ome
of the Clermont Biology students at the picnic
decided to go for a hike and explore the farm. They tried to make a list of
all the plants and animals they saw, but soon realized there were so many,
they couldn’t possibly list them all. Thus, they decided to include just
the most “interesting” or “unusual” plants and animals on their list, and to
try to find representatives of as many taxonomic categories as possible.
They were able to find members of all the kingdoms except Kingdom Monera
(the bacteria), but they knew that was just because bacteria are too small
to see without a microscope. In the creek, they found algae in Kingdom
Protista, and in the woods, they saw mushrooms in Kingdom Fungi. In Kingdom
Plantae, they saw everything from moss and ferns to pine trees, grass, and
maple trees. In Kingdom Animalia, they found earthworms, snails, spiders,
fish, a toad and a box turtle, many kinds of birds and mammals, and lots and
lots of ants.
Taxonomy of Various Groups of Organisms
The Taxonomic Hierarchy
Biologists group/classify all living organisms into five
(for our purposes, anyway) big groups called “kingdoms,” and into various
levels of sub-categories within those kingdoms. This ranking system is not
a totally static thing, for especially at the lower levels, organisms may
be re-classified within a different group as new information becomes
available. The levels in this hierarchy are:
- Kingdom
- Phylum (notes: plural is “Phyla,” botanists use “Division” instead)
- Class
- Order
- Family
- Genus (note: plural is “Genera”)
The taxonomic hierarchy was developed by Carolus Linnaeus,
who also came up with the idea of using the genus and species names as an
organism’s scientific name. While an organism’s common name might
vary from language to language, or even among different regions of a
country, the scientific name is one, standard, Latin name used around the
world for that organism. For example, Homo sapiens is the scientific
name for humans. “Homo” is the genus and “sapiens” is the
species. Genus names always begin with a capital letter (like Homo)
whereas species names are always lower case (like sapiens). After
being stated in full at least once in a publication, it is then acceptable
to abbreviate the genus name by using just the first letter. Thus, for
example, someone might be writing about the bacterium Escherichia coli
and in a subsequent sentence or paragraph, refer to that as E. coli.
Since these names are Latin, therefore a foreign language when used in a
publication that is otherwise in English, Spanish, German, Chinese, Arabic,
or whatever, they properly should be italicized, as they have been here
(though that is a bit harder to see with Arial font). Newspaper and
magazine journalists are notorious for getting it all wrong! I’ve seen
everything from not using italics to putting a hyphen in the middle of
E. coli, to not using proper capitalization, etc., etc. If you are
hand-writing a scientific name, the proper thing to do is to underline it
to show the italics, so for example, Homo
sapiens.
Kingdom Monera
 |
Pneumonia
bacteria |
This kingdom includes various kinds organisms which are commonly
called bacteria (note: “bacterium” is singular, “bacteria” is plural – make
sure to use the proper, matching verbs, etc.).
Some kinds have chlorophyll and can do photosynthesis, and
those are called blue-green algae. They all are microscopic, one-celled
organisms. Their cell structures are fairly simple, without many of the
interior membranes that cells in the other kingdoms possess. One of the
most significant differences is that members of Kingdom Monera do not possess
a true nucleus in their cells. They are called
prokaryotic cells
or prokaryotes
because while they do have DNA, typically grouped into one, circular chromosome,
that genetic material is not enclosed within a nuclear envelope liked
cells of organisms within the other kingdoms. (Those cells with a true
nucleus surrounded by a nuclear envelope are called
eukaryotic cells
or eukaryotes.)
Many biologists now split the Monera into several kingdoms
based on slightly different cell structures, but for our purposes, we will
simplify things by continuing to regard them as one kingdom.
Some kinds of bacteria are beneficial to humans. For example
Lactobacillus acidophilus turns milk into yogurt. Some are
harmful, such as Staphylococcus aureus, which causes staph (note the
spelling!) infections. (As a reminder, hopefully you remember reading about
the problem with overuse of antibiotics “causing” antibiotic-resistant
bacteria, as discussed on the
immune system
Web page.) Overall, there are far more beneficial or neutral bacteria in
the world around us than the harmful ones about which we hear so much
in the news.
