Module8

Origin of biodiversity

MODULE 8- ORIGIN OF BIODIVERSITY

BIOLOGY 2

GLENDA A. TABO

INTRODUCTION

Organisms exhibit patterns of descent with modification from common ancestors and that evolution can
account for the organismal diversity observed today.

In this module, we will discuss the origin of biodiversity. Biodiversity is a scope of variation among living
organisms. It is important to review the characteristics of the different groups of organisms (animals,
plants, bacteria, fungi, and protists) before indulging with the origin of biodiversity.

Having knowledge of the different characteristics of organisms will lead us to trace the relatedness of
them. Knowing how they are related will allow us to be aware of how characteristics descend from
complex organisms to simpler ones and thus we become more appreciative to the Creator for giving us
understanding of the other organisms which co-existed with us.

OBJECTIVES

1. Review the characteristics of different animal groups.

2. Review the characteristics of different plant groups.
3. Review the characteristics of bacteria, protists, and fungi.
4. Define species according to the biological species concept.
5. Distinguish the various types of reproductive isolating mechanisms that can lead to speciation.
6. Discuss the different modes of speciation.
7. Explain how evolution produce the tremendous amount of diversity among organisms.

PRE-TEST (Attachment)

DISCUSSION

PART 1.

I. ANIMAL DIVERSITY

Animals are multicelled consumers that take food into their body, where they digest it and absorb the
released nutrients. An animal develops from an embryo to an adult. Most animals reproduce sexually,
some reproduce asexually , and some do both.

Different groups of animals is known as animal diversity. Environmental factors have encouraged
animal diversification. During the Cambrian, global climate warmed and the amount of oxygen in the
seas increased, making the environment more hospitable to animal life. Biological factors also have
encouraged animal diversification. After predatory animals arose, evolution of prey defenses, and
predators able to overcome these, would have been favoured. Duplications and divergence of genes
probably facilitated such modifications. Changes in these genes can have dramatic effects on body plans.
Before we deal with the animal family tree, let’s review some characteristics of major groups of animals.

Table 1. Characteristics of the major phyla of animals

MAJOR Prese SYMMET Protosto Digestive Coelo Circula Metame Special
PHYLA nce RY me/ tract m t ory r ism/ Characters
of Deuteros System Segment
Tissu t ome ation
es
PORIFERA x asymme Intracellu Aquatic;
t l ar porous;
rical digestion hermaphr
odite; with
choanocyt es

CNIDARIA / radial Gastrova Aquatic; with

s cular cnidocytes ;
cavity medusa and
polyp;
PLATYHELM / Bilateral Protosto Gastrova Acoel Dorsoventrall
I NTHES me s cular om y flattened; in
cavity seas or
freshwater
; some
parasites;
hermaphr
odite

NEMATODA / Bilateral Protosto Complete Pseud none nonsegme

me ocoel nted
o roundwor ms;
m in seas,
freshwater
, damp
soil; most
parasitic

ANNELIDA / Bilateral Protosto Complete + closed + Segmente d

me roundwor ms

MOLLUSCA / Bilateral Protosto Complete + Softbodied;

me with head,
foot, mantle;
with radula

(teeth)

ARTHROPO / Bilateral Protosto complete + Open + With jointed

DA me legs; with
exoskeleto n;
compound
eyes;
antennae;
metamorp
hosis

ECHINODER / Bilateral Deuteros complete + With water

MATA (most t ome vascular
adults system; and
radial) endoskelet
on;
CHORDATA / bilateral Deuteros complete + Closed + With
t ome notochord,
dorsal hollow
nerve
cord, gill
slits,muscu lar
tail

Give the importance of each phylum of animals.

PHYLUM PORIFERA IMPORTANCE (positive) IMPORTANCE (Negative)
CNIDARIA

PLATYHELMINTHES

NEMATODA

ANNELIDA

MOLLUSCA

ARTHROPODA

ECHINODERMATA

CHORDATA

THE FOLLOWING FIGURES SHOW THE DIVERSITY OF ANIMALS AND THEIR PARTS.

