Historical Geology - Diversity of Life

Question 1

What is life?

Answer 1

The condition that distinguishes animals and plants from inorganic matter, including the capacity for growth, reproduction, functional activity, and continual change preceding death.

Question 2

What is a taxon?

Answer 2

A group of organisms

Question 3

What is Taxonomy?

Answer 3

The science of naming organisms and placing them into classifications.

Question 4

List the taxonamic hierarchy.

Answer 4

1. Kingdom
2. Phylum
3. Class
4. Order
5. Family
6. Genus
7. Species

Question 5

What are Prokaryotes?

Answer 5

Single celled organisms that lack a cell nucleus.

Question 6

What are Eukaryotes?

Answer 6

Single and multicellular organisms that possess a cell nucleus.

Question 7

List the taxonamic hierarchy.

Answer 7

Domain?
1. Kingdom
2. Phylum
3. Class
4. Order
5. Family
6. Genus
7. Species
“Kings Play Cards On Fine Green Silk"

Question 8

What are Prokaryotes?

Answer 8

Single celled organisms that lack a cell nucleus. Include Domains Archaea and Bacteria.

Question 9

What are Eukaryotes?

Answer 9

Single and multicellular organisms that possess a cell nucleus.

Question 10

Describe Domain Archaea.

Answer 10

• differentiated from bacteria by several metabolic pathways.

Question 11

Describe Domain Bacteria.

Answer 11

Huge group. Larger than animals and plants combined. Include disease-causing strains, decomposers, and photosynthetic cyanobacteria (the build Stromatolites)

Question 12

Why are Prokaryotes not found in the fossil record?

Answer 12

These organisms have no hard parts, they tend not to e preserved in the fossil record (Stromatolites are an exception)

Question 13

How do we detect Prokaryotes in the fossil record?

Answer 13

 We use altered rock geochemistry to find them in the fossil record because Metabolic processes modify the sediment.

Question 14

What does the Kingdom of Eukaryotes include?

Answer 14

Kingdom Protista - includes 
- Algae (photosynthetic)
-  Marine microorganisms
    • Diatoms
    • Dinoflagellates
    • Nanoplankton
- Protozoans

Question 15

Describe the kingdom Fungi.

Answer 15

• very large and diverse group - includes mushrooms
• Build cell walls out of chitin, not cellulose (like plants)
• Very poor fossil record

Question 16

What is the Kingdom Plantae

Answer 16

• mosses
• ferns
• seed-producing plants

Question 17

Describe Kingdom Animalia.

Answer 17

• multicellular heterotrophs
• Divided into Protostomes and Deuterostomes
• Invertebrates - Animals lacking a backbone
• Vertebrates - Animals with a vertebral column

Question 18

What is are Protostomes and what do they include?

Answer 18

A group of organisms where the Blastopore becomes the mouth and develops before the anus.

• Sponges
  
  • suspension feeders
  • no specialized organs
• Cnidarians
  
  • Jellyfish and corals
  • Radial Symmetry
• Mollusca
  
  • shells of calcite or aragonite
  • snails, clams, octopus
  • benthic
  • excellent fossil record
• Arthropods
  
  • external skeleton
  • insects, crustaceans, trilobites

Question 19

What are Deuterostomes and what do they include?

Answer 19

a group of organisms where the Blastopore becomes the anus and develops before the mouth.
- Echinoderms - five part radial symmetry
- starfish
- sea urchins,
- chrinoids
- Chordates - includes all vertebrates and is Defined by
the possession of:
- Notochord – fluid filled rod that runs the length of the
body
- Segmented muscles

Question 20

What are Vertebrates and what do they include?

Answer 20

Defined by possession of vertebral column an/or the presence of bone or cartilage

• Cartilagenous fish (sharks, rays, chimeras)
• Bony fish
• Amphibians
• reptiles
• Birds
• Mammals