Part 1 to 4: Marvels & Mysteries of Our Animal World

Marvels & Mysteries of Our Animal World By An Admirer Of Nature

Dedicated To Father Of Zoology

He lived in the 4 th century BC

Alexander,the great,provided 1000 workers for the study of animals

Treatises by him:

History , Parts , Movements ,

Locomotion and Reproduction

Of Animals

Who am I ?

Recorded the feeding habits of Angler-fishes

First to make dissection of animals

Studied 540 kinds of animals- a task without microscopes and reference books

?

ARISTOTLE “Father Of Zoology”

DARWIN & RUSSEL WALLACE AD 1823 “ ORIGIN OF SPECIES” AD 1913 AD 1809 AD 1882 HUXLEY : Introduced the term “ BIOGENESIS” AD 1825 AD 1895 LAMARCK : Introduced the term “BIOLOGY” Invertebrate classes first introduced AD 1744 AD 1829 JOHN RAY : Published “ORNITHOLOGY” and “HISTORY OF FISHES” AD 1628 AD 1705 ALBERTUS MAGNUS : Aristotle’s work enlarged AD 1193 AD 1280 ARISTOTLE : History, Parts, Movements, Locomotion & Reproduction Of Animals BC 384 BC 322

History Of Classification Of Life Binomial Nomenclature – “ SYSTEMA NATURAE” 10 TH Edition (1758) Animals into 6 Classes: Quadrupeds, Birds, Reptiles, Fishes, Insects & Worms LINNAEUS 1707 1778 “ NATURAL HISTORY” ROMAN PLINY THE ELDER 23 – 79 AD Followed Aristotle THEOPHRASTUS 372 – 287 BC Red Blood: Mammals,Birds,Reptiles,Fish Colourless Blood: Squids,Shellfish Crayfish,and Insects. ARISTOTLE 384 322 BC

Geographical Distribution Of Animals in 1857. PL SCLATER 1829-1913 Heredity Principle MENDEL 1822 - 1884 “ PHILOSOPHIE ZOOLOGIQUE” On Evolution in 1809 LAMARCK 1744 - 1829 “ HISTOIRE NATURELLE” First Treatise On Animal Geography in 1777 BUFFON 1707 - 1788

Extensively revised … .. 1981 Edition of International Code Of Zoological Nomenclature 1958 International Congress On Zoology organized a commission for naming animals 1898 Geographical Distribution Of Animals RUSSEL WALLACE 1823 - 1913 Origin of Species By Means Of Natural Selection in 1859 CHARLES DARVIN 1809 - 1882

Zoology Development Chronologically Gave the word “Species” a practical limitation JOHN RAY 1628-1694 Anatomical discoveries with microscope MALPIGHI 1628-1694 Blood Circulation HARVEY 1578 – 1657 A D Rough classification of animals ARISTOTLE 384 – 322 BC

Discovery of animal cell Foundation of Embryology and Physiology SCHWANN 1810-1882 Comparative anatomy and Paleontology CUVIER 1769-1832 Theory of evolution Lamarckism LAMARCK 1744-1829 Binomial system of Nomenclature LINNAEUS 1707-1778

Heredity Principle MENDEL 1822-1884 Supported the theory of Evolution HUXLEY 1825-1895 Supported the theory of Evolution WALLACE 1823-1913 Theory of Evolution Origin of species by means of natural selection DARWIN 1809-1882

Aristotle presenting his text to Alexander

Darwin in his translation of Aristotle’s Parts of Animals remarked “I have a high notion of Aristotle’s merits. Linnaeus and Cuvier have been my two Gods, though in very different ways, but they were mere schoolboys to old Aristotle”

Anglerfishes seem to eat anything that is available

Encyclopedia of the Animal World (Bay books, Sydney, 1972), volume 1, page 68:

“ It is interesting to note that Aristotle who well merits the title of Father of Zoology recorded this curious feeding habit over 2000 years ago”

ARISTOTLE S HARVEY K N JOHN RAY L U C CUVIER I E E R W D A SCHWANN A R WALLACE N N M HUXLEY A E N A D M I L L ZOOLOGY MANSION BY GREAT MASTERS

ANIMALS FAR IN THE SKY

S tars linked

together to

form shapes.

