In our invertebrate unit, we have reviewed and discussed all the different phyla. We have learned about how the organisms function, their body plans, and their definining characteristics for the phyla that they represent.
In this posting, research a specific invertebrate organism that scientists are studying currently. Answer the following questions: How is the organism classified (Linnaeus Classification System)? How does the organism function and what is its body form? Why are scientists studying the organism? Why is this organism interesting to you?
Your response should be a paragraph in length, and include the link (s) to validate your response. This posting is due by next Friday, April 27th @ midnight.
Have Fun!
Scientist have found 850 inverterbrate species in Australian caverns. Australian researchers have discovered a huge number of new species of invertebrates living in underground water, and micro-caverns with in the harsh conditions of the Australian outback.The new species were found in bore holes and micro-caverns in rocks of the Pilbara and the Kimberleys in central Western Australia. The tiny invertebrates are divided into two orders, stygofauna ,living in underground water, and troglofauna ,living in caves. Because its so dark down there some cannot see, some have no eyes, and they are colorless. They rely on vibrations with their long sensory hairs or chemical messages because they cant see. They feed on tiny particles and some on other smaller invertrbrates.They are really tiny ranging from 10mm to below one miltere. The animals most closely resemble are centipedes, woodlice, mites and springtails. Scientist are studying this organism because 15 million years ago where these animals were found used to be a rainforest. So thats why they are related to centipedes, mites, etc. They want to know what happen to the huge crocidiles, flamingos, and other animals that were in this rainforest that got dried up. The discovery of these species brings them closer to what happened to the specie of animals that dwelled in the forest. These animals intrested me because its intresting that even when the forest dried up most species have dissapeared but these animals have adapted to there enviroment and have hidden underground survivng for millions of years.
ReplyDeletehttp://sue-cartledge.suite101.com/850-new-species-of-invertebrates-discovered-a163594
With agility, speed, and intelligence, finfish have had the title of oceans best preditors. A study done by a small international team of researchers found that jellyfish are just as successful in their ability to feed and reproduce as finfish. Jellyfish have evolved large, water-laden bodies that have increased their chances in comeing into contact with their prey. Jellyfish are mostly water, so they do not synthesize as much carbon or food for enegy as finfish. The study "Faking Giants: The Evolution of High Prey Clearance Rates in Jellyfish", revealed that the jellyfishe's body shape is optimal for slow movement through water and collecting prey. Scientiss are studying this topic because of overfishing in some areas that jellyfish are quickly reproducing in and taking over in. The scientists want to find out who our dominant ocean neighbor will be in a few years. Jellyfish are classified as (scyphozoa). I find this interesting because jellyfish are complex creatures that we know about, but don't realy know what they are totally capable of, for instance taking over the ocean. http://pdq.rwu.edu/news/scientists-reveal-why-jellyfish-could-rule-our-oceans http://animals.about.com/od/cnidarians/p/jellyfish.htm
ReplyDeleteOn an board the German oceanographic ship and through various expeditions carried out between 1996 and 2008, two scientists from the University of Seville (US) have discovered six new gorgonia (colonial marine invertebrates made up of tubular bodied polyps with eight tentacles) in the Antarctic region, in the Eastern Weddell Sea. These discoveries reveal the great diversity of the Antarctic that is still unknown. The polyps of the new gorgonia discovered, Tauroprimnoa austasensis and Digitogorgia kuekenthali, in the region of Austasen, in the Eastern Weddell Sea, and to the south-east of the Falklands and Isla Nueve (in Chilean Patagonia) respectively, are small and elongated. Both species stand out for the number, shape and layout of the scales of calcium carbonate that cover the polyps, and for the type of ramification of the colonies. This discovery interest me because I like the ocean and new organisms are being discovered every day.
ReplyDeleteScientists have found a new species of ants that in the Amazon Rainforest. The new ant is named Martialis Heureka which translates into "ant from mars." This is because it has such a diverse combination of characteristics never before seen. These ants are two millimeters wide and have no eyes. The ant also belongs into its own subfamily of ants. There are only 21 subfamilies in the ant families.Scientists also believe that these ants have evolved from a wasp like ant from over 20 million years ago. These ants also live in tropical soils with less competition from other ants. More research is going into these ants to determine what ants from millions of years ago look like. These ants are interesting to me because these are the first ants I have ever heard of that are blind.
