Chordates

HowdidtheyEvolve
Chordatespecieshavechangedgreatlyovergeologicaltime.Anexampleofan
adaptionwouldbethedevelopmentofthejaw,ofpairedappendages,includingpectoral
andpelvicfinorlimbgirdles.Adaptiveradiationcontributestoproducenewspeciesthat
areverysimilarinlooksandbehavior,buttheyarenotcloselyrelatedwhatsoever.
Whenthishappensatrendiscreatedwhichiscalledconvergentevolution.

Howdotheymaintainbodytemp?
Chordatesthatarecoldbloodedmaintaintheirbodytemperaturebymovingtothe
areasthatfitstheirneeds.Forexample,ifacoldbloodedanimalishot,itwillmovetoa
shady,colderarea.Ifitthengetscold,thenitwillmostlikelymovetoasunny,warm
area.Mostwarmbloodedchordatesmaintaintheirbodyheatbyregulatingmetabolic
processes.Therearemanyothermethodsofthermoregulationamongwarmblooded
chordates

HowdoChordatesfeed,respire,excrete,circulate,moveandrespond?
Feeding
Manychordatesarefilterfeeders,theseincludetunicatesandalllancelets.
Vertebratesareadaptedforfeedingonmuchwiderassortmentoffoods,thisincludes
insectstolargemammals.Itcanalsoincludeleaves,fruits,andseeds.Manymammal
chordateshavesharpteethlikeacanineandincisorsthathelpthemtearandsliceup
theirfood.
Respire
Aquaticchordatesusuallyusegillsforrespiration.Landvertebratesuselungs
forrespiration.Althoughsomechordatesusebothgillsandlungs.
Excrete
Innonvertebratechordatesgillsandgillslitsareanimportantfeaturewhenit
comestoexcretion.Manyvertebrateshoweverusekidneys,andexcretoryorgans
composedofsmallfilteringtubesthatremovewastefromtheblood.Intunicateswaste
leavesthebodythroughtheoutflowsiphons.
Circulate
Chordatesthatusegillsforrespirationhaveasingleloopcirculatorysystem.
Thebloodtravelsfromthehearttothegills,thentotherestofthebody,andbackto
theheartinasingleloop.Vertebratesthatuselungstobreathhaveadoubleloop
circulatorysystem.Thefirstloopcarriesbloodbetweentheheartandlungs.Well
healthybloodfullofoxygencomingfromthelungsreturnstotheheart.Thesecondloop
carriesbloodfromtheheartandispumpedtothebody,whileoxygenpoorbloodfrom
thebodyreturnstotheheart.

Response
Nonvertebratechordatesgavearelativelysimplenervoussystemwitha
massofnervecellsthatformabrain.Vertebrateshaveamorecomplexbrainwitha
distinctregions,eachwithadifferentfunction.
Movement
Theskeletalsystemandmuscularsystemsupportsavertebratesbodyand
makeitpossibletocontrolmovement.Vertebrateshaveamucheasiertimemoving
thannonvertebratechordates.

