You know that I expect you to know not only meanings but important relationships among and concepts related
to terms, so don't just memorize definitions. Also, questions on an activity or quiz may be placed on an exam
even if those questions are not found (repeated) on this study guide. There will be lab questions on the exam,
although most of these questions will be included in part B of this study guide. You will not have questions on
how to film or edit photographs. You will find questions on projects, including questions on protocols used to
sex or measure specimens.
Study guide one—Part A:
Review and bauplans
1. Give reasons that some appreciation of invertebrate biology is important is to the
scientific community. Be able to give examples of medical products produced using
invertebrates.
2. What are some of the more common animals found on this planet? What are the most
common animals you would find in pasturelands and soil samples. What are wonder
pusses? Know about ticks and pinworms.
3, Describe the concept of a “bauplan”. Be able to compare the bauplans as we did in
class of common invertebrate groups. You should be able to classify an organism
described or pictures on the basic of these characteristics. In other words, know terms
such as coelom, bilateral symmetry, radial symmetry, cephalization, segmentation, joints
and tube feet. I intend to use the summaries you created to create questions in which you
will have to ID the type of animal described or eliminate nonsuitable candidates or
perhaps pick suitable characteristic from those presented.
4. Be able to describe in general the effects of environment on bauplan. You may focus
your comments on the problems invertebrates face in one type of environment versus
another. (reading-----Chapter one)
5. Give some effects of size on bauplan. (Be sure to include material from the arthropod
as well as introductory lectures).
6. How long have the bauplans that we see today existed on this planet? How do we
know?
7. If you had to design the modules to include in bauplans, what would they be? What
would you include as a locomotory module? Would you include developmental
modules? Why or why not? What other types of modules would you include?
8. Be able to compare major characteristics of bauplans of the invertebrates treated in Bio
181. In other words, know terms such as coelom, bilateral symmetry, cnidocyte, radial
symmetry, cephalization, segmentation, joints and tube feet.
8. Be able to describe “typical” development. What developmental differences were
used to group animals before molecular data became available? You do not have to
know every characteristic but I would know well two or three examples that you could
use to answer this question and 13.
9. How would you decide by looking at an adult if an organism was triploblastic? What
are the advantages of being triploblastic or having developed mesoderm? Are there any
problems associated with the terms triploblastic or mesodermal?
10. What is a coelom? What are the advantages of a coelom or body cavity in general?
What groups have coeloms? In which groups are coeloms reduced?
11. What is the significance of gastrulation?
12. What is the difference between a hemocoel and a coelom? What embryonic cavity is
usually associated with a pseudocoelom?
13. Be able to discuss in some detail the problems with the term “protostome”. Know the
problems in general associated with using development to group animals.
14. Comment on the effectiveness of cilia as locomotory devices
15. Discuss the effectiveness of hydrostatic skeletons and muscles as locomotory devices.
Know the types of skeletons found in invertebrates.
16. How do segmented animals use their segments to their advantage while locomoting?
What do we mean by segment specialization?
17. What are the advantages to using joints and appendages in terrestrial environments?
Phylogeny and history of life
1. What are the problems associated with using the fossil record to decipher relationships
among invertebrates? Include in your answer the types of early fossils available for
analysis.
2. What is the Cambrian Explosion and what are some of the factors believed responsible
for this event?
3. Be able to compare Vendian and Cambrian fauna. Be able to describe some of the
Cambrian organisms depicted in reconstructions. Where are Cambrian fossils found?
4. Can we use molecular data to draw phylogenies? If so, what types of molecular data
are used?
5. What are hox genes and what is the significance of their distribution for determining
animal relationships? What do we mean when we say hox genes exhibit anatomical and
timing colinearity? What does the conservation of hox genes indicate about imply about
animal and “bauplan” evolution? What is the potential for using differences among
developmental genes to group animals?
6. Why do we consider systematics or classification a scientific pursuit? Which is now
the current accepted classification scheme as represented by the tree of life project?
