Biology 11000, Evolution And Adaptation Of Amphibians And Reptiles.

Front 1

When did tetrapods evolve?

Back 1

During the Devonian period (359-416 MYA), Paleozoic Era.

Front 2

What is the sister clade of tetrapods in phylogeny?

Back 2

Lobe-finned fishes.

Front 3

What are the Sarcopterygii?

Back 3

The Sarcopterygii or lobe-finned fishes – sometimes considered synonymous with Crossopterygii constitute a clade of the bony fishes, though a strict classification would include the terrestrial vertebrates. The living sarcopterygians are the coelacanths, lungfishes, and the tetrapods.

Front 4

Name three lineages of Sarcopterygii.

Back 4

1. Coelacants,
2. Lungfishes,
3. Tetrapods.

Front 5

Describe features of tetrapods.

Back 5

- Have limbs rather than paired fins.
- Ankle and wrist joints.
- Fully developed pectoral girdle.
- Pectoral girdle free from skull.

Front 6

What animals are most immediate ancestor of the tetrapods?

Back 6

Lungfishes.

Front 7

What is Eusthenopteron?

Back 7

Fishlike extinct creature that is ancestral to all tetrapods. Posses tetrapod features, inspite of the dorsal fin (deep waters).

Front 8

What is Panderichthys?

Back 8

Tetrapod-like fish, has no dorsal fin, fins have radial bones at the end of the fin skeletal structure, dorsoventrally flattened. Ready to walk.

Front 9

What is Tiktaalik?

Back 9

Intermidiate between fish with fins and tetrapods with limbs. Has mobile neck and a wrist joint. Could walk on land.

Front 10

What are Acanthostega and Ichthyostega?

Back 10

Fish like animals that are recognised to be amongst first tetrapods. Have four well defined limbs, and digits. Polydactyl limbs (possessing multiple digits). Also possessed lungs, internal gills.

Front 11

Name adaptations that allowed animals have body support on land.

Back 11

Large limbs, strong and more differentiated, associated musculature.
Having pactoral girdle and limb girdle that are more closely attached to the axial skeleton (backbone).

Front 12

What part of the body of the fish evolved to lungs?

Back 12

Swim bladder.

Front 13

What adaptation evolved to allow fish breath in land?

Back 13

Lungs from swim bladder, ability to breath through the skin.

Front 14

What adaptations allowed first tetrapods to conserve water and not to dehydrate in land?

Back 14

Ability to absorb moisture from their skin, mucous glands that prevent moisture escaping the body, excretion of concentrated urea.

Front 15

Air is less denser that water and the conduction of sound is different. What is the main adaptation of hearing organs in animals invading land?

Back 15

The development of internal ear structures that help conduct vibrations through the inner ear. Some animals also sense ground movements through their feet.

Front 16

In which areas there is a need for adaptations for animals invading land?

Back 16

Body support, locomotion, respiration, body shape, sensory systems, water balance.

Front 17

Which adaptation of feeding is needed for animals invading land?

Back 17

In water primary is suction feeding, in land jaws and tongue became more important.

Front 18

Which adaptation of limb musculature is needed for animals invading land?

Back 18

Switch from extrinsic to intrinsic (contained wholly within the organ on which it acts) musculature.

Front 19

Which adaptation of body shape is needed for animals invading land?

Back 19

Body shape becomes more dorsoventrally flattened, decreases hydrodynamics in land animals.

Front 20

Which adaptation of respiration organs is needed for animals invading land?

Back 20

Gills arose from swim bladder, ventilation is powered by rib cage musculature, cutaneous respiration (skin).

Front 21

Which adaptation of sensory systems is needed for animals invading land?

Back 21

Bony structures for conduction sound vibrations to the inner ear. Lateral line disappears. Eye lids for keeping moist on the eyeball.

Front 22

Which adaptation of water balance is needed for animals invading land?

Back 22

Excretion of concentrated urine, mucous glands that protect skin from losing water.

Front 23

Which adaptation for changes in body support is needed for animals invading land?

Back 23

On land body is supported by limbs;
Limb bones and joints more robust;
Pectoral girdle dissociated from the head skeleton;
Limb girdles become more closely attached to exial skeleton.

Front 24

Name 3 major amphibian clades.

Back 24

Caecilians,
Salamanders/Newts,
Frogs and toads.

Front 25

Which order do the caecilians belong to?

Back 25

Apoda (Gymnophiona).

Front 26

Describe caecilians, Apods (eyes, limbs, bodies, lungs, skulls).

Back 26

Elongate bodies without limbs or limb girdles;
most have small eyes, many blind;
Body segmented by annual grooves; some have scales;
some evolved fins (aquatic sp);
left lung is rudimentary;
skulls specialised for borrowing.
Live in tropical environments.

Front 27

Describe reproduction of caecilians (apods).

Back 27

Internal fertilisation. Some are oviparous with aquatic eggs or terrestrial eggs. Most advanced ones are viviparous.

Front 28

What is matrotropy?

