Study Questions - The Paleozoic Era II
Readings - chapter 18
1) What were the first land animals and when did they evolve?
2) What was the adaptive significance of evolving jaws? In other words, what new "adaptive zone" could be exploited by jawed fishes? In which Period did this occur?
3) What major groups of fishes were present in the Devonian?
4) In which period did vertebrates colonize land? Describe two signifiacnt fossil species in this transition, and the anatomical significance of each.
5) Explain how and why the atmospheric concentrations of CO2 and O2 were unusual in the Carboniferous. Relate this to plate tectonics and the sizes of terrestrial arthropods.
6) Using either sharks or early tetrapods as an example, explain the sequence, "innovation, radiation, contraction", noting WHY the last two steps occurred with yur group.
7) How do the three groups of amniotes differ, and why did they have an advantage in the Permian?
8) What caused the Permian extinction?