Animal Classification

Animal Classification Unit Two – God’s Living Creation Chapter Five – Animal Classification

Animal ClassificationIntroduction • One of the most distinguishing characteristics of animals is whether or not they have backbones. • Invertebrates – animals without backbones • Vertebrates – animals with backbones

Animal ClassificationInvertebrates • There are more invertebrates than vertebrates. • 95% of animals are invertebrates. • Scientists split invertebrates into smaller groups based on their unique characteristics.

Animal ClassificationInvertebrates – Sponges and Stinging Animals • Sponges • The water goes through tiny pores (holes) in the outside of the sponge. When the water flows through the sponge, the sponge extracts nutrients and small organisms that it needs. • Jellyfish • Nematocysts – tiny stinging organelles used to capture food • Sea anemones • Corals • The Great Barrier Reef is the largest coral reef system in the world.

Animal ClassificationInvertebrates – Mollusks • Mollusks – animals that have soft bodies and mantles (special parts that form a shell) • Snails, oysters, clams • Bivalve – animal with two shells • Clams, mussels, oysters • Gastropods – “stomach footed” • Univalve – animal with only one shell • Snail

Animal ClassificationInvertebrates – Mollusks • Slug – mollusk without a shell • Nudibranchs – a type of slug found in the ocean • Cephalopods – moves with a jetlike motion by forcing water through a tube in its body • Squids, octopuses, chambered nautilus

Animal ClassificationInvertebrates – Echinoderms • Radial symmetry – equal parts radiate from the center • The bodies of echinoderms are shaped like the spokes of a bicycle wheel. Each of the spokes is the same. All echinoderms live in water and move around by using thousands of little tube feet. • Sea stars (starfish), sea urchins, sand dollars • Filter feeders – eat whatever comes floating through the water

Animal ClassificationInvertebrates – Echinoderms (continued) • Characteristics of Echinoderms • Have hard skeletons • Protect themselves in different ways • Spines on their bodies • Hide in cracks • Use camouflage • Break off its own arm and grow another

Animal ClassificationInvertebrates – Flatworms • Bilateral symmetry – can be divided down the middle and be the same on each side • Flatworms are either: • Parasitic – live on or in other living organisms (hosts); depend on their hosts for nourishment • Free-living – independent of other organisms • Planarians

Animal ClassificationInvertebrates – Roundworms • Smooth and round • Can be parasites or free-living • Roundworms help decompose dead organisms, and therefore, help fertilize the soil.

Animal ClassificationInvertebrates – Segmented Worms • Annelid – segmented worm • Segments – similar pieces • Setae – hairlike structures that worms use to move • Leeches • Suck blood only from the outside

Animal ClassificationInvertebrates – Segmented Worms (continued) • Sea worms • Earthworms • Burrow around and make holes for air to get into the soil • The air helps plants in the soil to grow. • Break down complex plant matter into nutrients that the plants around it can use.

Animal ClassificationInvertebrates – Arthropods • Arthropod – “jointed foot” • Jointed legs and segmented bodies • Exoskeleton – an outer hard covering that protects the animal • Molt – a process of shedding the exoskeleton in order to grow a new one and continue growing

Animal ClassificationInvertebrates – Arthropods – Crustaceans • Shrimp, lobsters, crabs • Characteristics of crustaceans • Have at least five pairs of jointed legs • Breathe through gills • Have some sort of claw

Animal ClassificationInvertebrates – Arthropods – Arachnids • Arachnids – have eight legs and two body segments • Spiders, scorpions, ticks, mites • Ticks • Parasitic • Use animals and humans as hosts • Their bites can spread diseases such as Rocky Mountain spotted fever and Lyme disease • Spiders • Most familiar arachnids • Spinnerets – silk-spinning organs in the back of spiders

Animal ClassificationInvertebrates – Arthropods – Centi & Millipedes • Have many body segments and many legs

Animal ClassificationInvertebrates – Arthropods – Insects • Have three body segments • Head, thorax, abdomen • Have three pairs of legs • Have two pairs of wings • Mouthparts • Beetles – chewing mouthparts • Mosquitoes – piercing and sucking mouthparts • Butterflies & Moths – siphoning mouthparts

Animal ClassificationInvertebrates – Arthropods – Insects (continued) • Metamorphosis – the process where an insect becomes an adult • Two types of metamorphosis • Incomplete metamorphosis – three stages • Eggs, nymph, adult • Complete metamorphosis – four stages • Egg, larva, pupa, adult

Animal ClassificationInvertebrates – Arthropods – Insects (continued) • Bible Integration • Proverbs 30:25-28 • Even God’s animals behave in such a way that glorifies God. We choose our behavior. Shouldn’t it be one that honors God?!

