Growth and Development of Organisms

Growth and Development of Organisms Parents feed offspring. Parents groom offspring to protect them from insects and parasites. Parents teach offspring protective behaviors. Parents protect offspring from predators. Parents work as group to protect offspring. Parents build nests, dens or burrows to house offspring. Growth and Development of Organisms - Reproductive Behaviors Animals engage in characteristic behaviors that increase the odds of reproduction. In mammals, females give birth to a small number young that are generally small and helpless at birth, yet they survive. This is because mammals feed and protect their young until they can survive on their own. Females produce milk (lactate) that they feed to their young (nursing) until the young can find and eat food on their own. Mammals provide a safe living space where they watch over young until they can survive out in the world. This might be a nest, den or burrow, a mother’s protective pouch, or just a central place in the protective herd. Mammals also teach their young techniques for finding food and escaping predators, before they go out on their own. Birds are born in hard-shelled eggs. Most bird parents build a nest in a tree, burrow, or tree hole and incubate the eggs with their own body heat to keep them warm and safe until they hatch. Hatchling birds are small and helpless. The parents bring them food and continue to keep them warm and dry. Birds will also teach their young how to get food and avoid danger. They will stay with them until they can fly, swim or run away on their own. Amphibians include frogs, toads and salamanders. They lay a large number of soft eggs in the water. Most amphibians do not watch over their eggs or keep them safe after they hatch. Only a few hatchlings survive - but usually some do survive. The large number of eggs produced is their successful reproductive behaviour. Reptiles include snakes, lizards and turtles. They lay a large number of leathery eggs on land buried in the sand, soil or brushpile. Most do not watch over their eggs or keep them safe after they hatch. Only a few hatchlings survive - but usually some do survive. The large number of eggs produced is their successful reproductive behaviour. Hatchlings dig out of their nest and make their own way to safety. Some reptile parents, such as the American alligator, do watch over the nest and hatchling for a while. This helps more offspring survive. Insects lay many, many eggs on plants (or animals) on which their offspring can feed when they hatch. This gives them a chance to feed and grow. Insect parents usually do not watch over their eggs or keep them safe after they hatch. Only a few hatchlings survive - but usually some do survive. The large number of eggs produced is their successful reproductive behaviour. Think about these different groups of animals and how each has their own characteristic behaviors that increase the odds of reproduction. Animal Behaviors that Affect the Probability of Successful Reproduction LS1.B Growth and Development of Organisms: Animals engage in characteristic behaviors that increase the odds of reproduction. (MS-LS1-4) Amphibians: Lay many soft eggs in the shallow water so they won’t dry out. They all hatch at once. Insects: Lay many, many eggs on plants (or animals) on which offspring can feed once they hatch. Large number of eggs insures some will survive. Reptiles: Lay many leathery eggs in a hole dug in sand or soil Birds: above water line. Large number • Build nests and incubate eggs to keep them of eggs insures some will survive. warm and protected until they hatch. • Keep new hatchlings warm, fed and safe. • Stay with young until they can fly, swim or run from predators and find food on their own. Mammals: • Nurse young on protein rich milk. • Provide safe living space. • Protect them from threats. • Teach them to find food and avoid predators until they are independent. Animal Behaviors that Affect the Probability of Successful Reproduction in Barn Swallows Parents work together to build an open cup nest of mud and grass up under an overhang or on a ledge or shelf. At night, parents will sit on the nest to keep the chicks warm. Both parents incubate the eggs to keep them warm. Once the chicks hatch, the parents take turns bringing them insects to eat. Parents stay with their chicks until they can fly and feed on their own. Performance Expectations - Students who demonstrate understanding can: MS-LS1-4. Use argument based on empirical evidence and scientific reasoning to support an explanation for how characteristic animal behaviors and specialized plant structures affect the probability of successful reproduction of animals and plants respectively. Successful Reproduction in Barn Swallows - Critical Thinking Barn swallow parents work together to build an open cup nest of mud and grass up under an overhang or on a ledge or shelf under porches, in barns and under bridges. They line nests with grass stems and feathers. Swallows will also nest in nest boxes put out in open fields. Both parents incubate the eggs to keep them warm. Once the chicks hatch, the parents take turns bringing them insects to eat. When a parent approaches the nest, the chicks raise their heads, open their mouths and peep loudly. Parents stuff insects into the chicks’ open mouths. When they’ve had enough to eat, the chicks settle down to rest. At night, when it’s colder, the parents sit on the nest to keep the chicks warm. They stay with their chicks until they can fly and catch insects on their own. Using scientific reasoning, list how the behaviors of swallows affects the success of chick survival? 