What is the value of using this scheme of classification? What types of evidence are used
to construct groups in this school?
7. What would you have to know about 3 groups to be able to classify them using the
tenets of the phylogenetic school? Be able to compare and contrast the this schools of
classification with that used previously or the evolutionary (traditional or classic) school.
8. Be able to compare and contrast homologies and analogies, derived shared homology
and shared ancestral homology. What is an synapomorphy?
9. You should be able to examine simple trees, such as those we drew for nudibranchs,
and be able to judge whether they could be proper cladograms (i.e. follow the rules of
the phylogenetics school) .
Arthropods
1. Discuss those characteristics that make arthropods ecdysozoans. What are the key
characteristics of the arthropod clade?
2. What is tagmatization? Using examples compare the degree of tagmatization observed
in most arthropod classes. What characteristics of tagmatization could be used in
cladistic groupings of the different types of arthropods?
3. Describe the cuticle and molting process in arthropods. What are the consequences for
arthropod evolution of having to molt. Describe, giving examples, variation in
exoskeleton structure and the significance of such variation for the biology of the
example group. Be able to identify molt-controlling factors in insects
5. Define the terms, and be able to compare and contrast exoskeletons and endoskeletons.
Know some of the benefits and problems associated with having an exoskeleton. Be able
to discuss how exoskeletons have favored small size in arthropods and may even impose
today a limit on the size of successful arthropods? Be able to discuss not only the
problems associated with the molt (as in question 3) but also the disadvantages of scaling
up size for exoskeletons for appendages and respiration on land.
6. Why is the tripod mode of locomotion considered so stable? What is an “effective”
foot ? What are the benefits of spines on legs of arthropods?
7. Be able to diagram the flow of hemolymph in the hemocoel of a crayfish or lobster.
How would this diagram compare one draw for "circulation" in an insect?
8. Describe the types of respiratory systems used by arthropods. Describe in particular
the tracheal system of arthropods.
9. Give example of excretory systems used by arthropods. Are Malphigian tubes the
excretory system used by all arthropods?
10, Describe the “general” arthropod digestive system.
11. What type of brain and sensory organs are found in arthropods? Be able to compare
and contrast how muscle fibers work in arthropods (insects) and vertebrates.
12. Describe the compound eye and the type of image formed. What are some of the
advantages of this type of eye?
13. Be able to discuss all the factors that appear to favor relative small size among
arthropods.
14. Be able to compare the arthropod classes with regard to tagmatization and basic body
design. Describe the ancestral arthropod. Know Cambrian arthropods researched.
15. Comment on trilobite diversity in the late Cambrian. How long did trilobites exist?
16. Comment on the relationships of trilobites to other Arthropods.
17. Describe the feeding and mating behavior of horseshoe crabs. How are horseshoe
crabs used in medical research and practice?
18. Give some examples of the diversity found among Arachnids. Be able to list
similarities and differences among Arachnids discussed in lecture. What are the oldest
types of Arachnid fossils found to date?
19. Comment on silk production in spiders.
20. Comment on the importance of certain arachnid species to man.
21. Describe the body plan of a sea spider. Are males parental?
22. Be able to give examples of venomous arthropods.
23. What are eurypterids, pseudo scorpions, harvestmen and daddy long legs?
24. Be able to compare millipedes and centipedes.
25. Reading/summary lecture: What is the difference between a hexapod and an insect.
Give some examples of the diversity found in insects. Be able to give one example of
difference existing in mouthpart function and structure in insects. Compare
Hemimetabolic and holometabolistic development (from lab).
26. Give some examples of the diversity found among crustaceans. Be able to describe
the life style and bauplan of Daphnia and other crustaceans observed in lab. Are there
parasitic copepods? Describe the bauplans and life cycles of barnacles.
27. Be able to describe mating behavior in selected arthropods.
28. Be able to describe some arthropods, especially among the Insecta that are human
nuisances or of medical importance.
29. What are the Collembola and why are they not considered true insects?