PHYLUM PORIFERA (Sponges)

A. Definition of Terms:
1. Choanocytes-
2. Collar cells – 3. Spongocoel – 4. Amoebocytes –
5. Spicules –
6. Osculum-

B. Characteristics:
 Fig. 1. Parts of a typical sponge, showing the spongocoel and choanocyte

Fig. 2. Different types of canal system in sponges

Fig. 3. Classes of Phylum Porifera A) Calcarea B) Hexactinellida C) Demospongiae

PHYLUM CNIDARIA

A. Definition of Terms:
 1.

Cnodocytes2.

Nematocysts-
3. Gastrovascular
cavity4. Polyp5. Medusa6.
Gonangium-
7. Hydranth B.

Characteristics:

Fig. 4. Anatomy of cnidarians with gastrovascular cavity and nematocysts

 Fig. 5. Life cycle of a cnidarian, Obelia

Fig. 6. Classes under Phylum Cnidara A) Hydrozoa ,B) Scyphozoa, C)Anthozoa, D) Cubozoa

PHYLUM PLATYHELMINTHES

Fig. 6. A) Anatomy of flatworms B) Classes under Platyhelminthes, Class Cestoda, Class Turbellaria, Class

Trematoda

A. Definition of Terms:
1. Scolex-
2. Proglottids-
3. Hermaphrodite B. Characteristics:
PHYLUM NEMATHELMINTHES

Fig. 7. A) Anatomy of a nematode B) Class Nematoda

A. Characteristics:

PHYLUM ANNELIDA

A. Definition of Terms:
1.

Setae2.

Clitellum-
3. Parapodia-

B. Characteristics:
Fig. 8. A) Anatomy of an oligochaete, B) Classes under Phylum Annelida- Class Polychaeta, Class

Oligochaeta, Class Hirudinea

PHYLUM MOLLUSCA

A. Definition of Terms:
1.

Foot2.

Mantle-
3. Visceral mass-
4. Radula5. Nachre (nacre)
B. Characteristics:

Fig.
9. A) Anatomy of a snail B) Classes under Phylum Mollusca- Class Scaphopoda, Class Polyplacophora,

Class Cephalopoda, Class Bivalvia, Class Gastropoda

PHYLUM ARTHROPODA

Fig. 10. Arthropod diversity

A. Definition of terms: 1.
Thorax2.
Cephalothorax3.
Open circulatory
system
4. Tracheal system5.

Malpighian tubules B.

Characteristics:
 Fig.11. Diversity in insects

PHYLUM ECHINODERMATA

A. Definition of terms:
1. Water vascular system-
2. Madreporite-
3. Tubefeet4. Radial symmetry-
5. Ampulla-
6. HoldfastB. Characteristics:
 Fig. 12. A) Anatomy of a starfish B) Classes under Phylum Echinodermata- Class Echinoidea, Class

Holothuroidea, Class Ophiuroidea, Class Crinoidea, Class Asteroidea

PHYLUM CHORDATA

A. Definition of Terms:
1. Notochord-
2. Pharyngeal slits3. Excurrent siphon-
4. Incurrent siphon-
B. Characteristics:

Fig. 13. A) Anatomy of a lancelet B) Tunicate

Fig. 14. A) Subphylum Urochordata B) Subphylum Cephalochordata C) Subphylum Vertebrata- Class

Agnatha, Class Osteichthyes, Class Chondrichthyes, Class Amphibia, Class Reptilia, Class Aves,

Class Mammalia

Fig. 15. Types of mammals A) Egg-laying B) Marsupials C) Placental mammals How

are amphibians different from reptiles?

Give the difference between the types of mammals.

Table 2. Major Orders of Mammals

ORDERS CHARACTERISTICS EXAMPLES
Artiodactyla Deer

Carnivora Cats, lions, tigers, dogs, cheetah

Chiroptera Bats

Cetacea Whales

Edentata Sloths

Insectivora Moles, shrews, hedgehogs

Lagomorpha Rabbits

Perissodactyla Horses

Pholidota Pangolin

Primates Monkeys, Apes, Man…

Proboscidea Elephants

Rodentia Mice

Sirenia Manatees, dugongs

Tubulidentata Aardvark

Ungulata Giraffe
Can you give the characteristics of each order that makes them different with other orders?
 Fig. 16. Characteristics of primates

How are humans different from other members of the Order Primates? How are they similar?

Fig. 17. Phylogenetic tree of primates

Fig. 18. Phylogenetic tree of animals

Can you determine which group of animals is mostly related? In what basis?

