COMPARATIVE ANATOMY LECTURE NOTES
LECTURE 1 Origin and Diversity
LECTURE 2 Diversity and Phylogeny
LECTURE 3 Diversity and Phylogeny
LECTURE 4 Biological Design
LECTURE 5 Life History
LECTURE 6 The integument
LECTURE 7 Cranial skeletons
LECTURE 8 Post-cranial skeletons
LECTURE 9 Muscles
LECTURE 10 The Respiratory System
LECTURE 11 The Circulatory System
LECTURE 12 The Digestive System
LECTURE 13 The Urogenital System
LECTURE 14 The Endocrine System
LECTURE 15 The Nervous System
LECTURE 16 Senseory organs
Introduction, Origin and Diversity
Comparative anatomy is a subject about forms, their functions, and their evolution.
functionstructures / similar / different
similar / phylogeny
/convergence
/parallelism / evolution
different / independent evolution
/convergence / nothing to compare
As Mayr put it, biology is a mixture of two quite distinct realms: functional biology is reducable to the level of physical sciences; while historical biology is not reducable; it has to be considered in terms of phylogeny, and the unique evolutionary history of the group being studied.
Generally, disciplines in biology belong to only one realm. Biochemistry, physiology, and molecular biology are examples of the functional biology; examples of historical biology are topics such as systematics, genetics, and evolution.
Comparative anatomy is one of the few disiplines whose explanations are partly functional and partly historical. A state found in an organism is determined not only by the physical aspects of the design, but is determined also by the history of the lineages. Physical part is a universal phenomenon, but the history of the organism is unique.
terms and concepts
phylogeny: inheritance
evolution: modification and inheritance
convergence: found in distantly related groups; evolved independently.
parallelism: found in closely related groups; evolved independently.
independent evolution/convergence: unrelated groups
Names and events:
1. evolution
Carolus Linnaeus (1707-1778): species unchanged; used characters to group organisms
Jean Baptiste de Lamarck (1744-1829): progressive change of characters (and species) dictated by use or disuse
Alfred Russel Wallace (1823-1913): survival of the fittest
Charles Darwin (1809-1882): survival of the fittest, tree of life
2. morphology/comparative methods
Georges Cuvier (1769-1832): form and function/comparative methods/species immutable
Richard Owen (1804-1892): archetypes/homology
Morphological concepts receive information from anatomy, physiology,
receive insights from phylogeny and paleontology
Functions and Biological Role
Preadaptation: structures evolve not with a purpose, but with a 'potential'
Remodeling: evolution is not about inventing new things, it is mainly about switching/alteration
pharyngeal slits: filter-feeding; gills: gas exchange
fins: balance; limb: propulsion; fore-limbs: grasping, making gestures
Phylogeny is based on cladistic methods. Phylogeny is not a fact, but a hypothesis that is constantly being challenged.
homology can be ancestral (primitive) or evolved (derived)