Constellations

named after

animals, Gods

and heroes.

(Fig: GC Eimmart)

(Escher mosaic)

2 Million different kinds of animals

Zoology now enables animals to be not only studied but appreciated, and often loved, with a sense of wonder and delight

TAXONOMY

Recognition, description, nomenclature

and classification of living organisms.

Linnaen System: Seven Groups

KINGDOM : ANIMALIA

PHYLUM : CHORDATA

CLASS : MAMMALIA

ORDER : CARNIVORA

FAMILY : FELIDAE

GENUS : FELIS

SPECIES : TIGRIS

KINGDOM - ANIMALIA

PHYLUM - CHORDATA

SUB PHYLUM - VERTEBRATA

SUPER CLASS - TETRAPODA

CLASS - MAMMALIA

SUB CLASS - THERIA

INTER CLASS - EUTHERIA

ORDER - PRIMATA

SUB ORDER - ANTHROPOIDEA

SUPER FAMILY - HOMINOIDEA

FAMILY - HOMINIDAE

SUB FAMILY - HOMINIDAE

GENUS – HOMO ; SPECIES - SAPIENS

BINOMIAL NOMENCLATURE

Naming with two names as Homo sapiens

Linnaes insisted Latinized taxonomic names He changed his name from karl von Linne

Latin was used by all scholars then

Being a dead language meaning is permanent

Command housecat is Felis domestica

A student forgot, and with presence

of mind, wrote in the answer sheet, a

descriptive one, as Felis pussicatius

(He has understood the principle!)

Master of Macabre - Scorpion

Marvels of Disguise - Peppered moth

Leaf & Stick insects

Praying Mantis

Water Walker - Pond skater

Maker of Fireworks - Bombardier beetle

Weight Lift Champion - Scarab beetle

Insect Light Makers - Click beetle

Glow worms

Wizards of Light - Luminous shrimp

Dragon & Angler fish

Epic Home Return - Salmon

Producers of Shock - Electric Eel

Costume Changers - Chameleon,

Octopus

Sea horse

The King of Ocean Air - Albatross

Miracle in the Air - Humming bird

Migration Mysteries

Prince of Night Air - Bat

MASTER OF THE MACABRE

SCORPION (800species 0.5-11”)

FAMILY BUTHIDAE

ORDER SCORPIONIDA

CLASS ARACHNIDA

PHYLUM ARTHROPODA

Buthus occitanus , FAT TAIL SCORPION, N.Africa

Light yellow, 3” long – World most dangerous

Poison neurotoxin – Affects nervous system - Convulsions, Paralysis & stops Breathing

Fat tail kills human in seven hours, a dog in seven minutes and a mouse in few second.

COURTSHIP DANCE

Cannibal like scorpions prey

upon one another

Mating runs the risk of

not as a mate but a meal

Mating demands rituals of courtship

Male approaches female with great care

Pincers are grabbed, thus with her weapon

neutralized the pair begins to dance

MERRY RIDING

Baby scorpions live on

mother’s back for two weeks

Afterwards very aggressive,

attack and eat each other

Enemies: birds, mantis, toads,

lizards, snakes, foxes, mongooses,bats,

rodents and monkeys. Life term is 4 years.

Withstand extreme temperature and even atomic radiation. Without water for 3 months and without food for nearly a year

Major orders of insects Number of species

Orthoptera (grasshoppers) 20,000

Hemiptera (true bugs) 1,00,000

Coleoptera (beetles) 3,70,000

Diptera (true flies) 1,00,000

Lepidoptera (butterflies & moths) 1,50,000

Hymenoptera (ants, bees &wasps) 1,20,000

Total 8,60,000

Total number of species more than10,00,000

MARVELS OF DISGUISE– PEPPERED MOTH

PHYLUM: ARTHROPODA

CLASS : INSECTA

ORDER : LEPIDOPTERA

FAMILY : GEOMETRIDAE

Biston betularia

The mutant, darker peppered moth is better camouflaged against trees darkened by pollution. In 1953, Bernard Kettlewell proposed

“ Bird Predation Theory” (BPT), and explained industrial melanism in the peppered moth.