Kingdom Protista
 |
A photo, taken by Dr. Fankhauser,
of a prepared slide
of blood cells infected with Plasmodium vivax |
This kingdom includes some one-celled organisms such as
Amoeba, Paramecium, and Euglena, which you may have
studied in junior- or senior-high school biology. It also includes a number
of colonial and multicellular organisms such as various types of algae
and seaweed. A number of types of seaweed, such as nori and kelp, are used
by humans as food, and because they come from the ocean, they are high in a
number of minerals, notably iodine. Perhaps one of the “strangest” uses for
a protist is the gynecological use of Laminaria sp. This seaweed
is harvested from the ocean, rolled up (like cinnamon sticks?), and dried.
When a gynecologist needs to dilate a woman’s cervix to access her uterus,
rather than quickly forcing the cervix open with medical instruments, a
much gentler, more comfortable method is to place a piece of rolled-up
Laminaria into the woman’s cervical opening a day or so before the
scheduled procedure. As the Laminaria gradually absorbs some of the
woman’s body fluids, it slowly expands, thereby gently enlarging the
opening of the cervix.
There are also a few protists that are parasites which invade humans’ bodies
and cause disease. One which has been in the news lately is Plasmodium
vivax, the parasite which causes
malaria.
P. vivax has a complex life cycle, spending part of its life in the
gut of a mosquito. Then, when the mosquito bites a person to suck his/her
blood, some of the P. vivax parasites are transferred into the
person’s bloodstream. From there, the parasites invade red blood cells (RBCs)
and reproduce, killing those RBCs which they have invaded, thus potentially
causing anemia. The newly-produced parasites go find other RBCs to invade,
and the cycle continues. Malaria is a major problem in some tropical areas
of the world, including large portions of Africa. Many babies and young children,
as well as pregnant women, die from malaria, and it is not uncommon for young
children to come down with and need to be treated for malaria perhaps even
several times within one year — if medical care is available where they live.
Recently, in an effort to reduce the incidence of malaria, a number of
organizations are working together to provide bed nets to people in areas
where malaria is common. Because it is not unusual for several family members
to share a mattress/bed at night, by blocking mosquitoes from reaching those
people, one bed net can, thus, save several
lives.
Kingdom Fungi
 |
| A photo, taken by Dr. Fankhauser,
of Amanita muscari |
This kingdom includes things like various kinds of mold,
many species of mushrooms, and yeast. Some of these, such as mushrooms,
are “good” because they are decomposers and break dead trees, etc. back down
into soil so more, new trees can grow. Many mushrooms are edible, and are
considered to be a delicacy. Other mushrooms secrete chemicals which make
them deadly toxic, while still other mushrooms secrete chemicals which have
mind-altering effects. Amanita muscari (Fly Agaric) is a mushroom
which is probably familiar-looking to anyone who likes to read fairy tales
(or who is familiar with Smurfs) — it has a bright red (or orangish) cap
specked with white flecks. Any “official” government-type Web site will
state that they are deadly toxic, while counterculture Web sites mention
that they are hallucinogenic
Some fungi, such as bakers’/brewers’
yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisia), used in making bread, beer, and wine,
as well as Penicillium roqueforti, used to make Roquefort and blue
cheese, are of significant economic importance to humans. Some, such as
Penicillium notatum, are used as a source of life-saving drugs (P.
notatum is the source of penicillin.).
Other fungi, such as Candida albicans, are considered to be “bad”
because they are parasitic, causing things like athelete’s foot, vaginal
“yeast” infections, thrush, and other similar skin and mucus membrane
problems.
Fungi are referred to as being organisms which absorb their food. They
typically secrete digestive enzymes into their environment, then absorb
the resulting nutrients.
Kingdom Plantae
Many of the members of this kingdom are of great economic
significance to humans and have served as extremely important food sources
for just about all of human history. Plants also serve as sources of
paper, wood for building, fiber for cloth, and various drugs (both legal and
illegal). A major characteristic of plants is that they possess chlorophyll
and do photosynthesis, thereby capturing the energy of sunlight and turning
it into a form usable as food, directly or indirectly, by humans and most
other animals on earth. Some of the major subgroups
include:
- Division Bryophyta (Mosses)
 |
| Moss |
- These have no true roots, no true leaves. They must live
close to the ground and directly absorb water. Reproduction is
via swimming sperm fertilizing an egg, and by spores.
- Division Pterophyta (Ferns)
 |
| Fern |
- These do have true roots and true leaves. Reproduction is
via swimming sperm fertilizing an egg, and by spores which
typically form on the undersides of specialized leaves. Fern leaves
are called “fronds.”
