The mass extinction of Marine-life in the Silurian Period opened up endless possibilities and potential for terrestrial life in the next Geologic time period, The Devonian Period. The Devonian Period served as an introduction to the expansion of the first amphibians, sharks, and some of the first plants with roots, leaves, and stomata. Despite such significant advances, the Devonian Period is best known for its diversity and abundance of underwater life. Not only did fish with cartilage begin to
Abstract: The early tetrapods were the first vertebrates to actually walk the solid earth. They began their conquest of land in the Paleozoic era around 360 million years ago. The question many paleontologists have been asking for a long period of time is whether the anatomy for locomotion on land was developed in water for swimming purposes, or if it was adapted after the creatures became terrestrial. Recent findings of fossils indicate that the transformations of the aquatic creatures happened
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
The recent discovery of Tiktaalik roseae in the Canadian Arctic by Neil Shubin, Edward Daeschler and Harvard’s Farish Jenkins is significant in the evolutionary transition of organisms from water to land. Tiktaalik is an extinct lobe-fin fish that evolved during the Devonian period, 375 million years ago. Tiktaalik’s unique features convey their developing adaptation to the amphibians’ habits in the shallow water. The evolutionary relationship within a group of animal can be established by comparing
The Great Barrier Reef What is the Great Barrier Reef? The Great Barrier Reef is a huge, colourful and bright coral reef, situated off the coast of Queensland in the Coral Sea. It is so big that it is the only living thing that can be seen from Space! It consists of over 2,900 individual reefs and 900 islands that stretch over 348,700 km². It is in a wet, tropical climate with reasonably warm Winters and a high humidity in the Summer. Water temperatures span from 14 degrees Celsius in the Winter
Anatomy A way to identify a fish is by their body structure, they have fins and a backbone. The anatomical adaptation of fins helps them survive and makes them and marine animal unique in that they use them to maintain their position, move, steer, and stop. Most fish have scales and breathe though gills. Most fish also have a mucus layer that helps them prevent infections. With in what we consider “fish,” there are many that don’t very much look like they are earth creatures. The strangest fish