This is primarily a natural selection in the form of differential bird predation on differently-camouflaged backgrounds.

LEAF INSECT

ORDER : PHASMIDA

FAMILY: PHASMIDAE

Phyllium bioculatum

Up to 80 mm long. The whole insect looks just like a leaf. Lives on vegetation and well camouflaged against the leaves on which it feeds. Distribution: Indonesia.

Leaf & Stick insects are pure vegetarians

Put themselves into positions just like those real leaves and twigs

STICK INSECT- 3000 species

Long and Slender

Asian species over 30 cm

Brown stick insect paler

by day, darker by night

Many species of stick insects

reproduce without mating.

Female lays fertile eggs from which emerge female babies. This type of virgin birth is called Parthenogenesis . So no males ever found in some species

The walking stick has the unusual ability of partial regeneration. If a leg is lost or damaged it will grow back after several successive molts

PRAYING MANTIS

2000 Species

ORDER:

DICTYOPTERA

Carnivorous insect uses disguise for its

protection and also to hide from its prey

Its large eyes can spot a victim at a distance

Waits patiently for the opportunity to seize

some unsuspecting beetle or butterfly with

its fast moving front legs

Mantis religiosa

The head is removed for the mating to take effect properly. It causes the body to ejaculate faster.

Photographs by Catherine Chalmers In her book “Food Chain”

POND SKATER

Gerris remigis

FAMILY :Gerridae

ORDER: Hemiptera

Pond skaters walk

gracefully over the

surface of ponds,

lakes and rivers

SURFACE TENSION

The surface tension of water at 20 C is 0.07 mN/ mm

( milli N / milli meter)

A large pond skater’s mass is 0.02 gm or 0.00002 Kgm

Force exerted is = mass x gravitational acceleration

( 10 meter/square sec)

= 0.00002 into 10 = 0.0002 Newton

= 0.20 milli Newton

Contact surface of of its feet is (say) 20 mm ,

this is 20 mN per 20 mm or 0.01 mN /mm

This is only one seventh of the force that the surface tension can withstand, so the pond skater easily avoids the danger of breaking through the surface film

The deformation of the water caused by the clip's weight can be seen. This bending of light is similar to the bending of light by strong gravitational fields, as predicted by Einstein's theories. Surface tension is due to an attraction between the molecules in water, which cause its surface to act in an elastic manner.

MAKER OF FIRE WORKS

Bombardier Beetle

Brachinus explodens

FAMILY CARABIDAE ORDER COLEOPTERA

A living cannon fires explosives for defense

against ants and other ground beetles

Chinese invented gun powder. Roger Bacon in 13 th century did experiments with gun powder in England. But these beetles had been firing over millions of years

Two chemicals hydroquinones

and hydrogen peroxide

are produced in glands and

stored in a large reservoir

When threatened the

chemicals are pushed to a

reaction chamber which

secretes peroxidases and catalases (enzymes) that break down the hydrogen peroxide, and catalyse the oxidation of the hydroquinones into p-benzoquinones compounds that are well known for their irritant properties.

WEIGHT LIFT CHAMPION

Scarab Beetle

FAMILY SCARABAEIDAE

ORDER COLEOPTER

Beetle has more than 30,000 species

Dung beetles, chafers, Japanese beetles,

Dor beetles etc.

