Evolution of the Vertebrates Exercis THE TRANSITION TO LAND During the Paleozoic

Question

Evolution of the Vertebrates Exercis THE TRANSITION TO LAND During the Paleozoic Era, both plants and animals (invertebrates and vertebrates) made the transition from water to land. Plants made the transition first and provided nutritional support for animals to make the transition later. The wingless insects moved onto land, followed by the first amphibian-like vertebrates. Use the following references to answer the questions. Klappenbach, L. Storming the Beaches: Vertebrates Transition from Water to Land: Klappenbach, L A Brief History of Life on Earth: An Overview of Events That Have Shaped Life on Our Planet, b University of California Museum of Paleontology, Understanding Evolution, Important Events boltrandartslon o o nou-lid In?nleikeiNel in the History of Life, bm cursor over time line.) 67. When did the first plants appear on the land? (Give period name.) 68. When did the first animals appear on the land? (Give period name.) 69. Which group of vertebrate animals was the first to appear on land? 70. Why did plants make the transition to land before the animals? 71. For organisms to make the transition from the water to the land, they must meet several requirements. List the challenges (or problems that must be solved) for vertebrates to make the transition to land. Also note how vertebrates solved each problem. List four challenges and solutions. Challenge Solution A simplified classification of terrestrial vertebrates is shown in Box 12.3. A simplified version of the traditional nomenclature is included in blue.

Explanation / Answer

Ans 67. The first plants appeared on land is during the Ordovician Period (470 million years ago)

Ans 68. The first animals appeared on land is during the Devonian Period (375 million years ago)

Ans 69. The group of vertebrate animals to appear first on land is Tetrapod Groups.

Ans 70. There could be several reasons why plants move to land before animals but the best fitting idea was that Plants could survive just near the Photic zone below water that is the zone upto which sunlight could penetrate because they have to do photosynthesis, but animals are present all over the oceans in that time and were the dominant organisms of the oceans. So plants moved to lands where there was huge space with enough amount of sunlight on the land. Also animals couldn't move to the land because there are the heterotrophs and when there is no plant on land what could they feed on. So animals moved to land surface several million years after plants moved to land.  

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