Chondrichthyes: cartilaginous fish Flashcards
when did they come about? main features - endoskeleton, teeth, etc?
- Early Silurian (approx. 440 Mya) to recent
- Cartilaginous endoskeleton
- Skull lacks suture in living forms
- Teeth usually not fused to jaws and replaced serially - replaced when lost
- Vertebrata made up of cartilaginous endoskeleton!!!!!!!!!
- Lung and swim bladder absent - more primitive, unlike the bony fish which have both
main groups?
• Two main groups:
○ Elasmobranchs
§ Sharks, skates, rays
○ Holocephalans
brain protection?
○ Brain is protected with a brain case made of cartilage - but it lacks suture (cracks/joints)
• Suture is important for birth - the suture allows for some compression - easier delivery with less complications. Without suture it is difficult and dangerous to deliver a baby. HOWEVER, the cartilage of the fishes is soft enough to compress.
when did elasmobranchs come about? features?
• Early Devonian (approx. 416 Mya) to recent
• 5-7 gill openings
• Palatoquadrate not fused to cranium !!
• Evolution - 3 distinct radiations (spreading):
○ Devonian - 416 mya
○ Carboniferous to Cretaceous- 354-65 mya
○ Triassic (206 mya) to modern day
○ Gaps in dates - gaps in knowledge, we do not know if one gave rise to another directly
describe the 1st radiation of elasmobranchs.
• Devonian (1st) radiation - Cladoselache
• Cladoselache - best known genus
• Well preserved fossils
1. Long streamlined body (no armor)
describe mouth and teeth of 1st radiation elasmo
○
4. Terminal mouth
5. Teeth
• Primarily 3 cusps - good for tearing flesh - could be predators
• Composed of dentine and enamel with pulp cavity -strong protected teeth
• Replacement teeth - ie teeth whorls
• Function of teeth whorls:
○ Alleviates broken/worn teeth
○ Allows a new predatory niche to be exploited
○ Easily replaced
other features of 1st elasmobranch - notochord, scales, claspers?
- Notochord in adult with cartilaginous neural arches- protective casing - more advanced/derived trait
- Tooth-like scales limited to fins/eyes/mouth
- Lacked claspers - cannot transfer semen to individuals of the other sex
- Good fossil remains/record
describe 2nd radiation of elasmobranch - when did it come about + what adaptive edge?
• Carboniferous (2nd) radiation - Hybodus
• Carboniferious to cretaceous - 354 mya - 66 mya
• Hyobus - best known genus
○ Triassic (251 mya) to late cretaceous (66 mya)
• Fossil remains
• Changes in feeding and locomotion happened
• Radiation during formation of pangea
○ More competition
○ Adaptive edge being generalist - able to feed on plants as well as prey
general 2nd radiation teeth
- Heterodont dentition
• Anterior teeth for flesh- cusps
• Posterior teeth - broader, flatter teeth - wasn’t present in 1st radiation
• Generalist, predators
what features (3) did hyobus (2nd) share with cladoselache (1st)
- Terminal mouth, multicusped teeth
- Ampistylic jaw
- Unrestricted notochords
- Not a direct line between two groups - might have been an intermediate group between them
- Second flourished in Mesozoic (245-65mya)
describe 3rd radiation - when did it begin? modern forms by?
rd radiation began in triassic (approx 245 mya)
• Modern forms by Jurassic (~201 mya)
• Elasmobranch evolution spans over 450 mil. yrs; last
100 mil. yrs show little change
• Filter feeders to predators
3rd radiation jaw and dentition. mouth?
1. Hyostylic jaw suspension • Mandibular arch attaches to braincase • primarily through hyomandibula • Provides lateral mobility • Ventral mouth 2. Heteromorphic dentition • Upper stouter and recurved, serrated • Lower straighter and pointed
3rd muscles and notochord
- Scapulocoracoid cartilage
• Attaches right and left pectoral girdle
• Muscles help protrude upper jaw, moves mouth out
• Feeding action
○ Grab prey (lower jaw)
○ Protrude upper over prey- cartilaginous centra replace notochord
• Disks remain and act as shock absorbers
• Increases flexibility (S-shaped undulation) acting like a series of ball and socket joins
- cartilaginous centra replace notochord
scales, liver, tail 3rd
- Placoid scales
• Primitive and homologous to teeth
• Reduce turbulence
• New scales added during growth- Large oil filed liver
• Contains an oil named squalene
• Up to 25% body weight
• Provides buoyancy
• Alter buoyancy by altering liver oil content (lighter vs heavier)
• Oil varies by lifestyle and habitat
• First time we see a need for the organism to go upward - Heterocercal tail
• Once though designed to provide lift - swift and change depths
• But faster swimming species would then rise
• Now we know that most buoyancy comes from oil in the liver, so the tail is actually for navigating/propelling upwards - these complement each other
- Large oil filed liver
3rd lateral line system, ampullae of lorenzini, chemoreception
- Lateral line system
• Loaded with sensory cells/nervous tissues
• Made of interconnected surface pores and canals
• Functional unit: neuromast organ
○ Detect pressure and vibration changes - changes in the environment (act as mechanoreceptors)- Ampullae of lorenzini
• Detect electrical fields ie prey, conspecifics, enemies etc. - communication
• Evolved from hair cells of lateral line - have the sensory ability to detect electrical changes - Chemoreception
• Exceptional olfactory system - detect blood at 1 ppm
Can perceive long range chemical stimuli
- Ampullae of lorenzini