Vertebrate Natural History

Spring 2019Instructor: Emily Brodsky

Teaching Assistant: Jonathan Shapiro

One definition (from the Natural History Network):

Natural history tells the story of our living earth. It comprises the systematic observation, classification, interpretation, and description of the biosphere and its inhabitants.

Natural history is a primary component of culture. Every society develops some system for classifying, interpreting, and valuing animals, plants, and other natural phenomena. These systems shape our understanding of the world and our place in it.

Natural history is field-based. It begins with direct observation and study of organisms in the conditions under which they actually live.

Natural history is interdisciplinary. While grounded in the natural sciences, it engages the humanities, social sciences, and the arts, and it informs technical fields such as medicine, agriculture, forestry, and environmental management.

What is a vertebrate?

Guess: Which phylum are we most closely related to?

https://courses.lumenlearning.com/wmopen-biology2/chapter/animal-phylogeny/

Cladogram of Animal Phyla

https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Animal-phylogeny-Phylogenetic-diagram-showing-the-position-of-the-phylum-Echinodermata_fig1_294103554

Tunicate larval stage Adult stage

…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kNEEf9lA3zs

Which groups of animals are vertebrates?

Extant Vertebrate Classes (Traditional Taxonomic Classification)

1. Agnatha: Jawless fishes

2. Osteicthyes: Bony fishes

3. Chondricthyes: Cartilagenous fishes

4. Amphibia: Amphibians

5. Reptilia: Reptiles

6. Aves: Birds

7. Mammalia: Mammals

The Vertebrate StoryCentral concepts for understanding this story include:● Adaptation & Natural Selection● Evolution & Phylogeny● Geologic Time● Continental Drift● Taxonomy, Systematics & Cladistics

Handouts and Activity