- Gymnospermae (such as pine)
 |
| Pine |
- This is the “lowest” group of plants in which seeds are present.
Sperm are transferred within the body of a wind-blown male
gametophyte (pollen). Eggs are produced within female gametophytes that
stay within a “female” cone (pine cone). A fertilized egg and its
surrounding structures turn into a seed, and two seeds are found on
the upper surface of each scales in the cone. Pine trees are in
Division Coniferophyta, but other gymnosperms include things like
cycads and ginkgo trees.
- Division Angiospermae
- This group is the “flowering plants.“ Pollen is transferred
via wind, various insects, or other animals to the “female” structure
where it, then, releases sperm cells. The resulting seeds are
embedded within an ovary, and the ovary, typically, when fully
mature, is modified in some way for dispersal of the seeds. A
fruit is a ripened, mature ovary. There are two main subdivisions
within the Angiosperms. These are
-
 |
| Monocot |
Class Monocotyledones — The seeds have one nutrient storage area
(cotyledon). The leaves look like grass, tulip, or corn.
-
 |
| Dicot |
Class Dicotyledones — The seeds have two nutrient storage areas
(cotyledons). The leaves look like maple, bean, or dandelion.
Kingdom Animalia
Animals are said to be organisms which ingest (eat) their
food. Often, when people think of “animals,” they tend to refer only to
mammals (milk-producing animals with hair) or to vertebrates (animals with
backbones), but there are far, far more invertebrates, especially insects,
than there are vertebrates. A few of the major subgroups
include:
- Cnidaria (or Coelenterata)
 |
| Hydra |
- While most of these are marine organisms (jellyfish, sea anemones,
and coral), hydra are fresh-water members of this phylum that live
in streams here in the Cincinnati area. However, since they are only
a few millimeters long, they don’t get noticed very often. Cnidarians
have one body opening that serves both to ingest food and expel waste.
That is surrounded by a ring of tentacles which, in turn, bear
specialized stinging cells to capture and paralyze their
prey.
- Platyhelminthes (flatworms)
- Probably the most “notorious” members of this phylum are the
tapeworms, which are parasites. Free-living members of this phylum
include planarians. While planarians have many of the “usual” body
parts that might be expected, because tapeworms (which live in the
intestines of their host) are totally surrounded by pre-digested
food, many of their body systems are greatly reduced because they’re
not needed. Thus the main organ in each segment is an ovary full of
developing eggs. Segments are broken off the posterior end of the
tapeworm and shed along with the feces, and if another animal would
happen to eat that segment, at least some of those eggs would develop
into new tapeworms.
- Nematoda (roundworms)
- The roundworms are the “lowest” group of animals with a
“tube-within-a-tube” body plan. They have both a mouth and an anus,
and food goes in one end and out the other. All of their muscles
go from front to back (none go around the worm), so they move by
thrashing around. Some roundworms are free-living, mostly in soil,
and some of those are beneficial or neutral, while others are
considered harmful. Other roundworms are parasites, including things
like hookworms and pinworms.
- Mollusca
 |
| Snail |
- Mollusks are soft-bodied, and some have shells to protect themselves.
Snails and slugs have eyes on long stalks. Snails have one, coiled shell,
while slugs have none. Clams and their relatives have two shells that are
hinged at the back, and have numerous eyes all along the front edge of
their body. Octopus and squid are free-swimming in the ocean.
 |
| Snail Eye |
Squid have an internal shell (sold at pet stores as “cuttlebone”) for
support. Squid and octopus have tentacles with suckers on them.
Octopus are famous for their well-developed brain, excellent vision,
and intelligence.
One of the most interesting species of slug I’ve seen is one called a
Banana Slug that comes from the redwood forests of California. The name
Banana Slug is very appropriate. They are about the size of a small
banana (up to around 4 in. or so long and approximately ¾ in. diameter),
and are bright yellow, just like a banana.
Snails (escargot) and squid (calamari) are among the mollusks eaten
by humans.
- Annelida
- The earthworms and leeches are included in this phylum. Members
of this phylum have bodies that are clearly divided into numerous
segments. While earthworms are free-living and help to aerate the
soil with their digging, leeches are infamous blood-suckers. As
leeches suck blood, they also secrete a powerful anticoagulant to
keep the blood flowing, and that is being studied as a potential
drug for treating people who need “blood thinners.”
