TASK 1: VOCABULARY LIST Number Word 1. 2. 3. Astonishingly High-pitched Leaf litter Meaning Extremely surprising or impressive or amazing.

A high-pitched voice or sound is very high. Decomposing but recognizable leaves and other debris forming a layer on top of the soil, especially in forests. 4. Haul i) A quantity of something that has been stolen or is possessed illegally. ii) The amount of fish caught when fishing with a net.

5. 6.

Minute Contender

Extremely small Someone or something that is in competition with other people or things.

7.

Rash

Acting or done without careful consideration of the possible consequences; impetuous.

8. 9.

Diminutive vertebrates Evolved

Extremely or unusually small vertebrates. If an animal or plant evolves, it changes gradually over a long period of time

10.

Abundance

A very large quantity of something

11.

Mites

A minute arachnid which has four pairs of legs when adult, related to the ticks. Many kinds live in the soil and a number are parasitic on plants or animals.

12.

Niche

i)

A comfortable or suitable position in life or employment.

ii)

A role taken by a type of organism within its community.

13.

Continents

Any of the worlds main continuous expanses of land (Europe, Asia, Africa, North and South America, Australia, Antarctica)

14.

Herpetologist

Researchers from the branch of zoology concerned with reptiles and amphibians.

15. 16. 17.

Bypass Entirely Larvae

Go past or round. Completely and in every possible way. i) The active immature form of an insect, especially one that differs greatly from the adult and forms the stage between egg and pupa, e.g. a caterpillar or grub. ii) An immature form of other animals that undergo some metamorphosis, e.g. a tadpole.

18. 19.

Midget Bizarrely

Very small. Very strange or unusual.

20.

Appendages

A projecting part of an invertebrate or other living organism, with a distinct appearance or function.

21.

Flanges

A projecting flat rim, collar, or rib on an object, serving for strengthening or attachment or (on a wheel) for maintaining position on a rail.

22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27.

Truncated Constraints Derive Compensate Etruscan Pygmy shrew

To make something shorter. A limitation or restriction. Arise from or originate in (a specified source) To replace or balance the effect of something bad. A native of ancient Etruria. A shrew (a small mouse-like insectivorous mammal with a long pointed snout and tiny eyes) which is one of the smallest known mammals.

28.

Dwarf

Denoting something, especially an animal or plant, which is much smaller than the usual size for its type or species.

29.

Gecko

A nocturnal and often highly vocal lizard which has adhesive pads on the feet to assist in climbing on smooth surfaces. It is widespread in warm regions.

30. 31.

Spout Anus

The long nose of some kinds of animals, such as pigs The opening at the end of the alimentary canal through which solid waste matter leaves the body.

32. 33.

Desiccation Fundamental

The process of becoming completely dry. Relating to the most basic and important parts of

something. 34. Tricky Something that is difficult to deal with or do because it is complicated and full of problems. 35. 36. Offspring Reduction An animal's baby or babies A decrease in the size, price, or amount of something, or the act of decreasing something. 37. 38. Cavity Indication A hole or space inside something. A sign, remark, event etc that shows what is happening, what someone is thinking or feeling, or what is true. 39. Counterparts Someone or something that has the same job or purpose as someone or something else in a different place. 40. Despite Used to say that something happens or is true even though something else might have prevented it. 41. Limbs An arm or leg of a person or four-legged animal, or a birds wing. 42. Ichthyologists Researchers from the branch of zoology that deals with fishes. 43. 44. 45. Metric Angler Anatomical Relating to or based on the metre as a unit of length. Someone who catches fish as a sport. Relating to the structure of human or animal bodies.

Task 2: Identification of main idea. Thesis Statement: Some astonishingly small animals been discovered recently, but could there even smaller vertebrates out there waiting to be found and can they get even smaller? Point 1: From fish and frogs to lizards and snakes, biologists have found examples of extreme miniaturization. Different factors may have driven the evolution of different kinds of animals. Point 2: The simplest way to remain small is to stop growing earlier. The tiniest animal go a step further: they often stop developing early too, meaning some adult features never form. Point 3: There is a limit to how a body can shrink, though. Many of the constraints derive from the fact that for any given shape, the ratio of surface area to volume increases with decreasing size. This is a major issue for warm-blooded birds and mammals: the smaller they get, the faster they lose heat, so they have to generate heat faster to compensate. Point 4: The upshot is that an organ in a small animal is usually larger relative to its size than in big animal. It then becomes increasingly tricky to fit everything they need inside the body especially offspring.

Task 3: Summary Some astonishingly small animals been discovered recently, but could there even smaller vertebrates out there waiting to be found and can they get even smaller? From fish and frogs to lizards and snakes, biologists have found examples of extreme miniaturization. Different factors may have driven the evolution of different kinds of animals. For the tiny fish live in swamps, and it is thought their size enables them to survive in small pools during dry periods. However, the major driving factors in the evolution of small body size in the tiny frogs from Papua New Guinea is an abundance of really small prey. The simplest way to remain small is to stop growing earlier. The tiniest animal go a step further, they often stop developing early too, meaning some adult features never form. For example, some mini frogs bypass one or more steps during their early development. For some tiny freshwater carp from Sumatra in Indonesia also missing dozens of bones that would normally appear late in development. Becoming larval given them more freedom developmentally to do things with their skeleton those others cant. There is a limit to how a body can shrink, though. Many of the constraints derive from the fact that for any given shape, the ratio of surface area to volume increases with decreasing size. This is a major issue for warmblooded birds and mammals which the smaller they get, the faster they lose heat, so they have to generate heat faster to compensate. For cold-blooded creatures, water loss is been used for the same method. The upshot is that an organ in a small animal is usually larger relative to its size than in big animal. It then becomes increasingly tricky to fit everything they need inside the body especially offspring. All the considerations suggest that while there might be even smaller vertebrates waiting to be discovered, they are unlikely to be much smaller. Biologists are still arguing about which of the known vertebrates hold the record. Still, we should wait before awarding prizes. The frog might be least, but its probably not the last.

Task 4: Reflection In my opinion, the discipline of science will grow rapidly through new discoveries by researchers. Therefore, the new discovery about the smallest animals is able to enhance and expand knowledge related to their fields including biology, anatomy, herpetology, ichthyologist and others. Discovery is something we have learned, not something we have created or invented. So by developing the new discovery, it is really worthy and have changed either what we know about the world or enabled us to live better lives. This research also showed us unique in nature still exists as a new evolution that has been discovered.