ReplyDeletesites used:http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/09/080915174538.htm
In recent years scientist have noticed an increase in beached invertebrates such as giant squid and octipi as well as cuttle fish. It was not until recently that the cause was known. A large number of giant squid washed up on a beach in Spain soon after ships had used powerful sonar to detect oil on the sea floor. Scientist at a college in Barcelona had already been studying the affects of sonar on invertebrates and other animals, but this confirmed their hypothesis. The powerful sonar rays destroy statocyst cells that help the invertebrates with balance as they swim; therefore, it will eventually kill the squid. Since this incedent scientist have been researching this topic more and more. This topic intereste me because we have a sonar machine on our saltwater boat and I did not know it could kill many marine invertebrates.
ReplyDeletehttp://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2011/05/110503-giant-squid-octopus-sonar-acoustic-tests-science-whales-sound
Scientist are studying the Monarch butterfly. The Linnaeus Classification System for this butterfly is Danaus plexippus and the body form is bilateral. In Mexico in the Oyamel Forests loggers are endangering the Monarchs. They are threatening their habitats by spraying pesticides on the milkweed plant. The milkweed provides the Monarchs with food in their migration patterns across North America. Scientist have established the "Monarch Larval Monitoring Project." The project studied the Monarchs in the Washington, D.C. area. They found that in 2004 the Monarch's population was depleting and found few eggs and only early stage larva. In 2005 they had a slight increase in population. The project recommended that the National Park Service introduce more native nectar providing plants for the Monarchs to eat. This is interesting to me because I enjoy wildlife management.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.arocha.org/int-en/work/research/invertebrates/1714-DSY.html
Entomologists in South Africa have discovered a new insect. It is called the "gladiator". Mantophasmatodea is the new order of insects the "gladiators" are classified as. It has bilateral symmetry. Its first body segment is the largest. It uses both its fore and mid legs to catch prey. It grows to the length of 4cm.. It is a carnivorous and nocturnal insect. This new order has different characteristics then others, but also some similarities. This is interesting due to the fact that it could be the missing link that connects other insects and other groups.
ReplyDeletehttp://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2002/03/0328_0328_TVstickinsect.html
In Papua, New Guinea there were more than 580 different types of invertebrates between 1998 to 2008. One of those discoveries happened to be a yellow colored snail. It's Linnaeus Classification is under the class of Gastropoda and phylum of Mollusca. It was discovered in 2006. Paryphantopsis Misimensus is the official name of the snail. It's colors differ from your ordinary snails. It's slimy segment is a bright yellow color along with its shell which is a dark orange. I found this interesting because of the color of the snail. It is much more complex than those of normal snails. You can find my information and a picture at news.discovery.com/animals/new-species-discovered-in-new-guinea-110627.html
ReplyDeleteMayflies are flies that live near water. They feed on small pieces of organic matter such as plant material or algae. They lay their eggs underwater. They are the only group of insects that molt after they have wings. It is an arthropod that has 3 body segments. Scientists were studing the mayfly so they could learn more about it. There life cycle will last around one year. Their order is ephemeroptera.
ReplyDeleteinsects.tamu.edu/fieldguide/aimg3.html
Leeches are classifies in the domain Eukara, kingdom Anamalia, phylum Annelida, class Clitellata, order Arhynchobdellida. Leeches have bilateral symmetry, a segmented body separated by a septa, live in moist habitats, are external parasites and suck blood and body fluids of their host. A scientist, Tom Gilbert from the University of Copenhagen, has recently been studying how leeches can help track down animals, especially rare animals, in the wild. The way this works is when a leech attaches to the host, the leech extracts blood, thus DNA. In the first study Professor Gilbert administered he used goats to put leeches on and to extract blood. Four months later, the DNA from the goats were still in the leeches. The second study that Professor Gilbert administered was in the wilderness of Vietnam where he examined blood from 25 leeches and found DNA from many rare animals in the area. Without this technique, he wouldn't been able to confirm that these animals even existed there. The purpose of the study was to confirm existience of rare animals in remote places. I found this interesting because scientists was using low-tech techniques to do something that is usually done by using high-tech equipment.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/green/wildlife-news/120423/leeches-help-find-rare-animals-the-wild-say-researchers
http://bioweb.uwlax.edu/bio203/2011/harris_mic2/classification.html
The "Glowworm Project", funded by the European Union, is a study of the various environmental effects on bilateral parasitic worms that infect livestock. These worms have increased the mortality rate in cattle and other livestock in the Europe and the American Midwest. The effects of this are seen in the huge rise of prices in dairy and meet products. This study can help decrease the prices of these goods by allowing scientists to predict the best areas to raise cattle and avoid infection by these worms. If continued, this study could increase awareness of how to avoid these infections in the first places allowing dairy and meet prices to fall in both Europe and the United States.
