Amphibians Essay

912 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: What evolution means essay

Evolution is defined as the change of hereditary characteristics of populations over generations (Caroll, 2009). The environment is continually changing therefore organisms have to change in order to stand the changes in environment so they can survive and reproduce (Caroll, 2009). Regular change in genetic material of organisms over generations can lead to the development of new species that are more adapted to the environment (Caroll, 2009). It is said that failure to evolve may lead to extinction of a species (Caroll, 2009).
This essay discusses the evolution of amphibians. Amphibians are classified into three orders (anura, caudata and apoda) and are in the superclass tetrapoda (Kolesova, et el, 2007). The Apoda is comprised of organisms with no legs, and these organisms normally live in barrows. Tretrapods are comprised of vertebrates with four limbs; and examples of tetrapods are reptiles and amphibians (Kolesova, et el, 2007). Tetrapods were the earliest vertebrates to be able to walk on land and that was during the Devonian period about 360-370 million years ago (Kolesova, et el, 2007). Before the existence of amphibians almost all vertebrates lived in water (Kolesova, et el, 2007).
Amphibians are animals that are adapted to live on the land and in water habitats (Kolesova, et el, 2007). Young amphibians spend their early life in water breathing through their gills; as they grow they tend to lose their gills and develop lungs which allow them to be adapted to life on land as they will be breathing air (Kolesova, et el, 2007). There are a number of amphibians such as salamanders that do not do not have an aquatic stage in their life, they are completely terrestrial (Kolesova, et el, 2007). Some amphibians do not...

... middle of paper ...

.... An example of amphibian which is well adapted to living on land is true frogs in the order (Anura) and family (Ranidae). These structural characteristics include modifications in the inner ear. The inner ear consisted of pappilae and double transmission channels these helped to detect airborne sounds. The reasons for modifications in the ears were due to the fact that air is 1000 times less dense. Eyes had specialised visual cells in the retina to allow these amphibians to be able to catch their prey easily. They also have a stronger backbone and muscles. The skin with glands helped in cutaneous respiration and the production of toxins. The toxic secretions of the glands are used as defence mechanism. The pedicillate teeth allowed them to adapt to new diet out of water. The evolution of amphibians led to the evolution of many vertebrate animals seen today.

Show More
Related

  • Hormonal Arthropods: A Brief Overview of Moulting

    873 Words  | 2 Pages

    There is no doubt that arthropods are an extremely successful group of animals, with an estimated 5-10 million species worldwide[1], and this can be attributed to having an exoskeleton; it provides many benefits, such as protection from parasitism and other threats. However, one major disadvantage of having an exoskeleton is the limitations that an inelastic cuticle can place on growth. The exoskeleton provides protection, but when freshly moulted the animal is soft and vulnerable, as well as having limited mobility and use of appendages; many seek shelter before moulting[2]. There are similarities and differences between the moult cycles of all the arthropods, however only crustaceans and insects will be discussed here.

    Read More

  • grey tree frogs

    1412 Words  | 3 Pages

    Hyla versicolor, commonly know as the Gray Tree Frog or the Eastern Gray Tree Frog, is an amphibian that is referred to as the “Chameleon of the Frog world” (Craighead, 2004, p.1) because of its ability to change colors. “This frog was once thought to be the same species as the Cope’s Gray Tree Frog”. They can only be distinguished by their calls and the fact that the Cope Gray Tree Frog is diploid while the Gray Tree Frog is tetraploid (NPWRC, 2004). The Gray Tree Frog is classified as follows:

    Read More

  • Analysis and Description of Mudpuppies

    1202 Words  | 3 Pages

    “The skin of amphibians is water permeable, well supplied with glands, and often colorful, with the colors and patterns of many salamanders and anurans rivaling those of brightly colored birds. It performs many functions. It protects against abrasion and pathogens, serves as a respiratory membrane, perhaps marginally so in caecilians, absorbs and releases water, provides some dry-land species during droughts with a water-loss-resistant cocoon, and through color change (in some species) a...