Back in the 1700s, people thought that many diseases were caused by
too much blood, and leeches were used to “bleed” people in an effort
to cure their diseases. A medicinal leech can easily hold a
tablespoon or two of blood, and the tiny hole that it makes will
continue to bleed for hours after the leech is full and has dropped
off. Interestingly, medicinal leeches are still used, occasionally,
in modern medicine. I read an account of a man who had severed his
thumb, which had to be surgically re-attached. Because of that, the
circulation to/in that thumb wasn’t very good so a) it was swollen,
and b) it wasn’t getting as many nutrients, etc., as it needed to
heal. His doctors created artificial circulation in the re-attached
thumb by letting a leech suck on the tip of it. That both drew out
the accumulated lymph and reduced the swelling as well as created
space so new blood/lymph could enter, bringing needed nutrients.
Biologists are finding out that earthworms aren’t always as good for
the soil in some areas as was thought. In the forests of northern
Minnesota, there were, originally, not very many earthworms, and thus
the leaf litter made a “blanket” over the soil that helped to retain
moisture and warmth in winter, thereby helping new seeds to germinate.
However, so many fishermen in the boundary water area have dumped
left-over earthworms onto/into the soil, and those earthworms have
successfully reproduced, that the net effect has been a significant
change in the soil in those forests. Now, the earthworms break down
and eat all the leaf litter with the consequence that new seeds are not
able to germinate like they used to. Less cover for the soil also means
a warmer soil temperature and increased erosion.
- Arthropoda
- This is the most numerous group of all the plants and animals.
There are more species (and more individuals) of arthropods — specifically,
of insects — than all the rest of the plants and animals put together.
In terms of species, there are more kinds of beetles than anything
else, and in terms of numbers of individuals, there are more ants than
anything else. The word “arthropod” literally means “jointed foot,”
and arthropods have a hard exoskeleton (no bones inside) and
jointed appendages and other body parts, which allows for movement.
Some of the main classes within this order include:
-
 |
| Spider |
Arachnida (spiders, scorpions) – 8 legs plus chelicerae
and pedipalps, in spiders the chelicerae are modified as
fangs, 2 body parts: cephalothorax and abdomen
- Crustacea (lobsters, crabs, shrimp, crayfish, pillbugs) – 10
legs, including the pincer in crayfish, crabs, etc.,
2 pairs of antennae, 2 body parts: cephalothorax and
abdomen
-
 |
| Centipede |
Chilopoda (centipedes) – 1 pair of legs per body segment,
1 pair of antennae, legs of first trunk segment modified
as “poison claws,” body consists of head and
multi-segmented trunk
- Diplopoda (millipedes) – 2 pairs of legs per apparent
body segment, 1 pair of antennae, body consists of head
and multi-segmented trunk
-
 |
| Insect |
Insecta (insects) – 6 legs with 1 pair attached to each
of the 3 segments of the thorax (may be modified for
swimming, digging, capturing prey, etc.), 1 pair of
antennae, may have some form of wings on first 2 thoracic
segments (insect wings are not considered appendages),
3 body parts: head, 3-segmented thorax, and multi-segmented
abdomen
Many arthropods are part of the diets of various cultures and ethnic
groups around the world.
- Echinodermata
- This phylum includes starfish, sand dollars, and their relatives.
Their hardened “skeleton” (not bones like ours) is covered with a
layer of skin, and so is considered an internal skeleton. They have
hundreds of suction-cup-like tube feet which allow them to
grab on to things for movement, or in the case of the starfish, to
open the clams and oysters upon which they feed. Because these
tube feet operate via hydraulic pressure (by moving water around
within the body), they don’t get tired like muscles do. That’s why
when a starfish is trying to open an oyster to eat it and the oyster
is using its muscles to stay shut, the starfish will always “win”
when the oyster’s muscles get tired. Starfish are really good at
regenerating a whole new body from one chopped-off arm – oyster
fishermen used to “destroy” any starfish they found by chopping
them up and throwing the remains back into the water, until they
realized they now had even more starfish competing with them for
the oysters.