ReplyDeletehttp://euroalert.net/en/news.aspx?idn=15152
In a recent diving exploration in the Tunnel de la Atlantida, the world’s longest submarine lava tube, scientist discovered a previously unknown species of an “eyeless” crustacean. The newly discovered species of crustacean was named Speleonectes atlantida after the tunnel it was originally found in. Speleonectes is a species of Remipedia, a class of predatory crustaceans that instead of eyes uses the antennae to search the lightless void of the specific part of the ocean that they live in. The occurrence of these species continues to give rise to their evolutionary origin. It is assumed that the relatively small, the longest only being four centimeters in length, could not cross an entire ocean by swimming and only using their antennae. Scientist thought that there must be other reasons for their global distribution. It was suggested that Remipedia are a very ancient crustacean group, which was already widespread in the oceans of the Mesozoic, over 200 million years ago. They are often considered as a primeval group of crustaceans. The newly discovered species Speleonectes atlantida and the previously known species Speleonectes ondina, both occurring in the undersea lava tube on Lanzarote, would represent ancient relicts that became isolated from the main Caribbean group during the formation of the Atlantic Ocean. I chose this interesting group because it was neat how they were considered “eyeless.”
ReplyDeletehttp://newswatch.nationalgeographic.com/2009/08/25/ancient_species_of_eyeless_crustacean/
In the South Pacific, a team of American-led divers discovered a new crustacean that resembles a lobster and is covered with what looks like silky, blonde fur. They named the new animal Kiwa Hirsuta and said the animal was so distinct from other animals they have discovered in the past that they created a new family and genus for it. The animal was found in waters 7,540 feet deep at a site that is 900 miles from Easter Island. The crustacean is white and almost reaches six inches in length. Its pincers are also cover with hairlike strands. Another interesting thing about this new animal is that it is blind, having only “the vestige of a membrane” where it’s eyes should be. The new family of this organism was named Kiwaida, from Kiwa, who was the goddess of crustaceans in Polynesian mythology. This crustacean was interesting to me because well it’s a furry lobster, okay.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11718069/ns/technology_and_science-science/t/divers-discover-new-crustacean/#.T5nkGFEhzww
A group of scientists, who were on an expedition to sample a deep-sea trench, got a pleasant surprise when their traps brought back seven rare, gigantic crustaceans. These “supergiant” amphipods are more than twenty times larger than their typical crustacean relatives, which are usually less than one-half inch long and are sometimes even referred to as “the insects of the sea. The largest of the seven specimens was 11 inches long. These creatures were found 4 miles down in the Kermadec Trench, on of the deepest trenches on earth, which is off of the northeast coast of New Zealand. The scientific name of these supergiant amphipods is Alicella gigantea The phylum of these organisms is Arthrodpoda, their class is Malacostraca, their order is Amphipoda, their family is Alicelliedae, their genus is Alicella, and their species is, of course, Alicella giganetea. I found this interesting because I think it is peculiar that one species of Amphipoda can be so much larger than the rest of their kind.
ReplyDeletehttp://species.wikimedia.org/wiki/Alicella_gigantea
http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2012/02/03/terrifying-giant-crustaceans-found-in-deep-sea/
The zebra mussel (Dreissena polymorpha) is a small mussel that comes from Russia. It is classified in the phylum Mollusca, Class Heteroconchia, Order Veneroida, Family Dreissenidae. It has now inhabited all of the Great Lakes and Mississippi, Tennessee and Hudson River. They caught my attention because they are an invasive species that can’t be controlled in the US. It has a life cycle of about four to five years, and only about 2 percent live to adulthood. They can be male or female .The females can lay as many as 1million eggs a year. They go through a larva stage which can last anywhere from 3 days to 3 months all depending on the water temperature. They all clump together in a colony called a druse. They attach themselves to things like boats and buoys that is how they spread so rapidly.
