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Classify vertebrates by their physical and behavioral traits

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Vertebrates Meaning

"Vertebrates are animals that possess a vertebral column and/or notochord at any point in their lives."

One of the ways life is classified is through the presence or absence of the vertebrate. Vertebrates and invertebrates evolved from a common ancestor that was speculated to have lived around 600 million years ago.

Evidence of true vertebrates began to appear 525 million years ago and ever since then, vertebrates have branched off into a long lineage that includes armoured fish and giant sauropods to woolly mammoths and modern man.

Characteristics of Vertebrates

A vertebrate is an animal that has all of the following characteristic features at some point in its life:

A stiff rod running through the length of the animal (it could either be the vertebral column and/or notochord)

Humans and all other vertebrates possess a notochord as an embryo and it eventually develops into the vertebral column.

A bundle of nerves run above the vertebral column (spinal cord) and the alimentary canal exists below it.

The mouth is present at the anterior portion of the animals or right below it.

The alimentary canal ends in the anus, which opens to the exterior. The tail extends after the anus.

Classification of Vertebrates

Vertebrates are classified into 7 classes based on their anatomical and physiological features. They are:

Mammals (Class Mammalia)

This class of organisms have the ability to regulate their body temperature irrespective of the surrounding ambient temperature. Therefore, mammals are called endothermic animals and it includes humans and platypuses.

Birds (Class Aves)

From a biological perspective, birds are dinosaurs (more aptly called avian dinosaurs). This class of organisms are characterised by feathers, toothless beaks and a high metabolic rate. Furthermore, members of class Aves lay hard-shelled eggs.

Reptiles (Class Reptilia)

Reptiles include tetrapods such as snakes, crocodiles, tuataras and turtles. The characteristic feature of reptiles is that they are ectothermic in nature. Snakes are still considered tetrapods though they have no visible limbs. This is due to the fact that snakes evolved from ancestors that had limbs.

Amphibians (Class Amphibia)

Amphibians include ectothermic tetrapods such as frogs toads and salamanders. The distinguishing feature that separates amphibians from reptiles is their breeding behaviour. Most amphibians need a body of water to breed as their eggs are shell-less. Furthermore, they undergo metamorphosis where the young ones transform from fully-aquatic larval form (with gills and fins) to terrestrial adult form.

Bony fishes (Class Osteichthyes)

This class of fishes is characterized by their skeleton which is composed primarily of bone rather than cartilage (such as sharks). Class Osteichthyes is also the largest class of vertebrates today.

Cartilaginous fishes (Class Chondrichthyes)

As the name suggests, this class is characterized by the cartilaginous skeleton. Members include sharks, rays, skates and sawfish. Some sharks such as the massive Greenland shark can live for several centuries. A specimen that was tagged in 2016 was found to be at least 273 years old.

Jawless fishes (Class Agnatha)

These are very primitive fishes that have not changed much from fossil records for millions of years. They have a jawless, circular mouth with rows of small sharp which aid in holding and feeding on other fishes. Most members of this class are parasites and scavengers.

Learn more about vertebrates and their characteristics by registering at BYJU'S.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Which animals are vertebrates?

Animals that possess a backbone is classified as a vertebrate. There are a large number of vertebrates currently existing on earth and they are classified into 7 classes based on their physiological and anatomical features.

More to explore:

2. What does it mean to be a vertebrate?

Vertebrates and invertebrates are speculated to have evolved from a common ancestor many million years ago. But today, from an evolutionary perspective, vertebrates are considered to be the most apex forms of life on earth. Their complex anatomy and physiology provide a significant advantage over invertebrates in the natural world.

3. What are the 7 classes of vertebrates?

Vertebrates have been classified based on their anatomical and physiological characteristics into 7 groups. They are as follows:

Class Aves

Class Reptilia

Class Agnatha

Class Amphibia

Class Mammalia

Class Osteichthyes

Class Chondrichthyes

4. Which vertebrates lay amniotic eggs?

Reptiles and birds primarily lay amniotic eggs. Mammals also lay amniotic eggs though they are specialized for internal development. However, prehistoric mammals laid eggs and some modern-day mammals still do.

5. When did vertebrates appear?

The very first vertebrates are thought to have evolved 525 million years ago. The very first vertebrate is thought to have been Myllokunmingia. But other evidence points towards Pikaia gracilens as the very first vertebrate and the ancestor to all modern vertebrates.