only shared derived homology (synapomorphy) diagnoses a monophyletic group
Analysis of vertebrate design, three steps
1. THE QUESTION: not so easy as it sounds. Use tools to help define the questions, such as dissection, taxonomy,
2. THE FUNCTION: detect and describe performance using various recording techniques
3. BIOLOGICAL ROLE: pronghorn's high speed not for escaping predator, but to move between scattered resources.
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Diversity and Phylogeny
Chordate Phylogeny
determine primitive and derived characteristics
discover monophyletic groups
understand character evolution
Phylum Chordata
Urochordata
Cephalochordata
Craniata (Vertebrata)
Synapomorphies
Chordata: notochord, pharyngeal slits, endostyle, dorsal hollow nerve cord, postanal tail
Urochordata,
Cephalochordata
Craniata (Vertebrata): vertebral column(vertebral column is a new structure), head
Back-trace our ancestor From Homo sapiens:
Homo sapiens
Primates (other monkeys and apes added)
Mammalia (other hairy beasts added)
Amniota (reptiles added)
Tetrapoda (amphibians added)
Sarcopterygia (lungfish and coelacanth added)
Osteichthyes (actinopterygians added)
Gnathostomes (chondrichthyians added)
Vertebrates (lampreys added)
Craniata (hagfish added)
Chordata (cephalochordates and urochordates added)
Agnatha: a term for hagfish and lamprey combined
Gnathostomes
Chondrichthyes
Osteichthyes
Actinopterygii
Sarcopterygii
Actinistia
Choanata
Dipnoi
Tetrapoda
(early tetrapods)
Amphibia
Amniotes
Reptilia
Testudines
Diapsida
Archosauria (Croc and birds)
Squamates
Mammalia
Monotremes
Theria
Metatheria
Eutheria
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Biological Design
Size:
relationships among length, area, and volume
surface area: chewing, intestinal absorption, breathing, capillaries
volume and mass: increase in mass compared to surface area
Shape:
alter length, area, and volume as animal change in size
allometry
Biomechanics
units and derived quantities
metric units
velocity, acceleration, force, power, work, pressure
torques and levers
life on land: gravity
life in fluid:
dynamic fluids: drag, boundary layer
Reynolds number: Re = ρlU / μ
ρ: density; l: shape and size; U: velocity through fluid; μ: viscosity
strength of material
forces acting on body: compression, tension, shear
Biomaterials response to stress, failure
Other physical processes important in anatomy
diffusion and exchange: pressures /partial pressure; countercurrent exchange
optics, depth perception, accommodation
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Life History
ontogeny: from fertilization, to death of individuals
embryology: from fertilization to birth, hatching
1. fertilization: the union of sperm and egg
yolk contents differs: microlecithal, mesolecithal, macrolecithal
2. cleavage: cell division
cleavage pattern differs: holoblastic, meroblastic, discoidal
yolk contents affect cleavage patterns
3. Gastrulation and Neurulation
a. the formation of blastocoel
b. the formation of blastopore
c. the formation of gut (gastrocoel):
cell movements: epibody, involution, invagination, delamination, ingression
d. the formation of neural tube (spinal cord)
e. formation of three germ layers
f. the formation of coelom:
4. organogenesis
a. histogenesis: epithelium, connective tissue
b. organs
c. neural crest and ectodermal placodes
5. extraembryonic membranes (amniotes)
amnion, chorion(ectoderm), allantois, yolk sac (endoderm)
6. maturation and metamorphosis
heterochrony can explain many of the morphological diversity
a. peramorphosis
b. paedomorphosis
7. biogenetic law and von Baer's law
a. biogenetic law (recapitulation, Haeckel): ancestor's form reappears in the ontogeny of descedents
b. von Baer's law: the resemblance between embryos of ancestors and descendents.
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The integument
the most prominent and important organ
the first defense
the most versatile organ
the most conspicuous
from ectoderm and mesoderm (dermatome)
dermal scales and unicellular glands
placoid scale, cosmoid scale, ganoid scale (only enamel), teleost scale (only lamellar bone)
epidermal scales and multicellular glands
keratinized structures
reptile scale
skin lack many glands
bird feather
uropygial gland
mammal hair and glands
glands: sebacous, wax, sweat, mammary lagnds
Teeth:
specializations of the integuments
a. nails, claws, hooves
b. horns and antlers
c. baleen
d. scales
e. dermal armor
f. mucus
g. color: melanophores, iridophores, erythrophores
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Cranial skeletons
the skeletal system: exoskeleton and endoskeleton
skull (cranium): from different phylogenetic and embryonic sources
splanchnocranium (visceral skeleton)
chondrocranium: endochondral bone or cartilage
dermatocranium: dermal bones
chondrocranium: floor and lateral side of brain; mostly fused to other elements, occipital series remains
splanchnocranium: from branchial arches
arch: pharyngobranchial, epibranchial, ceratobranchial, hypobranchial, basibranchial
origin of jaws:
serial theory, from an original 7 arches, 1st becomes mandibular, 2nd becomes hyoid
composite theory: 10 or more arches, complex loss and fusion forms the jaws
types of jaw attachment: how mandible (lower jaw) is attached to the skull
paleostylic: agnathans, no attachment
euautostylic: placoderms and acanthodians; to skull
hyostylic: most groups; through hyoid arch and derivatives
caniostylic: mammals, to dermal bones
dermatocranium:
facial
orbital
temporal
vault
palatal
mandibular
Phylogeny of the Skull
Jawless vertebrates: well developed sense organs, not predaceous
Gnathostomes:
placoderms: predators, skull heavily ossified
Chondrichthyans: predators, mandible and upper jaw movement
Actinopterygians: head specialized for feeding
suspensorium: causing the jaw to protrude
Sarcopterygians
Tetrapods: internal nares, flattened skull
suction feeding, buccal pumping
Amniotes:
skull fenestra: for jaw movement and closing
skull kinesis
tongue in chameleon
mammals: turbinates, tongue, secondary palate, middle ear bones
functions of skulls
prey capture
in water: suction feeding and suspension feeding
in air: swallowing
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Post-cranial skeletons
Axial skeleton: notochord and vertebral column combined to define the long axis of body; for
muscle attachment, prevent telescoping of the body, and support.
