Natural History of Vertebrates
List of Terms
Chapter 2 - Vertebrate Relationships and Basic Structure

The following are terms that you should look up. You should be able to define each term and give a clear, specific example of each. Most of these terms are in your textbook, some will be presented in lecture, and others may come from your previous course work. A good investment at this point in your career would be the investment in one or more dictionaries which are specific to biology. One dictionary that I would recommend is "A Dictionary of Ecology, Evolution and Systematics" (second edition) by Lincoln, Boxshall and Clark. It is published by Cambridge University Press and the ISBN number is 0 521 43842 for the paperback version.

Taxonomic terms may be the scientific names or common names associated with various groups of organisms. Generic names are capitalized and in italics. Scientific names for families or higher are capitalized. Common names start with lower case letters.

I will use these terms in lecture at various times throughout the semester and will expect you to know them. They may also appear on tests. It would be a very good idea to include a section in your notes where you write out the definitions to these terms.

List of Terms		Taxonomic Terms
ancestral primitive teleology notochord muscular postanal tail pharyngeal slits endostyle cranium Hox genes neural crest quadroblastic basal metabolic rate blastopore spiral cleavage radial cleavage paedomorphosis neoteny progenesis heterochrony allorecognition myomeres conodont filter feeding apatite dentine enamel pharynx calcitonin preadaptation zygote embryogenesis organogenesis gastrulation ectoderm endoderm mesoderm neural crest coelom pleuroperitoneal cavity pericardial cavity pharngula integument epidermis dermis hypodermis dermal bone endochondral bone endochondral ossification perichondral ossification cartilage dermal ossification axial skeleton appendicular skeleton vertebrae vertebral skeleton myomeres striated muscle smooth muscle cardiac muscle mouth esophagus stomach small intestine large intestine cecum rectum anus cutaneous respiration ventilation trachea larynx alveolus closed circulatory system amniote nephron hermaphrodite oviparity viviparity peripheral nervous system central nervous system spinal cord sympathetic nervous system parasympathetic nervous system hormone		Chordata Vertebrata Urochordata Cephalochordata Hemichordata Deuterostomata Protostomata Pikia Branchiostoma amphioxus (lancet) tunicate ostracoderm hagfish lamprey Haikouella Coelomata

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Last updated on 22 January 2008
Provide comments to Dwight Moore at dmoore@emporia.edu
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