ReplyDeleteA recently discovered species of Marginaster sea star was found living around seamounts in the southern waters off the coast of Tasmania. The seamounts can be about 25 kilometers wide and rise thousands of feet from the seabed. In the deep sea where the ocean bottom is rocky and muddy, the seamounts prove to be a good habitat for these sea stars. These sea stars are also known by the name of Derwent River Seastars. The Derwent River Seastar is a small seastar up to 17 mm across. The species usually has five arms and is a rounded pentagonal shape. It is thought to feed on algae/particulate because of the anatomy of his digestive system. There is insufficient information on the way this sea star moves. It's kingdom is Animalia, it's phylum is Echinodermata, it's class is Asteroidea, it's order is Valvatida, it's genus is Poraniidae, and it's species is Littoralis. I found these sea stars interesting because of their small bodies.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.environment.gov.au/cgi-bin/sprat/public/publicspecies.pl?taxon_id=66762
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2008/10/photogalleries/Australia-new-species-photos/photo3.html
Invertebrate Immune Systems
ReplyDeleteElie Metschnikow first discovered the invertebrate immune system. Scientists today have showed that invertebrates have evolved elaborate ways to fight disease, and they also present their findings at the European Science Foundation (ESF). Another evolutionary ecologist at ETH Zurich in Switserland has worked with Metschnikow by studying the immune systems of fruit flies, misquitoes and other invertebrates including: bed bugs moths, crustaceans, worms, sponges, and bees. The two scientists were amazed about how an invertebrate came to be that its basically an animal that lacks a vertical support system in their strustural makeup.
http://www.esf.org/ext-ceo-news-singleview/article/invertebrate-immune-systems-are-anything-but-simple-conference-finds-284.html
In the Philippines, the California Academy of Science recently concluded an expedition of biodiversity involving invertebrates. This exploration led to to discovery of over 300 new species including 200 marine invertebrates and eleven new fish. Since the Philippines is considered the center of most newly discovered invertebrates, it would be common for these expeditions to discover invertebrate organisms. The Philippines also have a diverse geological history which makes it one of the best environments for the invertebrates to live in. Also there has been a discovery made in the Philippines involving a purple crab. These crabs are also a part of the study being done by the California Academy of Science. Scientists say that the color comes the crabs social behavior with the other organisms in the area. The Purple crab as of right now has little to no information on the classification of this organism, but it is a crustacean. This crabs has a bilateral symmetry, and it performs actions like any other crab. It does not have any special adaptations except for the special color variation. Scientists are studying this organism and the other 300 organisms found in the Philippines because they are newly discovered with many new ways to carry out life as invertebrates. Scientists also are interested in the organisms because they could lead to more discoveries made on the topic of invertebrates. I, personally, like the topic because there are many organisms that have not been discovered, and the invertebrates discovered recently have biodiversity that is not common for most invertebrates.
ReplyDeleteSources: http://www.canada.com/technology/Beautiful+purple+crab+discovered+Philippines/6531384/story.html
http://reefbuilders.com/2011/06/10/200-invertebrates-11-fish-disc/
A nudibranch is an aquatic invertebrate. It belongs to the phylum Mollusca. Nudibranches are carnivorous. Each species will eat a different thing. Some eat Bryozoans, some eat Hydroids and some are annibals and will eat each other. Scientists are studying it to see what kind of environment it needs in an aquarium. They are interesting to me because I had never heard of it before.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.aquaticcommunity.com/sw/nudibranch.php
A new genus of benthic harpacticoid copepod has been named Marbefia. It was named Marbefia to honor the outstanding contributions of MarBEF to the knowledge we have of marine biodiversity. At the moment, this genus consists of only 1 species, which was first described as Pseudonychocamptus carthyi. Since 1968, this species was recorded only once more in literature and the male remained unknown. Discovery of the male allowed MarBEF scientists to recognise the classification error and rename it Marbefia carthy. The Marfebia is a small, long, and thin copepod, it has many ornaments, and a dense, fine covering of hairs. They have 5 pairs of head appendages(antennules, antennae, mandibles, maxillules and maxillae). The thorax has seven appendages, four legs, the fifth legs, and the so called sixed legs. The Marfebia is found in Scilly in shallow pools that are also home to jellyfish.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.marbef.org/wiki/Marbefia
Between 1996 and 2008, two scientists from the University of Seville, which is in Spain, went on various expeditions on a German research ship and discovered six new species of gorgonia. Gorgonia are tubular bodied polyps with eight tentacles.They were discovered when the scientists were in the Antarctic region.They are also classified by living in colonies. Their phylum is Tauroprimnoa. the discovery of these creatures means that the great antarctic id still not fully discovered. The ocean that they were found in was the Weddell Sea. the reason that I found this interesting was because I haven't heard of this ocean or these creatures
ReplyDeletePhylum Crustacea
ReplyDeleteMost crustacean groups have a planktonic larval stage that differs greatly in appearance to the adult. The most common larval form is a nauplius, a rounded animal with three pairs of appendages, including large antennae.
