Life: self replication
self
regulation (exchanges w/environment)
Fossils: Remains of ancient living organisms or their traces
Preservation: hard parts better than soft tissue
Processes • permineralization
• replacement
• molds & casts
• impressions
Trace fossils: indirect evidences of life or organisms activities
TAXONOMIC CLASSIFICATION (hierarchical)
Kingdom=>Phylum=>Class=>Order=>Family=>Genus=>Species
Genus and species fully identify the organism:
Felix concolor : cougar
Felix felix: house cat
6 Kingdoms: Achaeobacteria
Eubacteria Unicellular
Protist
Fungi
Plantae Multicellular
Animalia
PROKARYOTE: cells with no nucleus
EUKARYOTES: cells with nucleus & other structures
ARCHAEOBACTERIA : Primitive prokaryotes anaerobic
extreme tolerant
EUBACTERIA: Advanced prokaryotes aerobic (disease)
cyanobacteria
PROTISTS: Unicellular eukaryotes
most algae (diatoms, dinoflagellates, calc.
nannoplancton)
protozoans (foraminifers & radiolarians)
FUNGI: unicell. or mult. Absorb org. matter from decaying org.
PLANTAE- Producers: Photosynthetic multicelled eukaryotes
non vascular: mosses
Seedless (primitive) vascular: ferns
Seed bearing plants • gymnosperms: cycads
& conifers
• angiosperms: flowering
plants
ANIMALIA- Consumers: Non-photosynthetic multicellular
eukaryotes
PORIFERA: sponges
CNIDARIA: corals, sea anemone & jelly
fish
ANNELIDA: segmented worms
ARTHROPODA: insects, spiders/skorpions,
millipedes, centipedes, crustaceans, trilobites.
ONYCOPHORANS (transition arthropoda/annelida)
MOLLUSCA: monoplacophorans
gastropods (snails)
cephalopods (octopus, squids,
nautilus) pelecypods or bivalves (clams,
oysters, scallops)
bilateral symmetry along the
valves' hinge
BRACHYOPODA: bilateral symmetry across the
valve's hinge
ECHINODERMATA: starfish, brittle stars,
sand dollars, sea urchins and crinoids
(stemmed forms)
CHORDATA includes all the vertebrates
•Fish Ray finned
Lobe finned
•Amphibians (frogs and salamanders)
•Reptiles: ectothermic, ammiote egg
(turtles, croccodiles, snakes, lizards,
dinosaurs)
•Birds: endothermic, evolved from a group of dinosaurs
•Mammals: young suckle from the mother
endothermic
hair covered
evolved from therapsids
monotremes ( platypus, lays
eggs)
marsupial (born
alive in mother's pouch, but immature)
placental (born more mature
and larger than marsupials)