    Read More

  • The Wood Frog

    1225 Words  | 3 Pages

    As the wood frogs are ectothermic, one of the major adaptations to their envionment is the adaptation to climate change.

    Read More

  • Artemia Franciscana and Preference Regarding the Effects of Light, Temperature, and pH.

    1223 Words  | 3 Pages

    Fox, R. 2001. Invertebrate Anatomy OnLine: Artemia Franciscana. Lander University. http://webs.lander.edu/rsfox/invertebrates/artemia.html, retrieved February 13, 2011.

    Read More

  • Devonian Period

    1683 Words  | 4 Pages

    Sallan, Lauren Cole, and Michael I. Coates. "End-Devonian Extinction and a Bottleneck in the Early Evolution of Modern Jawed Vertebrates." Diss. Cambridge University, 2010. 17 May 2010. Web. 25 Apr. 2012. http://www.pnas.org

    Read More

  • Eye Regression in Cave Animals

    1625 Words  | 4 Pages

    It is now a fact that most animal species that live in caves tend to lose their vision. This trait has been observed for several centuries. For instance, in 1768, Laurenti found the first described cave-adapted animal, Proteus anguinus, which is a salamander species (Juan, Guzik, Jaume, & Cooper, 2010). It was blind and according to most tales, it was thought to be the larval phase of a dragon. This amphibian’s preliminary eye development is normal. However, development of its eyes slows down with time; the lens undergoes rigorous lytic processes and the cornea involutes, making the eye to be strongly sunken and reduced.

    Read More

  • Axolotl Evolutionary Adaptations

    1283 Words  | 3 Pages

    The Axolotl, a crucially endangered neotenous species of mole salamander, has adapted to fit its environment so it can easily catch food and evade predators. The Axolotl’s habitat is the lake system of Xochimilco that is near Mexico City, Mexico. This shallow, fresh water lake complex has a temperature range of 6- 20°C and a pH of 7- 12. The complex also has the Axolotl’s primary food sources of mollusk, insect larvae, and other crustaceans. However, with the introduction of foreign species such as the Asian Carp and the African Tilapia, the Axolotl now has predators that may eat and threaten it, and it has competition for the animals it usually eats. Fortunately, the Axolotl has developed adaptations that aid it in catching food and evading predators. To help it catch food the Axolotl’s teeth are shaped like cones, so that its “vacuum” action of sucking in as much water in order to also eat food is aided by the shape of the teeth, which allow it to grip, rather than chew. To aid them in avoiding predators they are able to metamorphose so that they use their lungs more than their gill, which allows them to leave very toxic waters and the predators within. Another adaption that helps them deflect any predator is that they are able to regenerate body parts that have been lost, allowing them to stay as strong as possible. Axolotl’s have adaptations that aid their survival from predators in the lake complex Xochimilco that they reside in.

    Read More

  • How Has The Earth Changed Many Populations Of Organisms

    578 Words  | 2 Pages

    Since the earth has changed so much, many organisms must evolve to survive. Since the earth is constantly changing and creating for landforms over time. The certain animals that live in an area must evolve to be able to live in the new environment from the landform. For example, natural selection is when “only the strong survive so that organism continues to evolve”.(ISN) Many organisms must adapt to their new environment over time. A landform can cause animals to evolve because they have a new

    Read More

  • The Evolution of Human Skin Color

    1016 Words  | 3 Pages

    According to Darwin and his theory on evolution, organisms are presented with nature’s challenge of environmental change. Those that possess the characteristics of adapting to such challenges are successful in leaving their genes behind and ensuring that their lineage will continue. It is natural selection, where nature can perform tiny to mass sporadic experiments on its organisms, and the results can be interesting from extinction to significant changes within a species.