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"Vertebrates are animals that possess a vertebral column and/or notochord at any point in their lives." One of the ways life is classified is through the presence or absence of the vertebrate. Vertebrates and invertebrates evolved from a common ancestor that was speculated to have lived around 600 million years ago.

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Fossil Guessing Game

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Experience the thrill of well behaved kids overnight with this One-Of-A-Kind, Powerful New Parenting Tool!
Watch as the Wheel of Better Behavior changes the atmosphere in your home overnight. It's guaranteed! Homework gets done, clothes get picked up, arguing stops...in short, the Wheel produces great kids and a stress free environment! The mere presence of the Wheel will have a marked effect on your kids. Chances are, you'll seldom even have to spin it!

Get the Wheel!

Fossil Guessing Game

1. Make fossils using different or unusual objects. See theIdeas list if you need some suggestions. For younger kids, make the fossils fairly easy to recognize. For older kids, just use part of an object in creating the impression.

2. Put a number on the back of each fossil and make a list of what was used to create each impression.

3. Have the kids guess what made the fossil. Younger children can take turns guessing. Older children can make a list and see how many they get right.

Hints

Let an older sibling make the fossils if it is a game for a younger child's party.

If the fossils are difficult to guess, you could have the objects out and see if the kids can match the object to the fossil.

Have the kids make their own fossils. Then they can guess what the other children used to make the fossils.

Ideas for fossils:

1. Tire tracks from a Hot Wheels car.

2. Foot prints from a plastic animal.

3. Use the tines of a fork to create an impression of four lines.

4. Create a pebbly surface using the skin of an orange.

5. Coins (from different countries if possible).

6. Pieces of wool to create a look of fur (wouldn't be in a real fossil, but it looks good).

7. Make half circles using finger nails.

8. Create rectangles and squares using lego.

9. Use part of a running shoe foot print.

10. A piece of jewelry.

Posted to Ice Breakers | Outdoor Games | Children's Games

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Experience the thrill of well behaved kids overnight with this One-Of-A-Kind, Powerful New Parenting Tool! Watch as the Wheel of Better Behavior changes the atmosphere in your home overnight. It's guaranteed! Homework gets done, clothes get picked up, arguing stops...in short, the Wheel produces great kids and a stress free environment!

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Pictures of the comparisons of the sizes of   extinct and modern animals.

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Modern technology does not only let us enjoy the things that are in the present, but also things from the past. The software available, like Photoshop, helps us take a glimpse at what things looked like. Even though they still remain digital, they're pretty close to reality.

Roman Uchytel uses technology for this very reason. He uses Photoshop to show us a glimpse of things that have passed and most likely will never come back. To be more specific, he recreates prehistoric extinct species of animals as best as he can using the information that he has. And it's fair to say that he's been doing a pretty good job at it; he even published a book which you can find here.

For today's post, we show you only one of many of his series, where he compares the sizes of extinct species with their modern relatives and places them side by side. It's really surprising how some of the species were way bigger than you would've thought looking at their modern kin. So scroll on down and take a glimpse into the past!

More info: twitter.com | prehistoric-fauna.com | Facebook | Instagram

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37 Comparisons Of The Sizes Of Prehistoric Animal Ancestors And Their Modern Relatives By Roman Uchytel

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Modern technology does not only let us enjoy the things that are in the present, but also things from the past. The software available, like Photoshop, helps us take a glimpse at what things looked like. Even though they still remain digital, they're pretty close to reality.

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Observe the relationship between earthworms and lights.

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1. Dig in your backyard to collect your earthworms. If you can't find any in your yard, you can wait for a rainstorm (since they come out of the ground when it rains) or ask an adult to buy the worms from a bait and tackle shop.

2. Fill the bottom half of the shoebox with soil. If you don't have a shoebox, any type of box will do. Rectangular boxes, such as shoeboxes or gift boxes from a department store, work well.

3. Pour water in an empty spray bottle.

4. Spray the water to wet the soil a bit, so it's moist (lightly wet) instead of muddy. Earthworms love moisture, so it's a good idea to make the environment comfortable for them before beginning your experiment.

5. Consider what you know about earthworms. Where do they spend most of their time? Is it a dark place, or well-lit place? Write any notes in your notebook.

6. Using your notes from step 5, make a guess about whether you think the earthworms will like light or darkness the best, and why. Write this guess, called a hypothesis, in your notebook.

7. Do you think the earthworms will like bright light or red light better? Write down this guess in your notebook as well.

8. Take a small lamp and remove the shade. Shine the lamp over the right half of the shoebox by positioning it directly over the box.

