CHAPTER 21: Sponges and
Cnidarians
- Introduction to the Vendian Period
- During the last part of the Precambrian era, animals arose.
This exhibit from the University of California Museum of Paleontology
features the creatures and fossil record of the Vendian Period.
The animal
fossils from this era tend to drive paleontologists mad because
they are so hard to classify.
- Introduction to the Metazoa
- Visit this virtual exhibit from the University of California
Museum of Paleontology. Especially interesting is the Systematics
of the Metazoa Web site, which links to all the animals and
shows their phylogenetic relationships.
- Tree of Life: Animals
- Which invertebrate animal is most closely related to the
chordates? How are other invertebrates related to one another?
Take a look at the animals and trace phylogenies up or down this
cladogram. This is a page from the Tree of Life, an Internet
phylogeny project headquartered at the University of Arizona.
- The Animal Diversity Web
- This is a rich source of information about the animal kingdom
from the University of Michigan. You'll find a description of
every phylum, even down through species, from annelids to zebras.
- The Electronic Zoo
- One of the premier sites for animal searches, this Washington University in St. Louis site features lists of newsgroups, software, and Web sites for all of your animal needs. Whether you are looking for a new pet or trying to find scientific information on an animal, this is a good place to start.
21.2 CHARACTERISTICS OF SPONGES
- Introduction to Porifera
- The University of California Museum of Paleontology has several pages, including Life History and Ecology of Porifera, that describe the habitat and reproduction of these primitive animals. Visit Morphology of Porifera to learn about their structure and organization.
21.3 ORIGIN AND DIVERSITY OF SPONGES
- Fossil Record of Porifera
- This section of the University of California Museum of Paleontology's
Introduction
to Porifera includes photos and descriptions of ancient sponge
fossils. To learn about the diversity within the phylum Porifera,
visit Systematics
of Porifera.
- Carnivorous Sponge
- Perhaps the ultimate passive-aggressor, this Mediterranean
sponge confused its discoverers because it did not seem to filter
feed. Find out what— and how— this sponge eats in this Access
Excellence article.
21.4 CHARACTERISTICS OF CNIDARIANS
- Introduction to the Cnidaria
- This section of the University of California Museum of Paleontology's
site contains links to the life history, ecology, and morphology
of the jellyfish and other cnidarians.
- Tree of Life: Cnidaria (Coelenterata)
- This page describes the phylogeny, habits, characteristics, and life cycle of cnidarians, using helpful photographs and diagrams. It is part of the Tree of Life Web site.
21.5 ORIGIN AND DIVERSITY OF CNIDARIANS
- Systematics of Cnidaria
- Present-day cnidarians as well as the Fossil
Record of Cnidaria can be found on this page from the University
of California Museum of Paleontology.
21.6 SPONGES AND CNIDARIANS IN THE BIOSPHERE
- Sea Store
- Learn which foods, medicines, and other products are derived
from the sea in this page from the Smithsonian's Ocean Planet
Exhibit. Take a look at Drugs,
Dressings, Diagnostics to learn how sponge and cnidarian
products are used in medicine.
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