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22.2 Animal Diversity

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31 views5 pages

22.2 Animal Diversity

Uploaded by

gamerahmad576
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Ch:22 L:2 Animal Diversity

Main Ideas:

• Each animal phylum has a unique body plan.


• Animals are grouped using a variety of criteria.
• A comparison of structure and genetics reveals the evolutionary history of animals.

Each animal phylum has a unique body plan.


Vertebrates are animals with an internal, segmented backbone. Humans and other familiar
animals (e.g., mammals, birds, fish, reptiles, amphibians). Invertebrates are animals without
backbones. Includes insects, mollusks, crustaceans, worms, and more.

Animal Phyla
Phylum is a group of animals defined by unique structural and functional characteristics that are
different from every other animal phylum. It represents a distinct body plan for multicellular
animals. Every phylum has its own set of unique anatomical features. These characteristics
differentiate one phylum from another.

Homeobox Genes and Body Plans


Animals have different body plans, which are evident in features like fins (fish), wings (birds), and
legs (squirrels). These differences result from variations in the expression of homeobox (Hox)
genes. Hox genes instruct embryonic cells on their location in the body (head, midsection, tail).
They trigger a chain reaction that activates other genes, determining features like limb placement,
eye count, and gut position. Mutations in Hox genes can drastically change an animal’s body plan.
Mutations in Hox genes are believed to have contributed to the immense diversity of animal
species. These genes acted as a "toolkit," driving changes in animal bodies through duplication
and loss of genes over time. All known animal phyla first appeared during the Cambrian explosion
(~540 million years ago). The explosion may have been triggered by a rise in atmospheric oxygen
levels (~700 million years ago), allowing animals to become more active and fill complex
ecosystems. Early animals like sponges had at least one Hox gene, while more complex animals
like arthropods have eight. Over time, mutations caused the original Hox gene to duplicate, with
one copy maintaining its function and the other mutating to adopt new roles.
How are Hox genes related to the diversity of body plans?
• Because Hox genes regulate the formation of segments or parts of a body, a mutation of
such a gene could cause dramatic variation of a body plan. Over time, these forms could
be selected for, leading to diversification and speciation.

Animals are grouped using a variety of criteria.


Body Plan Symmetry
Animals with bilateral symmetry can be divided equally along one plane, creating mirror-image
sides. Common in active animals that move in one direction. Animals with radial symmetry have
body parts arranged in a circle around a central axis. Bilateral animals have anterior (head) and
posterior (tail) ends. These animals also have dorsal (back side) and ventral (belly side). Movement
structures, like legs, are often located on the ventral surface. Active hunters have a concentrated
head region with nervous tissue (brain) and sensory organs, such as eyes.

Tissue Layers
Triploblastic animals (bilateral animals) have three tissue layers which are ectoderm, mesoderm,
and endoderm. Ectoderm an outer layer; develops into skin, brain, and nervous system. Mesoderm
a middle layer; develops into internal tissues and organs. The mesoderm enables the evolution of
complex organ systems. Endoderm an inner layer; lines the animal gut. Diploblastic animals (radial
animals) have only two tissue layers which are ectoderm and endoderm. Lack a mesoderm, which
means they cannot develop complex internal tissues and organs.

Developmental Patterns
First opening of the digestive cavity: In protostomes, the mouth develops first, and the anus
develops second. In deuterostomes, the anus develops first, and the mouth develops second.
Gut Cavity Formation: In protostomes, the gut cavity forms from separations in the mesoderm.
In deuterostomes, the gut cavity forms from pouches in the gut tube.

Cleavage Pattern: In protostomes, early cell divisions form an eight-celled embryo in a spiral
cleavage pattern (cells twist). In deuterostomes, early cell divisions form an eight-celled embryo
with radial cleavage (cells align one on top of the other).

Is the symmetry of the human body bilateral or radial?


• Bilateral
How does the development of protostomes and deuterostomes differ?
• protostome: spiral cleavage pattern, and the first opening of the digestive cavity
(blastopore) becomes the mouth; deuterostome: radial cleavage pattern, and the first
opening in the gut becomes the anus.

A comparison of structure and genetics reveals the evolutionary history of


animals.
Sponges lack tissues, simplest animals. Animals with two tissue layers are jellyfish and corals.
Radial symmetry, found in simpler animals (e.g., jellyfish). Bilateral symmetry, found in more
complex animals. Protostomes divided into two groups: Lophotrochozoa, includes flatworms,
annelids, and mollusks. Have a specialized feeding structure (hollow tentacles) or a free-swimming
ciliated larval form. Ecdysozoa, includes roundworms and arthropods. Shed their outer skin to
grow (molting). Deuterostomes includes: Echinodermata, examples are sea stars and sand dollars.
Chordata, examples are birds, mammals, and all vertebrates (including humans). Humans, as
members of the Chordata, are deuterostomes.

Which phylum is most closely related to humans, who belong to phylum


Chordata?
• Echinodermata
Unexpected Evolutionary Relationships
Roundworms and earthworms were previously grouped due to similar appearance and simple
structures. Roundworms are now understood to be more closely related to insects and arthropods
than to earthworms. Earthworms and arthropods evolved segmentation independently and are not
closely related. Acoelomorpha: Retained a simple form due to early evolution during animal
radiation. Platyhelminthes: Simplified from more complex ancestors. Similar traits in animals may
have evolved at different times, indicating convergent evolution. Animal forms can change more
dramatically than previously thought. Supports Hyman’s hypothesis: animal groups evolved
through branching from earlier groups rather than directly from a single common ancestor.

Unanswered Questions in Systematics


The current evolutionary tree for invertebrates is a work in progress and subject to change.
Systematics, the study of life's diversity and relationships, evolves as new information emerges.
Advances in molecular technologies will improve our understanding of evolutionary relationships.
Many unanswered questions about invertebrate evolution remain. Studying more species will help
refine the evolutionary tree.

What evidence was used to reorganize the animal kingdom?


• Comparisons of ribosomal DNA and Hox genes
Formative Assessment

What is the main difference between vertebrate and invertebrate body plans?
• Invertebrates have no backbone; vertebrates do.

List and describe the differences among the three criteria used to distinguish
between different animal groups.
• Bilateral versus radial symmetry: body is symmetrical along the length of the animal or
body plan is arranged in a circle around a central axis; two tissue layers versus three;
deuterostome versus protostome development: first opening of digestive cavity becomes
anus; first opening becomes mouth.

What evidence is used to create the phylogenetic tree for animals?


• Evidence includes comparative anatomy, developmental patterns, and analysis of
ribosomal DNA and Hox genes.

Scientists’ view of animal relationships has changed since the mid-1900s. What
development led to this change in scientists’ understanding of the relationships
among animals?
• Advances in molecular studies let scientists take a closer look at the relationships among
phyla by comparing ribosomal DNA and Hox genes.

Think again about animals, and list five invertebrates that might live in your
neighborhood. To which phylum does each invertebrate belong?
• Insects and spiders (Arthropoda), earthworms (Annelida), and snails and slugs (Mollusca)

Summary
More than 95 percent of all animal species are invertebrates. Each animal phylum has a unique
body plan. Scientists have constructed an invertebrate phylogenetic tree supported by anatomy
comparisons and molecular evidence.

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