9. Make sure the other half of the box remains dark so that you can watch which side the earthworms crawl to. This can be accomplished by laying an old black t-shirt over the left half of the box.

10. Place your earthworms in the center of the shoebox. Observe, or carefully watch, the earthworms' behavior for a few minutes.

11. Did the worms travel to the darker side of the box, or the brighter side of the box? Write or draw what you see in your notebook.

12. Remove the earthworms from the box.

13. Replace the 60 watt bulb from the lamp with a red light bulb.

14. Release the earthworms once again in the center of the shoebox. Again, watch how the earthworms move for a few minutes.

15. Did you see any differences in the way the earthworms reacted? Do they move toward the red light, or toward the darkness? Write or draw what you see in your notebook.

The earthworms will move away from the bright light and remain in the dark half of the clothing box throughout the experiment. However, when you switch to the red light, you may notice some of the worms in each half of the box. The earthworms don't seem to be affected by the red light the same way they were by the 60 watt light bulb.

Earthworms don't have eyes like we do. Instead, they can sense light through their skin. These natural light sensors let the earthworms know when they are getting too close to a bright light, such as the sun.

Earthworms try to stay out of sunlight because the heat from the sun dries out their skin. If an earthworm's skin becomes too dry, it wouldn't be able to breath, and it would die. The red light's more like a cloudy day to the earthworms. It isn't as bright as the white light, and therefore doesn't scare the earthworm like the regular bulb.

Continue this earthworms and light experiment by using different colored light bulbs. Do the earthworms like one color better than another? You can try yellow, blue, green, and even fluorescent light bulbs. Also, try testing a regular light bulb that isn't so bright. For example, you could use a string of holiday lights instead of the 60 watt light bulb. Does the intensity, or strength, of the light make a difference to the worm? Guessing what will happen and testing your hypothesis is a big part of being a scientist.

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Warning is hereby given that not all Project Ideas are appropriate for all individuals or in all circumstances. Implementation of any Science Project Idea should be undertaken only in appropriate settings and with appropriate parental or other supervision. Reading and following the safety precautions of all materials used in a project is the sole responsibility of each individual. For further information, consult your state's handbook of Science Safety.

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Earthworms and Light: Do Worms Prefer Darkness? | Science project | Education.com

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Dig in your backyard to collect your earthworms. If you can't find any in your yard, you can wait for a rainstorm (since they come out of the ground when it rains) or ask an adult to buy the worms from a bait and tackle shop.

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This video talks about how to classify vertebrate animals and how backbones help them

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Vertebrate Animals | Educational Video for Kids

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Students will watch the video to learn more about the plants structure and functions. They will then hypothesize about the environment of a plant based on it's structure.

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Parts of a Plant for Kids | Learn all about plant parts and their functions

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Students will watch a video on leaf sorting. Then they will gather a group of leaves and sort them how they want.

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Sorting One Group in Different Ways | Sorting & Matching Games for Kids | Kids Academy

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Students will Complete the worksheet to gain an understanding of the functions of a plants parts.

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Students will observe how the germination and sprouting process works through this video.

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Bean Time-Lapse - 25 days | Soil cross section

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Students will read this book on Friday to get an understanding of how plants survive in different environments.

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Instantly access How Do Plants Survive? plus over 40,000 of the best books & videos for kids.

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Mon: Students will read the chapter of the book that focuses on plants needs.
Fri: Students will read the chapter of the book that focuses on growth and reproduction of plants.

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instant access to thousands of great kids books.

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Instantly access 40,000 high-quality books for kids

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The leading digital library for kids offering unlimited access to 40,000 of the best children's books of all time. Sign up for a free 30 day trial to instantly access high-quality online books for kids, ebooks, audio books, quizzes, videos, and more.

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Students will identify the parts of a plant through the worksheet.

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In this video, children explore and compare chicken and butterfly life cycles through the development of scientific drawings or models

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Life Cycles of Different Animals | 3rd Science | Teaching In Room 9

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Have students fill out the venn diagram. One side for the animals’ life cycle, one side for the plants’ life cycle, and the middle for similar characteristics.

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Read students “The Very Hungry Caterpillar”. (Read aloud link below) After, have students choose any animal they want to learn about and write a few paragraphs on their life cycle.

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With this print out, the student will describe in their own words the cycle of a flowering plant. You can also change it to any plant’s life cycle depending on the lesson.

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This video is a time lapse showing the pea plants life cycle.

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Pea Plant Growing Time Lapse |  55 Days In 2 Minutes