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Understanding Animal Diversity and Classification

Jun 5, 2025

Lecture on Animal Diversity

Overview

  • Discuss the subdivisions of animal diversity
  • Key aspects: Symmetry, tissue layers, celiums
  • Reading phylogenetic trees
  • Major animal groups

Phylogenetic Trees

  • Timeline of organism evolution
  • Multi-cellular common ancestors
  • Common ancestors found at points of divergence
  • Determine relation by counting shared common ancestors
  • Example: Mollusks vs. annelids vs. arthropods

Classification by Symmetry

  1. Asymmetry
    • Only found in sponges (Phylum: Peripheria)
    • Characteristics: No true tissues, two cell layers, no celium, sessile
  2. Radial Symmetry
    • Found in jellyfish, sea anemones (Phylum: Cnidaria)
    • Characteristics: Sense in multiple directions, two tissue layers, hydrostatic skeleton, no celium
  3. Bilateral Symmetry
    • Most animals, complex organisms
    • Characteristics: Cephalization, three tissue layers, celium

Tissue Layers

  1. Diploblasts (e.g., Cnidaria)
    • Two tissue layers: Endoderm and ectoderm
  2. Triploblasts
    • Three tissue layers: Endoderm, mesoderm, ectoderm
    • Mesoderm allows for specialized organs

Celiums

  • Acoelomates: No body cavity, organs within tissues (e.g., flatworms)
  • Pseudocoelomates: Unstable cavity, more complex organs (e.g., roundworms)
  • Coelomates: True body cavity, independent organs (e.g., most complex animals)

Advantages of Coelom

  • Larger, more complex organs
  • Independent organ growth and repair
  • Diverse diet, adaptability to environments

Major Animal Phyla

  1. Porifera (Sponges)
    • Simplest animals, filter feeders, sessile, two cell layers
  2. Cnidaria (Jellyfish, Corals, Sea Anemones)
    • Diploblastic, stinging cells (nematocysts), two body forms: Medusa & polyp
  3. Platyhelminthes (Flatworms)
    • Simplified systems, cephalization, acoelomate
  4. Annelida (Segmented Worms)
    • Hydrostatic skeleton, need moisture, triploblastic with celium
  5. Arthropoda (Insects, Spiders, Crabs)
    • Exoskeleton, most successful, triploblastic, cephalization
  6. Chordata (Birds, Fish, Mammals)
    • Endoskeleton, spinal cord, advanced cephalization, triploblastic

Summary

  • Importance of terminology
  • Review and repetition for understanding

Study Tip: Focus on understanding the terminology and the hierarchical structure of animal classification based on symmetry, tissue layers, and celiums.