vertebrae:
general morphology: neural arch, interneural arch, centra, hemal arch
regionalization: atlas, axis, cervical, thoracic, lumbar, sacral, postsacral, caudal
Centrum: shape
an important structure for phylogenetic reconstruction
Ribs: between myoseptum
dorsal and ventral
bicipital: capitulum, to parapophysis, and tuberculum to diapophysis
sternum: endochondral
Gastralia: abdominal ribs
Phylogeny
regionalization, lateral processes
Appendicular system
Fins: pectoral, pelvic
fin rays: ceratotrichia (keratinized in elasmobranch), lepidotrichia (chondrified or bony in bony fish)
LImbs
stylopodium, zeugopodium, autopodium
Origin of paired fins
gill arch theory
fin-fold theory
Limbs and girdles
pelvic girdle: endochondral
pectoral girdle: dual origin, both endochondral and dermal
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Muscles
movement, heat production, electric organs
classification of muscles
skeletal
cardiac
smooth
structures of skeletal muscles
muscle cells; muscle organ, tendons (aponeurosis, fascia)
Muscle contraction:
tension-length curve for single muscle fiber
properties of muscle fibers
1. color: myoglobin
2. tonic and twitch fibers (tab 10.1)
Whole muscle contraction: combination of passive and active tension
Graded force: by rate modulation, or selective contraction of motor units.
Maximum force proportional to cross section area of muscle
fiber orientation: parallel or pinnate muscles
velocity of shortening: long muscle fibers
distance of shortening:
Bone-msucle lever system: near point of rotation, for speed; away from point of rotation, for strength
Muscle homologies
attachment similarity
functional similarity
nervous innervation
embryology (?)
embryonic origins
1. mesenchyme: smooth muscles of blood vessel walls
2. hypomere: smooth muscle of guts, to cardiace muscles
3. paraxial mesoderm: skeletal muscles
somites: in the trunk
somitomeres: in the head
cranial musculature
jaw and pharyngeal: hypobranchial muscles fro trunk somites; and branchiomeric musculature from head somitomeres.
extrinsic eye muscles: three fomitomeres
Postcranial musculature
differentiation of epaxial and hypaxial muscles
appendicular musculature: dorsal and ventral muscles, all from myotome
tetrapod pectoral and forelimb muscles from
branchiomeric
axial musculature
dorsal muscles
ventral muscles
tetrapod pelvic muscles from dorsal and ventral muscles
Cranial musculature
branchiomeric musculature: mandibular, hyoid, and branchial arches
hypobranchial
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The Respiratory System
diffusion not enough for large animals which have more oxygen demands.
The rate of diffusion depends on surface area, distance, and the resistance to diffusion by the tissue.
Also important is the partial oxygen pressure. In warm and stagnant water, the oxygen may come out of the body.
Respiratory organs:
Gills: internal gills: pharyngeal slits, interbranchial septum, operculum
external gills
Lungs: trachea, glottis, bronchi, bronchioles, dead space, tidal volume
Gas bladders: pneumatic duct
cutaneous respiration
accessory air-breathing organs:
ventilation mechanisms
cilia: not for ventilation, but for clearing tract and surface.
muscular mechanisms
1. water ventilation: dual pump
2. air ventilation: buccal pump
3. air ventilation: aspiration pump
Lamprey: ammocoete: velum ventilation; adults: in and out through gill openings
hagfish: velum movement, and then from nostril to pharynx
elasmobranchs: holobranch and hemibranch, spiracle
bony fish
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The Circulatory System
cardiovascular system: from mesoderm
blood
blood vessels: arteries, veins, and capillaries
blood pessure and circulation
microcirculation
single and double circulation
heart: from mesoderm; self-contractile, promote the formation of vessels.