For breeding some scarabs come together

in pairs, mould a ball of dung, and roll this to a selected site. The female working underground moulds it into a mass. On this one egg will be laid

Scarab, Symbol Egyptian Amulets of resurrection heiroglyphs

The dung beetle with

the sun god “Khepri”

Mummy Priestess

Nesykhonsu, standing

to the left of sun god

Priest at right with offerings

850 50 0.67 Rhinoceros beetles capable of lifting 850 times their own weight. Stag beetles are able to drag an object 120 times their own weight, ants can carry 50 times their weight, and honeybees fly along with pollen loads up to 24 times their weight. Man can lift two thirds of his weight.

INSECT LIGHT MAKERS

CLICK BEETLE

GENUS PYROPHORUS

FAMILY ELATERIDAE

Click beetle Pyrophorus noctilucus

4 cm long, Belize

(Central America)

surface brightness

is 1/4 candle

Click Beetles are called this way because of their ability to propel themselves into the air with a clicking sound.

A spine between two grooves on their underside allows them to "snap' themselves as high as 6 inches if they somehow find themselves on their backs, eventually getting them back onto their feet.

GLOW WORMS ( female & larva glow)

Lampyris noctiluca Lampyris splendidula

Luciferin is oxydised to produce oxyluciferin, with the enzyme luciferase acting as a catalyst in the reaction

“ Twenty glow-worms shall our lanterns be

To guide our measure round about the tree”

(Shakespeare, The Merry Wives of Windsor)

Water particles interact with light by absorbing certain wave lengths. First the reds and oranges disappear, later the yellows, greens and purples and last the blue.

Photocorynus spiniceps

The female may have as many as six males attached. The male is taken care of the rest of his life.

Female Ceratias holboelki weighed half a million times as its male.

EPIC HOME RETURN SALMON FAMILY SALMONIDAE ORDER SALMONIFORMES CLASS PISCES PHYLUM CHORDATA

Stages in the Life Cycle of a salmon (Salmo salar)

Eggs: Clear & translucent

Alevins : Eggs hatch into alevins

and feed off yolk sac

Fry : Young fish in its first year

Parr : Juvenile salmon in 2nd or 3rd year in freshwater

Smolts : Young one leaving fresh water for first visit to sea

Grilse : Young salmon that has spent 1 winter at sea

before returning to the river

MSW (Salmon): Multi Sea Winters fish (at sea more than one year)

Kelts : Salmon that have spawned

Spring Salmon : Salmon that have spent at least 2 years at sea and return to freshwater from Jan to May to spawn the next autumn.

Pacific species - Chinook Salmon

( Onchorhynchus tschawytscha) ( 45 kg)

A large salmon can make leap of 10 feet

FRESH WATER SEA WATER

ONWARD

RETURN

Kelts Spawning Alevin Fry Birth & 3- 8 Years Smolts Feed & Grow (1- 6 Years) Grilse

Up to 50 miles a day,

salmon reach their

birth place covering

hundreds or even

thousands of miles to

find its birth place

Using Stars, Moon, Sun, or Earth Magnetic Field

However once they reach the mouth of the river,

they can find the actual headstream where

they were born by smell

Female digs shallow trench, deposits her eggs

Male fertilizes the eggs and female covers them with gravel. Male dies soon . Female guards the nests for few days and then die.

SALMON MIGRATION

Wells Dam is the first dam that over two million smolts must pass during annual out-migrations through the Columbia River to the Pacific Ocean

The smolt bypass system at Wells Dam is based on spill intake baffles

Diverting smolts from turbines will increase smolt survival rates

PRODUCERS OF SHOCKS

ELECTRIC EEL ( Electrophorus electricus )

ORDER ANGUILLIFORMES

CLASS PISCES

PHYLUM CHORDATA

Sea water Fresh water

Migration (reverse of salmon)

The Electric eel is actually a fish that can reach 9 feet (2.7 m) in length and weigh more than 50 pounds (23 kg). The electricity comes from nerve ending cells in the tail that can produce from 600-1,000 volts at one time. Electric eels have 200-250 "electric" cells per centimeter. They are native to South American rivers.