Back 28

Matrotrophy is a form of development in which the embryo is supplied with additional nutrition from the mother (e.g. through a placenta).

Front 29

What is the main sensory organ for caecilians (Apoda)?

Back 29

They do not have ear openings. So they sense prey by retractable tentacles, so use sense of smell.

Front 30

What do caecilians eat?

Back 30

They are carnivorous, mainly earthworms and other invertebrate.

Front 31

How do caecilians process food?

Back 31

They grip prey and spin to process it, because they do not have teeth and cannot chew.

Front 32

What order do newts and salamanders belong to?

Back 32

Urodela (Caudata).

Front 33

What is characteristic gate of animals of order urodela?

Back 33

From side to side, bending body.

Front 34

Describe reproduction of newts and salamanders (Urodea).

Back 34

Fertilisation external in some, but in most is internal, but without copulation. Males produce gelatinous spermatophores capped with
sperm. Females pick up the sperm with the cloaca,
where sperm are stored. Eggs are fertilised as they pass
through (deposited either individually or in clumps).

Front 35

What is neotony and in which order of animals you can see it?

Back 35

Neotony (paedomorphosis) - is the retention, by adults in a species, of traits previously seen only in juveniles. Common in Urodela, newts and salamanders.

Front 36

Give and example of neotony.

Back 36

Axolotl.

Front 37

What order do toads and frogs belong to?

Back 37

Urodela (Caudata).

Front 38

Describe reproduction of frogs (Urodela).

Back 38

• Fertilization is external except in a few species;
• Most are oviparous with aquatic eggs and larvae;
• Some are oviparous, but with direct development of terrestrial eggs;
• Some are viviparous (mostly lecithotrophy – nutrients supplied by yolk).

Front 39

Are toads and frongs more related to caecilians or salamanders?

Back 39

Salamanders.

Front 40

In frogs and toads how is the auditory calls amplified?

Back 40

Males have vocal sacs which amplify the sound.

Front 41

What is lecithrophy?

Back 41

Feeding young with yolk.

Front 42

Name three main types of threats for amphibians and places that this problems are most common in.

Back 42

1. Overexploitation (Asian countries)
2. Habitat loss (tropical rainforests, Europe, N.America)
3. Enigmatic decline - sp. are declining despite the presence of a suitable habitat, and no evidence of overharvesting. Most probably the reason is climate change and pathogens (Americas and Australia).

Front 43

What is ectothermic?

Back 43

No internal heat production, body temperature matches that of the environment.

Front 44

What are the benefits and minuses of being ectothermic for amphibians?

Back 44

Raised temperature can enable faster metabolism (e.g. digestion);
Water loss through evaporation while basking;
remaining cool can enable long periods without food.

Front 45

How do amphibians cope with losing water through their skin during basking on the sun?

Back 45

Some are basking only in water, some are basking during very short periods (although their dark colour help them to warm up faster).

Front 46

What is the lower lethal temperature of amphibian species strongly related to?

Back 46

Latitudinal distribution.

Front 47

Amphibians do not drink, how is the water exchange happens and what other adaptations did evolve to conserve water?

Back 47

Water is exchanged through the skin and in lungs- cuteneous respiration.
Excretion of concentrated urine or uric acid in terrestrial sp.
Urinary bladder can serve as a water store.

Front 48

How do amphibians conserve water?

Back 48

Excretion of dilute urine;
Avoid exposure to the sun, live and hide in moist shelters;
Reduce surface area by compacting resting posture.

Front 49

In amphibians what are the two ways the tongue can be propelled out of the mouth?

Back 49

By muscular activity or a flip-type action (or both).

Front 50

Why do lungless salamanders can propel their tongue further than frogs?

Back 50

Because their lung muscles have evolved into very powerful muscles that project an elongated tongue forward.

Front 51

Name some defences of amphibians from predators?

Back 51

Concealing colours and shapes;
Disruptive colours;
Confusing colours ('flash coloration'by frogs);
Enlarging the body;
Pretend to be something bigger;
Aposematic colouration (bright, poisonous frogs).

Front 52

Name some of the traits that frogs use in male-male competition for a females.

Back 52

Size, teeth on a lower jaw, spines in the upper jaw.

Front 53

Name three main reproductive strategies of amphibians.

Back 53

1. Lay aquatic eggs, metamorphose into larvae, metamorphose into small adults;
2. Lay terrestrial eggs, hatch out at small adults (direct development);
3. Viviparous.

Front 54

Name some strategies of amphibian parental care.

Back 54

Making foam nest (tree frogs);
Carrying eggs between hind legs (Midwife toads);
Moving their tadpoles around from pool to pool on their back (poison frogs);
Possession of dorsal brood pouch for fertilisation and incubation of eggs (marsupial frogs);
Laying true eggs, internal fertilisation, developing of the eggs in the oviduct of a female, first the yolk is used up and then tadpoles eat uterine milk from the oviduct of a female;
Providing additional food for the young by caecilians (skin).