- Chordata (Subphylum Vertebrata)
- This phylum includes all the animals with backbones. All these
animals have bones, including a skull and vertebrae. This
comparatively-small group of animals is what many people think of
as “animals.” Several of the main classes include:
-
 |
| Shark |
Chondrichthyes (sharks and rays) – their skeleton is not
hardened into bones, but is “softer” cartilage; not
buoyant like other fish and must swim or sink, breathe
via gills
-
 |
| Fish |
Osteichthyes (fish) – have a bony skeleton, have a swim
bladder that allows them to adjust their buoyancy, breathe
via gills, the most numerous of the vertebrate classes
-
 |
| Frog |
Amphibia (toads, frogs, salamanders) – spend their early
life in water (or a watery environment) and most spend
their adult life in a terrestrial environment, eggs are
laid in water and then fertilized by the male
-
 |
| Lizard |
Reptilia (turtles, lizards, snakes, dinosaurs,
crocodiles) – males and females mate and embryos develop
in eggs with leathery eggshells, skin is covered
with/consists of scales
-
 |
| Birds |
Aves (birds) – body is covered with feathers which are modified
scales, adults can maintain a warm body temperature, but eggs
and very young chicks cannot and must be brooded, birds’ vision
is the best of all vertebrates, light-weight hollow bones,
“arms” are modified as wings so most species can fly, males and
females mate and embryos develop in eggs with hard egg shells
-
 |
| Marsupials |
 |
| Placental mammals |
Mammalia (platypus, marsupials such as kangaroo, koala,
and opossum, and the placental mammals such as whales,
pigs, cows, cats, dogs, gorillas, bats, rabbits, horses,
elephants, squirrels, etc.) – all have hair and produce
milk to feed their young, platypus and relatives lay
eggs with leathery egg shells, marsupials’ young are born
very prematurely, then crawl to a pouch in which they
finish their development, embryos of placental mammals
develop in the mother’s uterus, attached via a placenta,
Background Information
Links to Related Information on Our Web Server
The following Web pages contain information related to
the taxonomy of various groups of organisms.
- Bio Lecture Human Genetics
- Pay special attention to the section on sickle cell anemia and malaria
- Bio Lecture Natural Selection
- Pay special attention to the section on the five kingdoms and the taxonomic hierarchy near the bottom of the page
- Bio Lecture Bacteria
- General information on Kingdom Monera
- Bio Lecture Protista
- Information on Kingdom Protista
- Bio Lecture Fungi
- Information on Kingdom Fungi
- Bio lecture Mosses, Ferns, and Other Lower Plants
- General Information on Kingdom Plantae and more-detailed information on the “lower” plants
- Bio Lecture Gymnosperms
- Information on the Gymnosperms, especially pine
- Bio Lecture Angiosperms
- Information on the Angiosperms
- Bio Lecture Coevolution and Pollination
- Information on special relationships which have developed between certain pairs of species which are totally dependent on each other
- Bio Lecture Invertebrates
- Information on the non-vertebrate animals, except the arthropods
- Bio Lecture Arthropods
- Information on Phylum Arthropoda
- Bio Lecture Chordates
- Information on Phylum Chordata, especially Subphylum Vertebrata
- Checklist of Species Seen on the Clermont Campus
- A list of all the organisms we’ve recorded as occuring on the Clermont campus
- Practice Wildflower Quiz
- A game to practice identification of commonly-seen local wildflowers
- Bio Lab Bird-Feeding Activity
- An activity to feed and observe local birds
- Bio Lab Sprout-Growing Activity
- An activity to grow and study one’s own monocot and dicot sprouts
- Bio lab Eyelash Mite Activity
- An activity to examine eyelash mites from a person’s face
- Bio Lab Local Animals Activity
- A dichotomous key to major groups of local animals
- Bio Lab Worm Bin Activity
- Instructions for setting up a worm bin in a 2-liter bottle
- Photos
- Photos of a variety of organisms
- Dr. Fankhauser’s Mushroom Photos
- A directory full of mushroom photos
- Dr. Fankhauser’s Wildflower Photos
- A directory full of wildflower photos
- Dr. Fankhauser’s Animal Photos
- A directory full of animal photos
Your Assignment
A Scavenger Hunt
There will be one, combined assignment for the topics of
Taxonomy, Evolution, Ecology, and Human Intervention. Thus, even though
this will appear on each of those pages to remind you, you only need to do it
once. You will need to go somewhere where there are lots of living
organisms. Assuming you’re here in the Cincinnati area, you might go (with
your family?) to the Cincinnati Zoo, Krohn Conservatory, the Newport Aquarium,
one of the local parks, or someplace similar to that. If you’re not in the
Cincinnati area, there are probably similar places to visit near wherever
you are. However, if finances are tight and/or you’re short on time, your
back yard would work, too! Then, you need to try to find organisms in as
many taxonomic groups/categories as possible. You need to observe and take
notes on each organism you find — you do not need to try to catch them or
pick them up, but rather, observe their natural behavior — then go look up
further information on each of those organisms.
