Vertebrate Biology Flashcards
Monophyletic
CA + all descendants
Polyphyletic
Doesn’t include CA of all groups
Paraphyletic
Group descended from CA but doesn’t include all descendant groups
Chordate features
- Dorsal notochord
- Dorsal nerve chord
- Bilateral symmetry
- Pharyngeal slits
- Endostyle
Lower vertebrates
- Jawless fish
- Chondrichthyes
- Osteichthyes
- Lissamphibia
Higher vertebrates
Amniotes:
- Testudines
- Lepidosauria
- Crocodilia
- Aves
- Mammalia
Vertebrate features
- Postanal tail
- Pharyngeal pouches
- Vertebral column
- Anterior brain
- Craniates
- Closed circulatory circuits
- W-shaped myomeres
- Organ systems
Dorsal fin
Anti-roll stabilising
Pectoral fin
Steering + lift
Pelvic fin
Stabilisers
Caudal fin
Thrust
Types of lift
- Dynamic
2. Static
Chondrichthyes osmoregulatory adaptations
- Isotonic
- High urea and TMAO concentration
- Large glomeruli
- Rectal gland
- Low ion and urea permeability in gills
Scale types
- Placoid
- Cosmoid
- Ganoid
- Ctenoid
- Cycloid
Gas bladder connections
- Physostomus
2. Physoclistous
Fish body locomotion
- Anguilliform
- Carangiform
- Subcarangiform
- Thunniform
- Ostraciforms
Fish fin locomotion
- Tetraodontiform
- Labriforms
- Amiiform
- Gymnotiform
- Balistiform
Types of drag
- Viscous
2. Inertial
Ampullae of Lorenzini
Electroreceptors
Lateral line
Mechanical system
Anguilliform
Whole body movements
Subcarangiform
Tail and posterior sides
Amphibian teeth
Pedicellate
= crown, uncalcified mid section + dentine base
Amphibian Skin glands
- Mucous
- Granular
3 Hedonic (some males)
Amphibian Sound detection
- Basilar papilla: 1200-1600Hz
2. Amphibian papilla: 200-800Hz
Carangiform
More oscillating than sub
Amphibian Skin pigments
- Melanophores - Black,Brown, red
- Iridophores - reflect light
- Xanthophores - yellow, orange, red
Thunniform
Only tail
Ostraciform
Tail movement as body rigid
Tetraodontiformes
Dorsal and anal fins
Labriforms
Pectoral fins
Amiiform
Dorsal fin undulations
Gymnotiform
Anal fin undulations
Balistiforms
Anal and dorsal fin undulations
Tetrapod ancestor
Elpistostegid
Closest tetrapod relative
Tiktaalik = Devonian fossil
Acanthostega
Late Devonian (360 mya) stem tetrapod
Ichthyostega
Late Devonian (360 mya) Atem tetrapod
Terrestrialisation adaptations
- Skeletal
- Zygapophyses
- Lungs
- Kidneys
Temnospondyls
Stem lissamphibians (modern amphibia sister group) until early Cretaceous (130 mya)
Amphibian respiration
Buccalpharyngeal pumping forces air in via positive pressure
Amphibian adult photoreceptors
Rods:
- Red detect green
- Green detect blue
- Purple detect UV (only larval and aquatic)
Cones:
- Single detect yellow
- Double
Snake fangs
- Opisthoglyphous =rear fanged
- Proteroglyphous = permanently erect
- Solenoglyphous = rotate via pterygoid movement
Flexible paedomorphosis in mole salamanders:
- Isotypic
2. Paedotypic
Anuran skeletal modifications
- Reduced vertebral column
- Strong zygapophyses
- Fused vertebrae
- Large leg muscle attachment points
Anuran breeding types
- Explosive
2. Prolonged
Gymnophiona characteristics
- Legless
- Short tails
- Reduced eyes
- Dermal scales
- Annuli
- Protrusible tentacles
Amniotic traits (370mya)
- Keratinised skin
- Kidneys excrete concentrated urine
- Coastal lung ventilation
- Intrinsic muscles
- Teeth
- Amniotic egg
Amniotic egg embryonic membranes
- Amnion
- Chorion
- Yolk sac
- Allantois
Skull morphology
- Anapsid
- Synapsid
- Diapsid
Reptilia
Carboniferous = 360-290mya
Saurischia
Rotate pubis anteriorly
- Sauropodomorphs
- Theropods
Ornithischia
Rotate pubis posteriorly
Main lineages:
- Armoured
- Horned
- Duck-billed
Key testudinian features
- B-keratin Shell:
- Carapace (top)
- Plastron (underneath) - Vertebral column and ribs fused to carapace
- Static lungs
- Diaphragmatic ventilation
Testudines respiratory methods
- Pharyngeal
- Hydrostatic H2O pressure
- Cloacal
Testudines
- Cryptodires - vertical
2. Pleurodires - horizontal
Snake specialisations
- Fossorial (ancestral?)
- Epigean
- Aquatic
Snake locomotion
- Lateral undulations
- Rectilinear
- Concertina
- Sidewinding
Squamate sex determination
- Genotypic
- Temperature
- Behavioural
Squamata thermoregulation
- Morphological
- Behavioural
- Physiological
Bird- reptile similarities
- Occipital condyl
- 1 middle ear bone
- Nucleated erythrocytes
- Heterogametic females
- Jointed hind limbs at tarsal bones
Bird - mammal differences
- Mammals have 3 middle ear bones
- Mammals have non-nucleated erythrocytes
- Male mammals are heterogametic
- Mammals have jointed hind limbs between tibia and tarsi
Theories of bird origin
- Thecodont
2. Theropod
Bird wing features
- Airfoil shape
- Angle of attack
- Slotting
- Alula