Introduction to the Plantae Introduction to the Plantae The green kingdom The Plantae includes all land plants: mosses, ferns , conifers, flowering plants , and so on—an amazing range of diverse forms. With more than 250,000 species, they...
Introduction to the Bryozoa Introduction to the Bryozoa "Moss animals" Despite the fact that there are about 5000 living species, with several times that number of fossil species, the Bryozoa remain largely unknown to most people....
Dinobuzz: Dinosaur-Bird Relationships Are Birds Really Dinosaurs? Ask your average paleontologist who is familiar with the phylogeny of vertebrates and they will probably tell you that yes, birds (avians) are dinosaurs . Using proper terminology, birds are avian dinosaurs; other dinosaurs are...
Erasmus Darwin Erasmus Darwin (1731-1802) Organic life beneath the shoreless waves Was born and nurs'd in ocean's pearly caves; First forms minute, unseen by spheric glass, Move on the mud, or pierce the watery mass; These, as successive generations bloom, New powers acquire and larger limbs...
The Permian The Permian 290 to 248 Million Years Ago The Permian period lasted from 290 to 248 million years ago and was the last period of the Paleozoic Era . The distinction between the Paleozoic and the Mesozoic is made at the end of the Permian in recognition of the largest mass extinction...
Introduction to the Echiura Introduction to the Echiura Spoon Worms and Innkeepers Echiurans were included in the Annelida until recently, and they are still considered close relatives of the annelids. The body of an echiuran lacks annelid-type segmentation, but the distinctive free-swimming...
Introduction to the Foraminifera Introduction to the Foraminifera Foraminifera (forams for short) are single-celled protists with shells. Their shells are also referred to as tests because in some forms the protoplasm covers the exterior of the shell. The shells are commonly divided into chambers...
Carl Linnaeus C arl L innaeus (1707-1778) Carl Linnaeus, also known as Carl von Linné or Carolus Linnaeus, is often called the Father of Taxonomy. His system for naming, ranking, and classifying organisms is still in wide use today (with many changes). His ideas on classification have influenced...
Introduction to the Monotremata Monotremes Egg-laying Mammals Echidna. Photo by Dr. Lloyd Glenn Ingles © 2001 California Academy of Sciences. There are only five living monotreme species: the duck-billed platypus and four species of echidna (also known as spiny anteaters). All of them are found...
Introduction to the Ciliata Introduction to the Ciliata The Ciliata, or Ciliophora, includes about 7000 known species of some of the most complex single-celled organisms ever. They derive their name from the Latin word for "eyelash," which...