ELECTRIC CAT FISH

Malapterurus electricus

FAMILY MALAPTERURIDAE

ORDER SILURIFORMES

CLASS ACTINOPTERYGII

Native of river Nile

The electric organ, which is evolved from its pectoral muscle, surrounds the body

over most of the length of the fish

and is capable of discharging up to 350 V

COSTUME CHANGERS

CHAMELEON

Panther Chameleon

Chamaeleo pardalis

Family Chamaeleonidae

Order Squamata

Class Reptilia

Phylum Chordata

Panther is native to the African island Madagascar

Tongue, twice the length of the body , ends

in a muscular sticky tip.

Snatches the prey in 1/16 of a second

Skin contains cells of granules of colour pigment

Changes colour with surroundings, the nervous system and animal’s temperature.

Each eye can move separately (2 things at a time)

Octopus bimaculoides

Family Octopodidae

Order Octopoda

Subclass Dibranchia

Class Cephalopoda

Phylum Mollusca

OCTOPUS O ver 100 different species

The Giant Octopus is 23 ft

from arm tip to arm tip

weighing up to 182 kg

The smallest is 3/8 inch

Californian octopus

Octopus, squids & Cuttlefish change colour

Skin contains unique little sacs containing colour pigments.

After death skin cells remain alive for few

hours. Thus sensitive to light, even a dead octopus can performs visual magic

SEAHORSE Hippocampus kuda ( Fig . 1& 2)

Family Syngnathidae Order Syngnathiformes

Class Pisces Phylum Chordata

Australian

Sea-dragon

Fleshy leaf-like

appendages look

like seaweed

The female seahorse deposits up to 200 eggs into a brood pouch on the male, where they are fertilized. In the male's brood, the seahorse eggs hatch and develop into baby seahorses. After almost two to six weeks of being "pregnant," the male "gives birth" to the baby seahorses. Labor can take up to three hours! Same thing for sea-dragon.

Common name:

White's Seahorse

Scientific name:

Hippocampus whitei hippo - horse (Greek) campos - sea animal (Greek) whitei - after John White

Family name:

Syngnathidae syn - together, with (Greek) gnathos - jaw (Greek) idae - suffix meaning that

Only found in Australia this a family name

THE KING OF OCEAN AIR

ALBATROSS

Diomedea exulans

Family Diomedeidae

Order Procellariiformes

Class Aves

Phylum Chordata

Albatrosses travel over open

sea for months at a time

covering thousands of

miles. They can drink salt

water without harm.

These birds in fact spend most of their lives at sea coming to land only to breed

The wandering albatross Diomedea exulans has

the broadest wing span of any living bird up to

11.5 feet. A wandering albatross known to be

still feeding its chick, was seen 2640 miles from

its nest. Such a distance is not far for an albatross

Albatross require a relatively high air speed

to function effectively. Therefore these birds are found in the southern oceans where the air flow is continuous. Designed

to glide effortlessly for days at a time

MIRACLE IN THE AIR

Hummingbird

Family: Trochilidae

Order: Trochiliformes

Class: Aves

Phylum: Chordata

There are around 330 species

All in America & Caribbean

They feed on nectar

Ruby-throated Hummingbird

3 gm & 3” Archilochus colubris

Bee Hummingbird

( Mellisuga helenae ) of Cuba is

the smallest bird in the world,

weighing 1.8 gm, one inch long

and its egg weighs 0.5 gm.

3300 times lighter than heaviest

egg produced by Ostrich.

Giant Hummingbird

( Patagona gigas )

of Andes is 8”

long of in which

half is its tail

Red-booted Racket-tail humming

Spathura rufocaligata

The hummingbird can stand still in

the air (hover), fly forward and

backward and fly upside down

The wing can actually twist at wrist

joint and can be moved through

the air in a “figure of eight” pattern.

This give the hummingbird its

helicopter- like maneuverability.

The wing of a small hummingbird beats 70 beats per second. For giant it is 8-10 beats per sec.

Albatross can glide for many hours without

flapping its wings once. For honeybee it is 250

beats/sec. Midge flaps its minute wings 1000 times per second.