The grading criteria for this assignment are given below, and you should also
refer to those as you work on the assignment.
A total of 26 points is possible.
- Kingdoms: Finding organisms in Kingdoms Fungi, Plantae, and
Animalia should be fairly easy. If you look in just the right place, you
might also be able to see some of the larger organisms from Kingdom
Protista. You probably will not be able to see any of the organisms in
Kingdom Monera without a microscope.
- Phyla (Divisions): Figuring out to what phylum (botanists use the
word “division” instead of “phylum”) organisms in Kingdoms Protista and
Fungi belong would be difficult, but there are a number of Phyla/Divisions
in Kingdoms Plantae and Animalia that are fairly easy to identify. These
includethe following.
Within Kingdom Plantae it should be fairly easy to find representatives of
- Division Bryophyta
- Division Pterophyta
- Division Gymnospermae
- Angiospermae/Division Monocotyledones
- Angiospermae/Division Dicotyledones
plus, if you are fortunate enough to be in just the right place, you may see
representatives of Division Lycophyta or Division Sphenopytya.
Within Kingdom Animalia, you can probably find representatives of
- Phylum Mollusca
- Phylum Annelida
- Phylum Arthropoda
- Phylum Chordata, Subphylum Vertebrata
plus, if you go to the Aquarium or the Zoo, you may also be able to find
representatives of Phylums Porifera, Cnidaria/Coelenterata, and/or
Echinodermata.
- Phylum Arthropoda: Finding members of the following classes
is possible, but you probably will not find representatives of all of
these groups at once unless you are able to go somewhere like the Insect
World at the Zoo. These include
- Class Arachnida
- Class Crustacea (Malacostraca)
- Class Diplopoda
- Class Chilpopda
- Class Insecta
plus, if you are able to go to the Zoo or the Aquarium, you might also
be able to find members of Class Xiphosura.
- Phylum Chordata, Subphylum Vertebrata: If you’re using your
back yard, several of these might be difficult to find if you live in an
urban area, but in general, the possibilities include
- Class Osteichthyes (possible in/near your yard if you live near
a body of water, but more likely at the Zoo or the Aquarium)
- Class Amphibia
- Class Reptilia
- Class Aves
- Class Mammalia
plus if you are able to go to the Zoo or Aquarium, you can probably also see
members of Class Chondrichthyes.
- Note that because the taxonomic heirarchy is “nested,” a given organism
may represent several taxa. For example, a cat would represent Kingdom
Animalia, Phylum Chordata–Subphylum Vertebrata, and Class Mammalia.
Also, note that you will only get credit for organisms that are correctly
placed — for example, credit would not be given for a domestic dog listed
as a plant.
- For as many as possible of the organisms you find, look up and include
their scientific names. The
list of species seen
on campus may be of help. Do not expect to find scientific names for
everything you see. For example, there are so many kinds of flies that look
so similar, it takes a PhD to identify them to species, but if you would
see something like a Monarch butterfly, that species name is “easy” to
find.
- For each organism, take notes on their characteristics: what do they
look like, do they have any “unusual” body parts, what are they doing,
how do they move, etc.
- Describe the habitat/environment in which each organism is found. If
you’re at the Zoo, Aquarium, etc., these habitats may be very different, but
if you’re in your back yard, it may seem, at first glance, like all the
same habitat. Look more carefully, then — for example, the habitat in a
flower bed would be different than the habitat in the middle of a lawn area.
Notice (and take notes on) the amount of light (shady under trees and plant
leaves vs bright sun in open lawn area), temperature/heat (cooler under trees,
really cold in a penguin exhibit at the Zoo), humidity, soil conditions, etc.
in the organism’s environment.
