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Exam)
The Protozoa
Differentiate the functions of the macro- and micronuclei of ciliates. What is the
advantage of having dimorphic nuclei as compared to the monomorphic nucleus of
other protozoans?
How can foram fossils provide clues about past cold and warm periods, and global
temperature change?
Some species of sponge do not have spicules (i.e. Spongia). What are the
advantages and disadvantages of having only spongin as a skeletal component?
Why is the most recent cnidarian evolutionary sequence (Anthozoa --> Scyphozoa
--> Hydrozoa) strongly contested or deemed unlikely?
Several species of hard corals can have multiple forms per species. These forms are
massive (boulder-like), tabulate (table-like), foliose (leaf-like), digitate, branching,
encrusting, and fungilid (dome-shaped). What factors or conditions dictate which
coral form these anthozoans adapt? Explain your answer.
THE LOPHOTROCHOZOA
Why is Schistosomiasis prevalent in some regions in the Philippines (such as
Leyte)? Relate this to the life cycle of Schistoma.
Can a proglottid survive when detached from the scolex of a tapeworm? Explain.
THE ECDYSOZOA
What is the evolutionary significance of segmentation and how did it come about?
About three quarters of the known leech species are blood-suckers, while the rest
are predators. What is the explanation behind this adaptation from predatory to
blood-sucking mode of feeding?
Among the mollusks, only cephalopods have eyes similar to those of vertebrates.
what is the significance of this adaptation to this group?
Why are shellfish commonly used for bio-indication and bioremediation of polluted
bodies of water?
How have insects become the most successful group, from an evolutionary
perspective?
How do colonial insects, such as bees and ants, navigate to and from their nests?
How is web form and orientation related to the lifestyle or habit of a spider?
THE DEUTEROSTOMIA
What are the mechanisms behind the ability of some echinoderms to lose and
regenerate body parts?
What are the characteristics that unite the birds and reptiles into a single clade?
Marine mammals, such as dolphins and whales, do not have gills. How do these
organisms go about living in the marine habitat in the absence of gills for
respiration?