    Read More

  • Frogs

    380 Words  | 1 Pages

    Frogs are amphibians in the order Anura. The order Anura is broken down into 22 different families of frogs and toads. Although they belong to the same order, frogs and toads are different in a lot of ways. Some of the more distinct differences are their skin and where they live. Frogs usually have smooth moist skin and toads usually have dry watery looking skin. Frogs spend most of their lives in or near water and toads spend more time on land. Amphibian means "double life." Frogs and toads each have two parts to their lives: when they live on water and when they live land. A frog's life starts in the water when it is hatched from an egg as a tadpole. A tadpole looks very different from an adult frog. A tadpole has a tail, no limbs, and breathes through gills. After a while the tadpole goes through metamorphosis. During the change the frog grows limbs, the tail disappears, it uses lungs to breathe, and it doesn't have to live in water anymore. As a tadpole, the frog feeds mostly on vegetation. The tadpoles have a small rasping mouth suited especially for scraping algea from the bottom of ponds. Depending on the species, it can take a few weeks to a year or more for the tadpoles to become fully grown. Not all frogs hatch as tadpoles. Some species of frogs hatch as froglets. Froglets look just like adult frogs but are a lot smaller. Froglets don't go through a metamophosis. Most species that hatch as froglets are found in dry places. Frogs who live in dry places where rains are seasonal have to grow up quickly because a tadpole will die if their temporary pond dries up. Adult frogs can live in water or on land, but it always needs to be near water so its respiratory organs don't dry out.

    Read More

  • Earthworm Case Study

    2099 Words  | 5 Pages

    The earthworm is distinctive from saprozoic organisms. Earthworms are ancient creatures, which have survived on apex of the earth at least 700 million years ago (Cho et al., 1998). Earthworms are usually precise the same as a relatively well known group of soil invertebrate from both ecological and taxonomical perception. Earthworms are enforced to adopted and survive in this type of environments (Muhamad et al., 2006). The earthworm skin play a key role in the everyday survival of amphibians and

    Read More

  • Walking Catfish Essay

    736 Words  | 2 Pages

    The catfish maintains an advantage over most fish due to its ability to walk on land. This helpful adaptation comes from the pectoral spines which they flex in order to contour to their body in a walking motion. While the adaptation for land walking is impressive the ability to breathe on land is also beneficial. This ability comes from the hills of the fish which have “highly vascularized arborescent organs that act like accessory breathing structures” (Masterson 2007). Their gas bladder is also minimized to allow for stiffening so that the fish do not collapse on the land (Masterson 2007). Along with the voracious appetite of the fish they have other adaptations that make them invasive as well. The fish can survive in waters that most fish cannot such as hypoxic waters or muddy ponds. Along with being nocturnal these survival abilities allow them to invade aquaculture farms and take prey on the fish stock

    Read More

  • Different Types of Biological Adaptation Throughout History

    1126 Words  | 3 Pages

    In textbooks, adaptation, specifically biological adaptation, is usually defined as the method an organism adopts to better survive in its environment and reproduce. In scholarly papers, however, adaptation isn’t always as simple as that. An adaptation can be a structure that gives advantage to an organism over other similar organisms, or a behavior that helps the organism survive in its environment against predators. Sometimes even the adaptation itself wasn’t originally intended for its current biological role, or how it is used in the organism’s environment; this adaptation is sometimes called preadaptation (Kardong, 2006). Because it is difficult to identify which structures are adaptations and which are preadaptations, there is much controversy over the subject in the scholarly world. Often it is helpful to study these adaptations in ancient animals, but as most of these are extinct, scientists can only gather information from their close relatives, and even these aren’t conclusive enough.

    Read More

  • Essay On Amphibians

    541 Words  | 2 Pages

    As urbanization continues to expand amphibian population are on a global decline. In many rural areas, the only wetland available for aquatic reproduction is artificial ponds. While some species are able to persist in such an environment the majority of amphibians are negatively affected. The introduction of non-native species along with habitat degradation affects the successful reproduction of these native amphibians. Therefore, an understanding of the relationship between these species and their habitat is essential for conservation. This research sets out to determine conservation priorities for pond breeding amphibians in the hopes of preserving their existing populations.

    Read More

More about Amphibians Essay

Open Document