Vertebrates - Amphibians, Reptiles and Birds

Question 1

Class Amphibia Characteristics

Answer 1

legs, lungs, permeable skin, skin glands produce noxious or toxic secretions, partially hearts - 2 atria - ectothermic, metamorphosis from aquatic juvenile to terrestrial adult

Question 2

Amphibian origins

Answer 2

earliest tetrapod, derived from lobe finned fish. land was possibly colonised by sarcopterygian hunters working in swallow waters, gave rise to two branches, Amphibians and reptiles and then a branch of reptiles became mammals

Question 3

Amphibian life cycle

Answer 3

Egg - tadpole - tadpole wit legs, young frog, adult

Question 4

3 major groups in amphibians

Answer 4

Anura - frogs and toads
Caudata - newts and salamanders
Apoda - caecilians

Question 5

Anura characteristics

Answer 5

No tail
vocalisations
brood eggs sway from water
carnivorous

Question 6

Caudata characteristics

Answer 6

Head trunk and tail
northern hemisphere

Question 7

Apoda characteristics

Answer 7

eyes covered by skin, no legs, some have scales, confined to tropics, burrowing or aquatic

Question 8

Reptilia’s 4 orders

Answer 8

Chelonia - turtles, tortoises and terrapins
Rhynchocephalia - tuatara
Squamata - lizards and snakes
Crocodylia - crocodiles

Question 9

Turtles

Answer 9

marine, legs modified as flippers, only come to land to lay eggs

Question 10

Terrapins

Answer 10

freshwater living, legs modified for swimming

Question 11

Tortoises

Answer 11

live on land, some species grow very large

Question 12

Tuatara

Answer 12

sole descendant of a ancient group of reptiles

Question 13

Squamata - lizards and snakes

Answer 13

diverse group, lizards have legs and eyelids while snakes are without both

Question 14

Class Aves characteristics

Answer 14

feathers flight amniotic egg fully divided heart - 2 atria and 2 ventricles - single pass cross current lungs endothermic

Question 14

Structure of a crocodiles heart

Answer 14

4 chambers

Question 15

Birds adaptations for flight

Answer 15

fused pelvic gridle for strength, greatly enlarged sternum for attachment flight muscles, hollow bones

Question 16

Birds lungs

Answer 16

highly efficient, one way system, air sacs act as storage reservoirs, fresh air passes through the lungs during both inhaling and exhaling

Question 17

Amniotic egg

Answer 17

a self-sustaining environment for the embryo to develop