and jointed limbs
- noroia
- hard exoskeleton
5
Q
What are trilobites? 6
A
- own subphyla. we don’t know their real position on the tree of life.
- about 15 000 morphological species
- exoskeleton - well preserved
- some spp may have been predators, mostly detritivores
- 4cm-70cm
- marine and benthic or pelagic
6
Q
Describe trilobite morphology. 7
A
- 3 longitudinal lobes - 1 axial and 2 pleural either side
- cephalon (head and eyes) hard with freely articulating thorax
- fused pygdium with telson
- prothorax - legs and spine can curl up
- legs are rarely preserved
- legs are biramous - 2 branches
- outer leg for walking, inner leg for gills for additional o2 absorption
7
Q
Describe trilobite development. 3
A
- anterior-posterior/ A-P body axis
- cephalon and pygdium fused
- assumed Hox genes involved - similar structure to modern arthropods
8
Q
What is special about trilobite eyes? 4
A
- some have calcite lenses - ca from sea used to make them makes thin sheets of transparent calcite
- eyes either holochroal (many small lenses) or schizochroal (few large biconvex lenses)
- may have had binocular vision
- has a lip to shade eyes near surface so can see predators
9
Q
How and when did trilobites go extinct? 6
A
- no explanation
- end of permian as part of the great dying
- volcanic atmosphere - climate change?
- appearance of predators eg. sharks probably didn’t help
- decline began before the end of the cambrian
- less diversity and lower numbers
10
Q
What are the chelicerata? 5
A
- 1st pair appendages modified to form mouthparts or chelicerae
- padipalps
- 4 pairs legs
- no antennae
- no mandibles
11
Q
What are the classes of chelicerata and what do they include? 3
A
- Pycnogondia/sea spiders
- merostomata include eurypterida/extinct giant sea scorpions and xiphosurida/horseshoe crabs
- arachnida include araneae/spiders, scorpiones/scorpion, opilliones/harvestmen and acari/mites
12
Q
Describe the pycnogondia/sea spiders. 9
A
- not spiders
- large size range, up to 0.75m legspan
- found in all seas, esp, polar regions
- larvae not planktonic - slow dispersal. lay eggs, move around on floor
- no digestive system - sucks up food
- may be carnivorous grazers
- male ejaculates onto laid eggs, gathers and carried them around in oviger (modified appendages)
- may even carry larvae
- 3 appendages of larvae correspond to cephalic appendages of adult
13
Q
Describe the merostomata/sea scorpions. 3
A
- not scorpions
- cambrian origin, 570m years ago
- dominates seas until about 310m years ago
14
Q
Describe eurypterida/giant sea scorpions. 10
A
- largest arthropod, up to 2m long
- 4 pairs walking legs
- chelicerae and pedipalps
- 12-segmented abdomen
- telson, sometimes with non stinging spine
- found on all continents
- trace fossil found in scotland
- 330m year old tracks - no associated animal
- hibbertopterus - emerged on land
- 1,6m long, 1 m wide tracks filter feeder
15
Q
Describe xiphosurida/horseshoe crabs. 9
A
- 3 surviving genera, 4 spp
- live in shallow seas around japan and indonesia
- mate on beach
- females attract males by chemical signals, dig pit for eggs
- external fertilisation, can by polyandrous
- embryos later released, planktonic, often eaten
- eats worms, small molluscs
- we have trace fossils that are 150m year old
- swept into anoxic lagoon and died there
- looks fairly unchanged but some silurian fossils are biramous