Phylogeny
ventral aorta, aortic arches, external carotids, dorsal aorta, internal carotids, aorta, caudal arteries (paired parietal arteries, subclavian, iliac, genital, renal
portal system: hepatic and renal
basic pattern: shark example
aortic arches
heart
venous system: systemic system: three pairs in embryos: vitelline veins, cardinals, lateral abdominals
hepatic portal system: from veins of the digestive tract
Heart:
sinus venosus, sinoatrial valve, atrium; atrioventricular valve; ventricle, conus arteriosus, semilunar valve
hagfish with heart (branchial heart) and other accessory hearts (caudal, portal, cardinal)
amphibians with spiral valves in conus
special circumstances
accessory air-breathing organs: to air bladder, gut
diving: bradycardia (decreased heart rate), anaerobic metabolism increases; microcirculation changes
embryo circulations:
umbilical vein: oxy blood away from placenta to liver, half to liver, other half to ductus venosus to hepatic vein. blood in the hepatic vain joins two cava to right atrium, not to pulmonary artery, most through ductus arteriosus to dorsal aorga; in heart, foramen ovale allows most blood to left atrium
at birth: placental circulation ceases, neonate lung expand,
rise in blood oxygen stimulate the contraction of muscle in ductus arteriosus and closing it and becomes ligamentum arteriosum.
more blood in lungs, and more blood returns to left atrium, closing of the septum of foramen ovale.
ductus venosus forms from the original umbilical vein.
heat transfer: dolphin, bear skin, sinus in ungulates and carnivores
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The Digestive System
digestive tracts and digestrive glands
components
buccal cavity
palate
teeth
tongue
alimentary canal
esophagus
stomach
intestines
cloaca
specializations in the alimentary canal
glands
oral glands
liver
pancreas
functions
absorption
food processing
fermentation
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The Urogenital System
Structure of the mammalian kidney
medulla, cortex, calyx, pelvis, ureter, to urinary bladder, urethra.
uriniferous tubule in cortex, loops and tubules in medulla
uriniferous tubules
nephron (nephric tubule):
glomerulus
renal capsule (Bowman's capsule)
proximal, intermediate, and distal tubules
collecting tubule:
Pronephros: transitional
mesonephros: embryos, in adult amphibians called opisthonephros
metanephros: adult kidney in amniotes, duct is the ureter.
kidney phylogeny
lampreys and hagfish: anterior aglomerular pronephros (to coelom); posterior glomerular tubules to pronephric duct (archinephric duct)
most fish: pronephros functional for some time, most fish's pronephros degenerate, adn replaced with a mesonephros and into opisthonephros
Tetrapods: opisthonephros:
amniotes: embryo kidney is the mesonephros,
only mammals and some birds have loops to produce urine with concentrations greater than blood
bird loops are independently evolved
Kidney function
removing nitrogeninous waste: uricotelism, ammonotelism, ureotelism
osmoregulation: water and salt: osmoconformer and osmoregulators
water elimination: hyperosmotic animals in freshwater: filtration kidney
water conservation: hot-dry and sea: eliminate filtration need (aglomerular kidney)
REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM
Mammalian reproductive system
genital ridge from splanchnic mesoderm; germ cells form from extraembryonic endoderm. female in cortex, male in medulla
mesonephric duct: wolffian duct: vas deference
mullerian duct: oviduct
female reproductive system
ovary: hormone and ova, mesovarium
genital duct:
hag and lamprey: eggs into coelom and through secondary pores to cloaca or anus.
elasmobranchs: mullerian duct into funnel shell gland, isthmus, uterus; archinephric duct drains opisthonephric kidney
bony fish: most have a new ovarian duct, not from mullerian duct
amphibians: both ducts normal
amniotes: metanephric duct is the ureter; oviduct persist, arthinephric duct rudimentary
oviducts
uterus
Male reproductive system
testis, mesorchium
cyclostome: no ducts, archinephric duct only urine
elasmobranchs: rudimentary mullerian; accessory urinary duct for kieney; archinephric duct for sperm (vas deferens)