Deuterostome Animals

Flashcards related to the key concepts, definitions, and characteristics of Deuterostome animals and their classification.

Deuterostomes

A clade of animals characterized by their developmental patterns including radial cleavage, blastopore becomes the anus, and coelom development.

Echinoderms

Marine animals such as sea stars and sea urchins, known for their pentaradial symmetry and internal skeletons formed from calcified plates.

Hemichordates

Marine animals related to echinoderms, including acorn worms and pterobranchs, characterized by a three-part body plan.

Chordates

A group of animals that includes sea squirts, lancelets, and vertebrates, defined by features such as a notochord and dorsal hollow nerve cord.

Blastopore

An opening that forms in the early stages of embryonic development, which becomes the anus in deuterostomes.

Notochord

A flexible, rod-shaped structure that provides support in chordate embryos, which is replaced by the vertebral column in vertebrates.

Pentaradial symmetry

A body plan design where the organism can be divided into five equal parts, typical of adult echinoderms.

Water vascular system

A network of water-filled canals in echinoderms used for locomotion, gas exchange, and feeding.

Tube feet

Small, flexible appendages used by echinoderms for movement and capturing prey, controlled by the water vascular system.

Amniotic egg

An egg that contains a protective fluid-filled membrane, allowing for development in terrestrial environments.

Viviparity

A reproductive mode in which embryos develop inside the mother and are born live, instead of hatching from eggs.

Neoteny

A phenomenon where the juvenile characteristics of an organism are retained in its adult form, significant in human evolution.

Hominins

The group consisting of modern humans, extinct human species, and all our immediate ancestors.

Paleoanthropology

The study of ancient humans and their relatives through the examination of fossils and artifacts.

Tetrapods

Vertebrates that have four limbs, including amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals.

Convergent evolution

The process by which unrelated organisms independently develop similar traits as a result of adapting to similar environments.