Ctenophore

Question 1

what are ctenophores?

Answer 1

comb jellies

Question 2

basic features of Ctenophores?

Answer 2

8 rows of comb-like plates for locomotion
biradial 
diploblastic 
nerve net
no nematocysts 
colloblasts - adhesive cells 
free swimming
gut - mouth, anal pores

Question 3

ctenophore morphology?

Answer 3

tentaculate - tentacles and tentacle sheath - sticky not stingy
one order lacks tentacles
colloblasts - catch food
some w/out tentacles just engulf prey
gastrovascular system
ctenes - transverse bands of long, partially fused cilia beating as a unit - comb rows

Question 4

reproduction?

Answer 4

most hermaphroditic, some gonochoristic
distinct cleavage
macro cells make the inner germ layer
during gastrulation - micromeres develop and move between ecto and endoderms

Question 5

phylogeny of ctenophores?

Answer 5

not sure where they fit in
cladistics bases classification on shared derived characters
basal lineage??

Question 6

whats the problem with molecular phylogeny?

Answer 6

trees shouldn’t be taken as the absolute truth
insufficient sampling
long branch attraction - problematic taxa
alignments
but all can be tested for

Question 7

what is phylogenomics and what does it do?

Answer 7

sequencing whole genomes
compare hundreds of genes at once
can look at fossil record