- Describe the organisms’ interactions with other organisms that share
their habitats: what do they eat or how do they get food, who eats them,
how do they defend themselves from predators (chemical defenses, camouflage,
teeth and claws, or whatever). Do you see anything that looks like mating
behavior? If they eat food, how do they eat their food (chew it up, suck
it up, etc.)? How do they communicate with other members of their species
and with other organisms? Are they solitary organisms or do they typically
live in a social group such as a colony or pack? What is each organism’s
“job” within its environment — what does it do there? Do you see any other
interesting behavior patterns?
- Describe how human intervention, “good” or “bad,” has influenced each
organism and its environment. For captive organisms, you may wish to
consider both their normal, natural environment as well as the artificial
or display environment in which they are currently living. Is there anything
that we could/should be doing to improve and/or properly manage those
environments?
- At this point, if you are a registered student, you should
submit your work.
Grading Criteria
| 1. Taxonomy: |
|---|
| 2 | — | Representatives of 4(+) kingdoms were included |
| 1 | — | Representatives of 2-3 kingdoms were included |
| 0 | — | Representatives of only 1 kingdom were included |
 |
|---|
| 2 | — | Representatives of 4(+) plant divisions were included |
| 1 | — | Representatives of 2-3 plant divisions were included |
| 0 | — | Representatives of only 0-1 plant division were included |
|
|---|
| 2 | — | Representatives of 4(+) animal phyla were included |
| 1 | — | Representatives of 2-3 animal phyla were included |
| 0 | — | Representatives of only 0-1 animal phylum were included |
|
|---|
| 2 | — | Representatives of 4(+) arthropod classes were included |
| 1 | — | Representatives of 2-3 arthropod classes were included |
| 0 | — | Representatives of only 0-1 arthropod class were included |
|
|---|
| 2 | — | Representatives of 4(+) vertebrate classes were included |
| 1 | — | Representatives of 2-3 vertebrate classes were included |
| 0 | — | Representatives of only 0-1 vertebrate class were included |
|
|---|
| 2 | — | 11 or more total organisms were included |
| 1 | — | 6-10 total organisms were included |
| 0 | — | 5 or less total organisms were included |
|
|---|
| 2 | — | 5(+) scientific names were included |
| 1 | — | 2-4 scientific names were included |
| 0 | — | 0-1 scientific names were included |
| 2. Ecology: |
|---|
| 2 | — | Descriptions of the organisms’ traits/characteristics were thorough and showed that the student was extremely observant |
| 1 | — | Descriptions of the organisms’ traits/characteristics were adequate and showed that the student was fairly observant |
| 0 | — | Descriptions of the organisms’ traits/characteristics were too sketchy and showed that the student wasn’t very observant |
|
|---|
| 2 | — | Descriptions of the organisms’ habitat and environmental conditions were thorough and showed that the student was extremely observant |
| 1 | — | Descriptions of the organisms’ habitat and environmental conditions were adequate and showed that the student was fairly observant |
| 0 | — | Descriptions of the organisms’ habitat and environmental conditions were too sketchy and showed that the student wasn’t very observant |
|
|---|
| 2 | — | Descriptions of the organisms’ interactions and behaviors were thorough and showed that the student was extremely observant |
| 1 | — | Descriptions of the organisms’ interactions and behaviors were adequate and showed that the student was fairly observant |
| 0 | — | Descriptions of the organisms’ interactions and behaviors were too sketchy and showed that the student wasn’t very observant |
|
|---|
| 2 | — | Descriptions of the human impact on these organisms’ environments were thorough and showed that the student was extremely observant and thoughtful |
| 1 | — | Descriptions of the human impact on these organisms’ environments were adequate and showed that the student was fairly observant and thoughtful |
| 0 | — | Descriptions of the human impact on these organisms’ environments were too sketchy and showed that the student wasn’t very observant and/or gave little evidence of putting much thought into it |
| 3. Overall: |
|---|
| 2 | — | The student, obviously, went beyond the minimum requirements of the assignment |
| 1 | — | The student adequately completed the assignment |
| 0 | — | The student completed considerably less of the assignment than what was required |
|
|---|
| 2 | — | It is evident that the student used much insight, thoughtfulness, and critical thinking when completing this assignment |
| 1 | — | The student adequately thought about the assignment – there was, perhaps, a bit of “fuzzy thinking” in a couple places |
| 0 | — | The assignment gives the appearance of being “slapped together” just to get it done, with little evidence of thoughtfulness |
| Total Possible: |
|---|
| 26 | — | total points |
Copyright © 2006 by J. Stein Carter. All rights reserved.
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