II. PLANT DIVERSITY

Plants are the major producers on land and thus serve as an important food source for both animals
and fungi. Plants are a lineage of land-dwelling, multicelled, photosynthetic eukaryotes. They
evolved from freshwater green algae and share many traits with the group. All plants have an
alternation of generations, meaning their life cycle alternates between haploid and diploid
multicelled bodies. The diploid generation is called the sporophyte, produces spores by meiosis. A
plant spore is a single diploid cell that undergoes mitosis and develops into the multi-celled, haploid
generation. The haploid gametophyte produces gametes by mitosis. Gametes unite at fertilization
to form a zygote that will develop into a diploid sporophyte.

Plants are classified into vascular and non vascular according to presence or absence of conducting
elements such as tracheids and sieve plates. Non vascular plants include mosses and liverworts.
Vascular plants include those that produce seeds and those which do not. Seedless plants include
ferns, horsetails, and club mosses. Angiosperms and gymnosperms produce seeds. Gymnosperms
include pine trees, fir trees, spruce and other evergreen trees. Angiosperms include monocots and
dicots. Monocots have parallel leaves while dicots have netted-vein leaves.

Fig. 19. Classification of plants (1)

What gave seed plants an adaptive advantage over spore-bearing plants?

What are gymnosperms?

What are angiosperms?

In the figure below, plants are classified according to flowering or nonflowering and seed-bearing and
nonseed-bearing. Non-flowering and non-seed-bearing plants are classified as Cryptogame while
flowering and seed-bearing plants are Phanerogams. Cryptogams are the thallophytes, bryophytes, and
pteridophytes. Phanerogams include conifers (pine trees), cycadophytes (cycads), and angiosperms.
Those that produce thallus- no roots, stems, or leaves) include algae, fungi, and lichens.

Fig.20. Classification of plants (2)

What are algae? Fungi? Lichens? Give their characteristics and ecological importance.

In the figure below, plants are further classified and described.

 Fig. 21. Classification of plants (3)

Give the importance of the different groups of plants.

Fig. 22. Different groups of plants A) bryophytes B)liverworts C) hornworts D) clubmosses E) horsetails

F) ferns G) conifers H) cycads I) ginkgo

Fig. 23. Comparison between monocots and dicots

Is Rafflesia a plant? Justify your answer.

Fig. 24. Rafflesia arnoldii

III. BACTERIA – unicellular, prokaryotic, organisms that lack organelles or other internal
membrane –bound structures. They do not have nucleus but a single chromosome- a piece
of circular, double-stranded DNA located in an area of the cell called the nucleoid.

Fig.25.A) Anatomy of a bacterium B) Bacterial culture C) Staphylococcus aureus

IV. PROTISTS- include the microscopic single-celled eukaryotes living in pondwater, as well as
very large multicellular species, such as kelps.
 Fig. 26. A) Anatomy of a Paramecium B) Green algae C) Trichomonas vaginalis

V. FUNGI- They were once considered plant-like organisms; however DNA comparisons have
shown that fungi are more closely related to animals than plants. Fungi are eukaryotes and
have a complex cellular organization. They play an essential role in ecosystems because they
are decomposers and participate in the cycling of nutrients by breaking down organic
materials into simple molecules.

Fig. 27. Anatomy of a fungus

Fig.
28.

Groups of fungi: A) Myxomycetes B) Zygomycetes C) Ascomycetes D) Chytridiomycetes E)

Basidiomycetes F) Deuteromycetes

ASSIGNMENT

1. Give the characteristics of bacteria, protists, and fungi by completing the table below.
Bacteria Protozoan Algae Fungi

Characteristics

MorphologyShap
e

Reproduction

Classes/ Groups
 Importance

REFERENCES

Basco-Tiamson, M.E. Z. (Phil. Ed.). 2016. General Biology 2. OpenStax College. Vibal Group.

Duka, I.M.A., N.A.B. Bascos, M.G.Q. Diaz, I.K.C. Fontanilla, M.C.C. Manuel, E.P. Quijano Jr. , and S.R.M.

Tabugo. 2016. General Biology 2- Teaching Guide for Senior High School. Quezon City:

Commission on Higher Education.

Starr, C., C. Evers, and L. Starr. 2016. Biology Today and Tomorrow with Physiology. Singapore: Cengage

Learning Asia Pte Ltd.

PART II.