Name : __________________________

Highlight /under lined this handout and do the Class/No : ___________/______________

assignment on page 2!
Evolution of Vertebrates
Believe it or not, because of certain characteristics, you are related not only to other mammals like dogs, zebras and
rabbits, but you are also related to things like fish, snakes and salamanders!

In fact, all animals that have a backbone are vertebrates. This means that all of the animals just mentioned fall into the
same category as humans because they all have a backbone made of vertebrae, which is where the term 'vertebrate'
comes from.

As you can see, the vertebrates make up a diverse group of animals representing many
different shapes, sizes, colors, habitats and ecosystems. But clearly we are all different from
each other; otherwise you wouldn't be able to tell your sister or brother apart from a zebra
or a fish. However, there are some similarities that allow us to see how we are all related,
even if it doesn't look like it on the outside.

All vertebrates are chordates, which is a group of animals that have a nerve cord in their vertebrae. Some vertebrates
features are present only at certain life stages.

Body temperature
Having warm blood;applied especially to those animals, as Aves and Mammals, which have warm blood, or, more
properly, the power of maintaining a nearly uniform temperature whatever the temperature of the surrounding air is.
Pisces, Amphibians, and Reptilians are cold-blooded animals, whose body temperature follows the variations in
temperature of the surrounding.

Fertilization
There are two basic ways in which egg cells and sperm cells are brought together: 1) external fertilization, in which both
types of gametes are shed into water and the sperm swim or are carried by currents to the eggs; and 2) internal
fertilization, in which the eggs are retained within the reproductive tract of the female until after they have been
fertilized by sperm inserted into the female by the male.

External Fertilization
External fertilization is limited essentially to animals living in aquatic environments. The flagellated sperm must have
fluid in which to swim, and the eggs lack a protective coat or shell (so that sperm can penetrate and fertilize them), and
would dry out in the air. Almost all aquatic invertebrates, most fish, and many amphibians use external fertilization.
However, shedding eggs and sperm into the water is an uncertain method of fertilization: many of the sperm never
locate an egg, and many eggs are never fertilized, even if both types of gametes are shed at the same time and in the
same place, as is usually the case. Consequently, animals using external fertilization generally release vast numbers of
eggs and sperm at one time.

Internal Fertilization
Most land animals, both invertebrate and vertebrate, use internal fertilization. In effect, the sperm cells are provided
with the sort of fluid environment that is no longer available to them outside the animals bodies. The sperm can remain
aquatic, swimming through the film of fluid present on the walls of the female reproductive tract. Once fertilized, the
egg is either enclosed in a protective shell and released by the female, or held within the females body until the
embryonic stages of development have been completed.

Animal Diversity /Handout/Biology-SMP7/ira/2016-2017/Page 1 of 2

All of the information above is taken from these websites with a little modification. You may access them for a further
study if you want.

http://study.com/academy/lesson/vertebrates-characteristics-and-diversity.html
http://form2notes.blogspot.co.id/2010/11/science-form-2-biodiversity.html?m=1
https://www.kullabs.com/classes/subjects/units/lessons/notes/note-detail/523
http://www.biology-online.com
https://www.biog1445.org/demo/08/fertilization.html

Assignments (group)
1. Create 10 multiple choices questions
2. Create 10 short answers questions
3. Create 2 free responses questions
4. Create the answer keys for all of the above
5. Submit the results to Ms.Ira's email today with full identity of all members and POLITE EMAIL.

Animal Diversity /Handout/Biology-SMP7/ira/2016-2017/Page 2 of 2