Vertebrates

Vertebrates:

General Description of Group:

•   Multicellular

•   Eukaryotic

•   notochord and a spinal cord, spinal column, The skeleton is an endoskeleton--on the inside of soft tissue acting as an armature, rather than on the outside--like on insects--like armor.

•   Heterotrophic

•   Sexually

Defining Characteristics of group:

•   A dorsal hollow nerve chord (a bundle of nerves that runs along the back side of the animal as opposed to the ventral or belly side)

2. notochord (what becomes the vertebra in vertebrates but is simply a stiff but movable "rod" in other chordates)

3. pharyngeal slits (slits in the pharynx or throat, only present in many chordates in the embryonic stages)

4. endostyle or thyroid (vertebrates have a thyroid, all other chordates have an endostyle. they both do the same basic thing only a thyroid has some functions an endostyle does not)

5. post anal tail (exactly what it sounds like. obviously many chordates only have this in the embryonic stages as well. humans have one but grow out of it very early in gestation)

Evolutionary Adaptations

•   Survive on land

•   Breath are (lungs)

•   Limbs to move

•   Jaws to break down food

•   Regulate internal temp

Ecological importance

•   Replace nutrients on soil when passed away

•   Keep popu;ation of animals down to reduce over pop                        

Example of kingdom

•    Flamingo (Phoenicopterus)Found in tropical and suptropic

•   Six different species

•   19 bones in neck

•   Colors come from diet

•   On one leg to reduce amount of body heat in cold water

•   Males and females feed yound with milk

•   The name flamingo comes form latin word flamenco meaning fire, and refers to the bring color

•   Fungi

•   Multicellular

•   Eukaryotic

•   Non-vascular

•   Spores spread by wind

•   Sexual and asexual

•   Decomposers