Crustaceans occur in virtually all marine and most freshwater environments. They range in size from copepods (usually less than 1 mm) to crabs with a maximum leg span of more than 2 m.
I think that this is interesting because they can grow in freshwater and saltwater environments.
http://www.natureserve.org/explorer/classani.htm
http://www.woodbridge.tased.edu.au/MDC/Species%20Register/phylum_arthropoda_crustacea.htm
Scientists in copenhagen zoo and university of copenhagen have created a new and cheap way to track animals in the rainforest. They take leeches and extract the blood to study the DNA of it. This new method helps them easily track the biodiversity of an area without spending a lot of money. They can also find new species without having to see them. The creator of this method thinks it will revolutionize how scientist will track rare or threatened species.
ReplyDeleteThis article interested me because scietist have a new more effiecient way to track animals.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/04/120423162457.htm
Hirundo Medicinalis is the scientific classification for a leech
DeleteFreshwater mussels of the family Unionidae are generally regarded as some of the most sensitive aquatic organisms with perhaps 75% of the 300 some North American species in jeopardy. The river systems near Pittsburgh are a good example of past river degradation, although recently the trend has reversed. Before the end of the first 25 years of this century, about 45 mussel species in Pittsburgh's Rivers were eliminated. The changes in water quality management and shifts in regional industries, the heavily impacted rivers are recovering in part. Some of the tougher mussels are now returning, presumably as larvae attached to fish coming from cleaner areas downstream in the Ohio River.
Deletehttps://groups.google.com/group/pa.environment/msg/236c60f36294cd52?pli=1
If you've ever noticed, your seeing more numbers of jellyfish in the ocean in the last 5 years, between Spring and Summer. Why is this? Their presence in the ocean is usually seasonal, responding to the availability of prey, which is seasonal in most places, increasing with temperature and sunshine in the spring and summer. Climate change may also favor some jellyfish species.This is making the ecosystem off balance, more than its ever been.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.jellyfishfacts.net/jellyfish-are-coming.html
DeleteAlthough they may look plant-like, sea sponges are the simplest of multi-cellular animals. A sea sponge is a bottom-dwelling creature, which attaches itself to something solid in a place where it can, hopefully, receive enough food to grow. The scientific term for sea sponges is Porifera, which literally means "pore-bearing." A sea sponge is covered with tiny pores, called ostia, which lead internally to a system of canals and eventually out to one or more larger holes, called oscula. Within the canals of the sea sponge, chambers are lined with specialized cells called choanocytes, or collar cells. The collar cells have a sticky, funnel shaped collar and a hair like whip, called a flagellum. The collar cells serve two purposes. First, they beat their flagella back and forth to force water through the sea sponge. The water brings in nutrients and oxygen, while it carries out waste and carbon dioxide. Second, the sticky collars of the collar cells pick up tiny bits of food brought in with the water. Another type of cell, called an amebocyte, takes the food to other cells within the sea sponge. Sea Sponges are very effective filter feeders, since they are able to capture and eat particles as small as bacteria as well as much larger particles.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.allthesea.com/Sea-Sponge.html
Two scientists from the University of Seville, discovered six new species of Gorgonia. Gorgonia are tubular bodied polyps with eight tentacles. The phylum is Tauroprimnoa. They also live together in colonies. This was interesting to me because they discovered the invertebrates pretty quickly.
ReplyDeleteHello,
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