Late Paleozoic Flashcards
(37 cards)
What is categorized in the Carboniferous?
Mississippian and Pennsylvanian
When does the Paleozoic end?
At the end of the PERMIAN
What was the oldest fish on Earth? What is unique about them?
AMPHIOXUS
Are jawless fish, incapable of biting, not great at being predators
Came after Pikaia
What happened at the start of the Devonian regarding fish types?
New types of fish emerge with the very first JAWS
How did jaws develop?
Jaws developed from gill arches which consist of small bones that support each gill
These arches fused and hinged to form the jawbone
What’s the difference between SHARKS and the JAWLESS FISH?
Sharks have 3 LESS gill arches and 2 LESS gills compared to the jawless fish
Used the gill arches and gills to form the jaw
Do all chordates (animals with spinal chord) have gills and gill arches?
YES
During the EMBRYONIC stage, dissapears during development
How did humans use their gills and gill arches?
Humans have gill arches that are repurposed to our ear bones, jaw, and neck
Gill arches fuse together, sealing the gills
LEAVES BEHIND REMANENT OF A GILL AS AN EAR PIT
What are the two main types of JAWED FISH?
BONY FISH (Fish)
CARTILAGINOUS FISH (Sharks, Stingrays)
What are cartilaginous fish?
Have a skeleton that consists of cartilage, rather than bone
Ex. SHARKS
What is so unique about sharks?
FIRST animals to have discrete mineralized teeth that could be preserved, no actual bones to preserve besides teeth
What are bony fish? Some innovations?
Use of bones instead of cartilage
Having a SWIM BLADDER filled with gas and helps maintain buoyancy in the ocean
Who were the first animals to have ribs?
Bony fish were the FIRST animals to have ribs
What is the innovation of swim bladders from fish/
LUNGS for breathing air, lunges developed by adding more surface area and blood vessels to the swim bladder
What are lungfish?
Was probably the first to step out onto land
CAPABLE OF USING GILLS OR LUNGS
What are the two primary types of BONE FISH?
(LUNG FISH) Lobe-finned fish = fleshy lobes for fins
(TYPICAL FISH) Ray-finned fish = fins with bony rays
Where did 4-legged animals come from?
FISH SIMILAR TO THE LUNGFISH WITH LOBE-LIKE FINS
Modifying a lobe-finned fish into an amphibian requires very little change since their anatomy is very similar
What needs to be done for fins on a lobe-finned fish to become amphibian arms?
NOTHING
All the bones necessary for an amphibian arm are present within the fin of the lobe fish
ONLY SPECIALIZATION OF THE FIN BONES IS NECESSARY
What is the final step to create the earliest land animals aka amphibians?
REDUCTION OF FINGER BONES
ALL modern amphibians have 5 or fewer digits
What are the evolutionary traits that fish evolved into to create amphibians?
- Gills and gill arches fuse to create the jaw, ear bones, and neck
- Creation of ribs, first animals to have ribs
- The creation of the swim bladder that later became the lungs
- Creation of amphibian arms from the fin of the lobe-finned fish
- The reduction of finger bones to 5 or less digits
What are the likely origins of early plant life?
ALGAE
Algae make up a major coastal component today and could easily leap to land
What was the major problem for sea plants moving to land and surviving? How did they solve this?
THE AVAILABILITY OF WATER
Plants had solved this problem with ROOTS
How did plants use their roots to survive?
Plants can transport water up through their roots and stem
THEY HAVE A VASCULAR SYSTEM BECAUSE OF THE ROOTS
Takes water from the ground and sends it up
What are the many traits that sea plants acquire to survive on land?
Roots to transport water
Waxy coating to prevent water from entering or leaving the plant (prevents them drying out)
Creation of stomata, little holes in the leaf, that can keep or release gas or water (hot sunny, holes close to preserve water)
