Reproductive adaptations

Union of male and female gametes

can occur inside the body or outside
the body
External fertilization
Most of the marine organisms undergo external fertilization. Water is
important medium which prevents the dehydration of games.
Corals bony fish and amphibians experience external fertilization.
Bony fish:
Female produce eggs in large batches and release them into the
water
Male producing sperms and releasing into the area of the water
containing the eggs.
Union of games and fertilisation occur in ocean
Although thousands of eggs are fertilised in a single mating of bony
fish many of them succumb to microbial infection, or predation and
a few grow to maturity
Amphibians:
Gametes from both male and female are
released through the cloaca
Male grasps female and discharges fluid
containing sperms onto the eggs as they are
released in the water
Internal fertilisation
Is the process where male gametes are inserted
into the female reproductive tract via penis or
similar structures.
This allows the union of gametes to occur in moist
environment even though the animal is on the land.
Advantages: fertilisation environment is not only
protected from dehydration and external element
but also from predation and dispersal or loss of
gametes.
This means only a fewer eggs are required to
ensure a successful number of offspring.

Internal fertilization
Cartilaginous fish fertilisation is internal. Male
introduces the sperms into the female body
through a modified pelvic fin.
Male sharks have mixoptyerigia, or pelvic
claspers, an extension of the cartilaginous
skeleton that serve as the sperm conducting
structure for internal fertilization. No such
structure is found on bony fish.
reptiles
Most reptiles fertilise their eggs
internally. Eggs are deposited
outside the mothers
body for development.
Male reptile uses a tubular organ penis
containing erectile tissues become rigid and
penetrate far into the female reproductive tract.

Birds
Birds practice internal fertilisation. They dont
have penis. In big birds like swan a cloaca
extends to form a false penis. As the eggs pass
oviduct glands secrete protein and a hard
calcium carbonate shell the distinguish bird egg
from a reptilian egg.
Most birds incubate their eggs after laying them,
to keep them warm.
Mammals
Some mammals are seasonal breeders,
reproduce once a year while others have shorter
reproductive cycle.
This involves cyclic release of eggs from the
ovary by ovulation. Mammals require the
insertion of sperms into female reproductive
tract (by copulation) for fertilisation to occur.
Reproductive adaptations in plants
Pollination
Seed dispersal
Asexual reproduction
Flowering plants (angiosperms) and conifers
(gymnosperms) sexually reproduce by fertilising
internally.
Gymnosperms have only one mechanism for
pollination, wind, whereas angiosperms use animals
such as insects, birds and mammals as agents for
pollination. Some angiosperms still continue as wind-
pollinators. (Explain basic structure of the flower)
Methods of Dispersal
Wind: Seeds may have different mechanisms or adaptations to assist the dispersal over long distances by
the wind.
Fine, light aerodynamic seeds (e.g. melaleuca and casuarina)
Winged seeds (e.g. hakea)
Feathery pappus (e.g. native daisies)
Animal: Seeds may possess hooks or barbs to catch seeds on the outside of animals
Fruits may be eaten and seeds then carried in the gut and deposited in faeces in a new area
Colourful fruit (e.g. lilypilly and tree violet)
Sticky fruit (e.g. mistletoe)
Burrs or hooks (e.g. birdlime tree and pittosporum)
Through animal gut (e.g. nitre bush)
Fire:Some seeds are stored until re causes pods to open
Eucalypts, banksias, acacias and grevilleas
Water: Seeds may oat on water and be dispersed distances over different water bodies (rivers
and oceans)
Water gums and mangroves
Explosion: Some seed may be ejected from pods at high speeds. The pods explode when ripe and shoot
seeds away from the parent plant.
Acacias and viola