Lecture 1 Flashcards
What are the main themes we see in animal diversity?
- structure and function are inextricably linked
- all animal structures are based on a limited number of basic plans
- all animals are the product of an evolutionary process
What are the 6 kingdoms?
Monera, Protista, Funghi, Plantae, Animalia, Archebacteria
What are the general features of the Animalia kingdom?
Multicellular, ingestive, heterotrophic
Why do we study Protista in conjunction with Animalia?
Because they are closely related, and also cause many diseases in animals
How many animal species have been described?
1 million
How many different animal phyla are there and when did they evolve?
around 40 different phyla, mostly by the end of the Cambrian, 530mya
When was the earliest eukaryote fossil?
1700 mya
Where are the burgess shales and what do they show?
British Colombia, a record of Cambrian life
What are the potential reasons the Cambrian explosion occurred?
- Increase in oxygen , meaning higher levels of activity and therefore predation, so inspires predator-prey coevolution
- evolution of the eye, could see each other so changes in phenotype due to mate attraction, and predator
What two physical factors are important in the evolution of animals?
Changes in climate
continental drift
When were the first prokaryotes?
4bya
When were the first eukaryotes?
1.8 bya
