bio exam crud

Ancestral deuterostomes

Organisms like echinoderms, characterized by spiny skin and a water vascular system.

Echinoderms

A class of marine animals, including sea stars, sand dollars, and sea cucumbers.

Water vascular system

A network of fluid-filled canals used for locomotion and feeding in echinoderms.

Tube feet

Fluid-filled appendages used for movement and feeding by echinoderms.

Chordate animals

All animals that possess a notochord at some stage in their life cycle.

Notochord

A flexible rod made of cartilage that provides support in chordate embryos.

Dorsal hollow nerve chord

A nerve chord in vertebrates that develops into the central nervous system.

Pharyngeal slits

Slits in the neck region used for respiration, characteristic of chordates.

Lancelets

Small, fish-like chordates that retain features of the basic chordate structure.

Urochordates

Tunicates, including sea squirts, that show chordate features only in their larval stage.

Craniates

Chordates that have developed a head with a brain and sensory organs.

Myxini

A class of craniates that includes hagfish, known for their slime production.

Petromyzontida

Class of jawless fish known as lampreys, which are parasitic.

Chondrichthyes

Class of fish that includes sharks and rays, characterized by cartilaginous skeletons.

Neurocranium

The part of the skull that encloses the brain.

Actinopterygii

Class of ray-finned fishes that is the most diverse and successful group of fish.

Actinistia

A group of ancient lobe-finned fishes, including the coelacanth.

Dipnoi

Lungfish that can survive on land due to their ability to breathe air.

Tetrapods

Four-limbed vertebrates, which include amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals.

Amphibia

Class of tetrapods that includes frogs, toads, and salamanders, with a life cycle that includes aquatic larvae.

Amniotic egg

An egg with protective membranes that allows reptiles and mammals to reproduce away from water.

Chorion

One of the membranes in the amniotic egg, involved in respiration for the embryo.

Mammals

Warm-blooded vertebrates characterized by the presence of hair and mammary glands.

Modified dentition

Differentiated teeth adapted to specific feeding modes in mammals.

PCR (polymerase chain reaction)

A technique used to amplify segments of DNA for analysis.

Neal Shubin

A paleontologist known for discovering the transitional species Tiktaalik.

Tiktaalik

A transitional species with features of both fish and early tetrapods.

Sonic hedgehog gene

A key gene involved in the development of limbs in vertebrates.

Ears and hearing in mammals

Bones in the inner ear evolved from jaw bones in reptiles, aiding in hearing frequencies.

Evolution of flight in birds

Bird flight evolved independently three times in different groups.

Invasive species

Non-native species that negatively impact local ecosystems, exemplified by lampreys in the Great Lakes.

Scavengers

Organisms that consume dead organic material, such as hagfish.

Tetrapod evolution

The transition from aquatic life to terrestrial life in four-limbed vertebrates.

Hagfish defense mechanism

Secrete large amounts of slime as a defense against predators.

Metamorphosis in amphibians

The transformation from aquatic tadpoles to terrestrial adults in frogs.

Engulfing prey

How predators such as sharks utilize their jaws to capture food.

Lungfish adaptation

Ability to survive prolonged periods outside of water by secreting mucus.

Phenotypic plasticity

The ability of an organism to change its phenotype in response to environmental conditions.

Fossil data

Information derived from preserved remains of organisms used to study evolutionary relationships.

Embryological development

Study of the development of embryos to understand evolutionary connections among species.

Anatomical data

Comparative body structures used to infer evolutionary relationships among groups.

Gene expression studies

Research into how genes are turned on and off during development, impacting morphology.

Comparison with other species

Analyzing traits across different species to determine evolutionary lineage.

Evolutionary biology

Field of study that seeks to understand the processes driving the diversity of life.

Scales of fishes

Dermal structures that provide protection and reduce drag in aquatic environments.

Innate behaviors in animals

Natural behaviors developed through evolutionary processes to enhance survival.