Howfishfeed,respire,circulate,excrete,respond?
Feeding
Fishcanbeherbivores,carnivores,parasites,filterfeeders,anddetritus
feeders.Fisharenotlimitedtooneofthesecategories,somecanbemanyofthem
dependingonwhattypeoffoodisavailable.whenthefishconsumesfooditpasses
throughtheesophagustothestomachwhereitisbrokendownandmadeintoenergy.
Respire
mostfishusefeatherlikegillslocatedbehindtheirheadoneithersideofthe
body.theyusethislargesurfaceareatomaketheexchangeofofoxygenandcarbon
dioxide.thisexchangeprocesshappenswhenthefishpullinoxygenrichwaterthrough
theirgillsandpushoutthecarbondioxide.somefishsuchaslampreysandsharkshave
manygillopenings,howevermostfishhaveonlytwocoveredbyanoperculumbone.
otherfishhavelungsfromwhichoxygenissuppliedthroughthemouthandnotthrough
thegills.
thesefishneedtogotothesurfacetogetoxygeneverysooftensothattheydon't
suffocate.
Circulation
Fishhaveclosedcirculatorysystemsthatpumpsbloodaroundthebody
andthroughtheheart.theypumpbloodfromtheheartthroughthegillswheretheblood
isoxygenated.Thebloodisthensentaroundthebodytothebrain,muscles,and
digestivesystem.whenthebloodreturnsbacktotheheartitispumpedtothegills
wherethecarbondioxideisexpelledthroughtherespirationprocess.
Excrete
Fishesridthemselvesofnitrogenouswastethroughthegillsandintothe
surroundingwater.otherwasteisremovedthroughthekidneyswhichareusedtofilter
wastefromblood.kidneyshelpfishcontroltheamountofwaterintherebody,saltwater
fisheslosewaterbyosmosissotherekidneystrytoconcentratewasteandretainas
muchwateraspossible.freshwaterfishexcretetheirwastethroughurinetoretainas
muchwateraspossible,somefishcanliveinbothenvironmentsbychangingkidney
function.
Response
Fishhavewelldevelopednervoussystemsthatconsistofanolfactorybulb,
cerebrum,opticlobe,cerebellum,medullaoblongata,andspinalcord.Inadditionfish
haveanosetosmellwithandearsthattheycanthearwithsotheyusetheirlateral

linestosensevibrationsinthewater.thesevibrationscanalertthemtopotential
predatorsintheirvicinity.

Fishes
EcologyofFishes
Somefishesspendtheirlivesintheoceanandthenmovetofreshwatertobreed.Thosefishes
arecalledanadromous.Forexamplesalmonbegintheirlivesinrivers,afteronetofouryears
theygobacktowheretheywereborn.Thistriptakesuptoseveralmonths.Someotherfishgo
fromtheirhomesinfreshwaterandthenbreedintheocean.Thesearecalledcatadromous.
Someexamplesofcatadromousareeelswhichlivetheirlivesinriversandthengototheocean
tobreed.

GroupsofFishes/Characteristics

JawlessFish
:Jawlessfishesdonthaveteethorjaws.Lackvertebraeandkeeptheir
notochordsasadults.Theyaredividedintotwogroupslampreysandhagfishes.
Lampreysarefilterfeedersaslarvaeandparasitesasadults.Hagfisheshavepinkish
greyskin.Theyarewormlikeandhavetentaclesnearthemoutharea.
Chondrichthyes:
Consistsofsharks,rays,andmanydifferenttypesoftheirrelatives.
Theirstructuresarecreatedfromcartilagenotofbonesoranythingelse
BonyFish:
BonyfishobviouslyhaveabonyinfrastructureunlikeChondrichthyesor
Jawlessfish.Mostofallcommonfisharebony.

Amphibia
GroupsofAmphibians
Therearethreedifferentgroupsofamphibians.Therearesalamanders,frogsand
toads,andcaecilians.Mostpeopleknowwhatfrogs,toads,andsalamandersare,but
notmanypeopleknowwhatcaecilians.Caeciliansarelong,leglessanimalsthatlivein
waterorburrowinmoistsoil.

EcologyofAmphibians
Amphibianshavenofeathers,fur,orscalesthismakesthemeasypreyformammals
andbirds.Howeveramphibiansdohavedefensestotheirpredatorssuchas,
camouflage,brightcoloration,andaskinglandthatreleasesgrosstasting,poisonous
substance.Globalamphibianpopulationisdecliningandscientistaren'tcompletelysure
whythisishappening.


HowdidamphibiansEvolve
Thefirstamphibianstocruiselandweremostlikelysimilartomoderncoelacanth.In
ordertoadapttolandamphibiansneededmorethanjustlegs.Theyhavetobreathair,
protecttheireggsfromdryingout,andtheyhadtosupportthemselves.

HowdotheyMaintainBodyHeat
Amphibiansarecoldbloodedsotheychangebodytemperaturedependingontheir
surroundings.Oftenwhentheyaretoohottheygoforaswimandcooldowninthe
water.Oncetheystartgettingcoldinthewater,theymightfindasunnyspottowarm
themselvesup.