Animal ClassificationVertebrates • Invertebrates make up most of the species of the animal kingdom. • Vertebrates make up most of the size of the animal kingdom. • Vertebrates are able to grow larger than invertebrates because their backbone gives support for their greater weight. • Groups used to classify vertebrates • Fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals

Animal ClassificationVertebrates – Fish • All breathe through gills • Cold-blooded – find warmth or coolness from their environments • Grouped based on their skeletons – cartilage or bone

Animal ClassificationVertebrates – Fish – Cartilage fish • Sharks, rays, and skates • Cartilage – bonelike substance, but softer and more bendable than bone Animal ClassificationVertebrates – Fish – Bony fish • Have skeletons that are stronger and harder than cartilage fish • Bluegill, bass, trout, seahorse, eel

Animal ClassificationVertebrates – Amphibians • Cold-blooded • “Double life” – part in the water and part on land • Stages of frog metamorphosis • Egg – lay eggs in water • Larva – some eggs hatch into tadpoles • At the end of the larval stage, they lose their gills, grow legs, and move onto land • Adult

Animal ClassificationVertebrates – Amphibians (continued) • Frogs • Smooth skin • Always live near water • Large, powerful hind legs for jumping • Lay their eggs in clusters • Toads • Short legs – hop short distances • Nubby skin that makes them look like they have warts • Lay their eggs in long chains

Animal ClassificationVertebrates – Reptiles • Cold-blooded • Have scaly skin that allows them to live in areas away from water • Three major groups • Turtles, lizards and snakes, and crocodilians

Animal ClassificationVertebrates – Reptiles – Turtles • Clearly identified by its unique skeletal structure • Omnivores – eating both plants and animals • Herbivores – eating only plants • Tortoises – high, domed shells

Animal ClassificationVertebrates – Reptiles – Lizards and Snakes • Lizards • Look like salamanders (amphibians), but belong to reptile group • Snakes • Carnivores – eat only animals • Swallow their meals whole • Upper and lower jaws that are not tightly attached • Can swallow prey that is larger than the diameter of their own bodies

Animal ClassificationVertebrates – Reptiles – Crocodilians • Alligators, caimans, crocodiles • Scaly skin, large bodies, short legs

Animal ClassificationVertebrates – Birds • Birds are birds b/c they have feathers • Feathers assist in flight, protect them from the water they swim in and provide needed warmth • Birds that fly have very lightweight skeletons. Their bones are very hard, but they contain hollow, air-filled cavities • God has given each bird the perfect beak for the food it eats • Warm-blooded – having body temps that stay the same, regardless of their environment

Animal ClassificationVertebrates – Mammals • All have hair or fur • Warm-blooded • Most bear live young • All feed their young with milk from the mother’s body • All have a four-chambered heart • Have three ear bones • All breathe using lungs

Animal ClassificationVertebrates – Mammals – Monotremes • Monotremes – lay eggs Animal ClassificationVertebrates – Mammals – Marsupials • Have pouches where their babies grow big enough to function

Animal ClassificationVertebrates – Mammals – Rodents, Rabbits, Moles • Rodents • Mice, rats, squirrels, beavers, porcupines • Have large front teeth that never stop growing • Rabbits • Teeth form differently than the rodent • Moles • Insectivores – eat insects as their primary food

Animal ClassificationVertebrates – Mammals – Bats • Only mammals that can fly • Nocturnal – come out at night • Echolocation – a technique used by bats in order for them to know where they are • Bats make high frequency clicks that bounce off objects. The bats judge the distance to the object by the time it takes the sound to return.

Animal ClassificationVertebrates – Mammals – Hoofed mammals • Two groups • Those with odd number of toes on each hoof • Horses, zebras, burros, mules • Those with even number of toes on each hoof • “Cloven hoof” • Deer, giraffes, camels, cattle, sheep, antelope, hippopotamus

Animal ClassificationVertebrates – Mammals – Carnivores • Meat-eaters • Cats • Have retractable claws – the claws disappear into its paw when it does not need them for hunting or climbing • Prides – group of lions • Lions, cougars, tigers, jaguars • Dogs

Animal ClassificationVertebrates – Mammals – Carnivores (continued) • Pinnipeds • Seals, walruses, sea lions • Primary food is fish, though they will eat mollusks, crustaceans, and even penguins • Can live in the ocean and on land

Animal ClassificationVertebrates – Mammals – Marine mammals • Whales • Blubber – fatty substance, rich in oil, that insulates whales against the cold • Baleen whales • Instead of teeth, they have giant plates, called baleen plates, that help them gather plankton and tiny crustaceans (krill) • Pods – groups of whales • Toothed whales • Dolphins, porpoises, orcas, sperm whales • Use echolocation (like bats)

Animal ClassificationVertebrates – Mammals – Primates • Have good eyesight • Have “hands” that can grasp • Two groups • Lemurs • Monkeys • New World Monkeys – spend much of their time in trees • Old World Monkeys – spend much of their time on the ground

Animal ClassificationVertebrates – Humans • Genesis 1:24-27, 2:7 • One difference between man and animals is that God gave man a soul. • Man was created separately from the rest of creation and was formed in the likeness and image of God.

Animal Classification