MIGRATION

(Tundra Swans)

HIBERNATION

(Marmot, Rodent)

Food, water, protective cover, and a sheltered place to nest and breed are basic to survival. Changing seasons can transform a comfortable environment into an unlivable one -- the food and water supply can dwindle, plant cover can vanish, and competition with other animals can increase. Migration is mass movement

V- formation to reduce the stress of flight

HIBERNATION is deep sleep for many months

AMERICAN GOLDEN PLOVER

( Pluvialis dominica )

Non-stop flight of about 4000 km in 48 hours

ARCTIC TERN ( Sterna paradisaea )

Champion of long distance migration

Arctic to its winter

home Antarctic,

17,700 km in

90 days. Thus

travel every year

35,400 km.

GRAY WHALE WHITE STORK

CRANE The position of the sun,

moon, stars, the earth temperature,

atmospheric pressure, and earth

magnetic field have all been

identified as playing a part in

migration

Monarch Butterfly

Danaus plexippus

Family: Danaidae

Order: Lepidoptera

Class: Insecta

Eastern Canada to Mexico is 1600 Km

Average speed is 17.5 Km/ hour

Height from ground is 5 Meter

Average daily distance covered is 120 Km

Complete

M etamorphosis

Hormones circulating

within the body

trigger the changes

that occur during

metamorphosis

A month to go through the stages from egg to adult

The adults live another two to six weeks in the summer

Monarchs that migrate live all winter, or about six to nine months

Many hundreds of thousands of Monarch Butterflies fly 2,500 miles in an arduous one month journey to arrive in Pacific Grove each fall with a great purpose .

But, first they must rest before they begin the regeneration of their amazing five generation annual life cycle.

In March when milkweed appears, the Monarchs begin a marvelous ritual, the crowning achievement of their great journey

Eventually, they fly off in separate directions, and the male dies because he expended so much energy in the mating

The female flutters out to place her 400+ eggs on milkweed bushes all the way over in California's San Joaquin Valley. She will lay them one at a time, on the underside of a leaf.

After she has laid all her eggs, she dies

Four days after tiny caterpillar emerges

The caterpillar eats its shell and the leaf it was attached to. The milkweed leaf is poisonous to the Monarch's predators, so the newborn can develop without being eaten by a bird. After two weeks the caterpillar crawls up on a stem, or, a branch, and using its last two back legs, hangs upside down and becomes a butterfly chrysalis. When the new Monarch has formed, and splits the cocoon, it must remain still for two hours so its wings dry, and the veins harden .

Then strong enough to fly, it goes north to repeat the mating cycle. Four short (one-month) generations of Monarchs fly north (like a relay race) until the fourth generation reaches the last milkweed of autumn in Canada.

The fifth generation, the long-living (8 month) butterfly is born in Canada in late summer, and immediately migrates south to sanctuaries in California.

Milkweed family

A generation of Monarch butterflies hatched in Canada is able to find its way to winter roots in Mexico, used by their grandparents and ancestors before them.

The information is stored in their genes!

Pacific grove in California is proud of monarch and the whole town is sanctuary for them “ It is the duty of every citizen to protect the butterflies” is the town ordinance. Street signs are everywhere. “School children parade” is on a Saturday morning in early October every year

PRINCE OF NIGHT AIR

BAT

Nyctophilus geoffroyi

Family : Vespertilonidae

Order : Chiroptera

Class : Mammalia

Bat, only mammal that can fly

There are nearly 1000 living bat species

Nearly all bats are nocturnal (active at night) or crepuscular (active during the twilight of dawn and dusk)

Echolocation is a high pitched sound produced in the bat's larynx. The sound frequencies range from 11 kHz to 160 kHz. When these pulses strike an object, an echo of the sound returns and is collected by the bat's forward-facing ears. The echoes enable bats to judge the shape, texture and distance of any object such as a tree, building or insects. As the bat gets closer to its prey the frequency increases.