1) Nest shape and location: __________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________ 2) Both parents taking turns incubating the eggs: ___________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________ 3) Both parents taking turns feeding the chicks: ____________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________ 4) The chicks responding to parents’ approach with food: ____________________________ _________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________ 5) Both parents staying with chicks until they can fly and catch insects: _________________ _________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________ Animal Behaviors that Affect the Probability of Successful Reproduction in Bullfrogs If you have ever lived near a pond, you may have heard the deep, loud call of the American bullfrog as it calls to a mate. Bullfrogs mate in the spring and the females lays thousands of eggs in the shallow water near shore. This keeps them from drying out, but also protects them from hungry fish found deeper in the pond. The eggs hatch all at once, forming a profusion of movement that makes them difficult to isolate for predators. Still, only a few tadpoles survive to become adults. They have gills at first, so don’t need to come to the surface to breathe. They can hide among the pond vegetation and eat small insects. As they grow and go through the metamorphosis toward their adult form, their mottled coloring is good camouflage, hiding them from fish and hungry birds. By the time they reach their impressive adult size, they have developed lungs to breath air and powerful legs to launch themselves after prey - fish, worms, insects, small ducks, other frogs, and even turtles. Male bullfrogs have a deep, loud call that attracts females to mate. Bullfrogs lay thousands of eggs in the shallow water near shore where they won’t dry out. All the eggs hatch at once. Tadpoles breathe through gills so never have to come near the surface of the water until they are adults. Bullfrog tadpoles have camouflage coloring. Bullfrogs develop powerful back legs to launch themselves after prey and escape predators. LS1.B Growth and Development of Organisms: Animals engage in characteristic behaviors that increase the odds of reproduction. (MS-LS1-4) Bullfrog Reproductive Behavior - Authentic Performance Dr. Doubt has stated that bullfrogs don’t have any characteristic behaviors that increase the odds of reproduction compared to mammals, who expend a lot of energy caring for their offspring. Your job, as an investigative zoologist, is to use an argument based on empirical evidence and scientific reasoning to support an explanation for how bullfrogs use characteristic behaviors and specialized physical traits to increase the probability of reproductive success – and prove him wrong! (Hint: Research the characteristic behaviors that help their reproductive success and list them below with your scientific reasoning. Produce visual aids as well, if they help prove your argument.) _________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________ Growth and Development of Organisms - Plant Reproduction “Plants reproduce in a variety of ways, sometimes depending on animal behavior and specialized features for reproduction.” When flowering plants reach their adult size, they begin to develop flowers. The flowers house the male and female parts of the plant. The pollen from the male part of the flower has to reach the female part of the flower for pollination to occur. After pollination, the flower develops into a fruit that houses the plant’s seeds. Most plants depend on animals to help pollinate their flowers - insects, birds and even bats. Animals are attracted to flowers by their bright colors and sweet smell, which signals the availability of nectar on which they can feed. Hummingbirds use their long bill to reach deep inside long, tubular flowers to collect nectar. While inside, their feathers pick up pollen. When they fly to the next flower, the pollen on their feathers touches the inside of that flower – pollinating it. Some night blooming flowers have a scent that attracts bats. They will go from flower to flower licking up pollen and nectar and pollinating the flowers as they go. Most flowers, though, are pollinated by insects – bees, butterflies, moths and flies. Insects pick up pollen while they are inside each flower and bring it on to the next – pollinating it. Just by their sheer numbers compared to other animals, insects are the most effective pollinators. Once a flower is pollinated, it develops into a fruit, inside which, grows its seeds. Non-flowering plants, such as conifers, release an abundance of pollen into the air and the wind blows it around. Some of it reaches the female cones to complete pollination. After the seeds develop, the plant has to spread them out into the world. This is called seed dispersal. Some seeds have hooks or barbs that attach to the fur of passing animals. Later the animal may bite or scratch off the itchy burr, spreading the seeds onto new ground. Other seeds form inside a fruit, such as apples, pears, blueberries and raspberries. This attracts animals to eat them. The seeds are then spit out or go through the animal’s digestive tract to be defecated onto the ground, where they can start to grow. Animals, such as squirrels and chipmunks, collect seeds and bury them to store them. For an acorn, this is not only spreading the seeds, but planting it in the ground as well. Some seeds have developed traits to use the wind to get their seeds out in the world. A dandelion’s seeds have fluffy parachutes. Maple seeds have spinning wings, called samaras. Both these traits help the seeds fly away from the parent plant to take root in their own sunny place. Pollination in Flowering Plants - Close-Up The pollen from the male part of the flower has to reach the female part of the flower for pollination to occur. Most flowers are pollinated by insects, which are attracted to them by their bright colors and sweet smell. These traits signal the availability of nectar on which the insect can feed. While inside the flower, the bee picks up pollen, which sticks to its body. The flower’s stamens are designed to brush pollen onto the underside of a visiting insect. When the bee flies to the next flower, the pollen on its body touches the pistil in that flower completing pollination. Bees are responsible for pollinating thousands of flowers every day. LS1.B: Growth and Development of Organisms - Plants reproduce in a variety of ways, sometimes depending on animal behavior and specialized features for reproduction. Plants Depending on Animals - Scientific Reasoning Use scientific reasoning to support an explanation for how specialized plant structures of the apple tree affect the probability of successful reproduction and how both pollination and seed dispersal is affected by animal behaviors. Use the diagram on the left to guide your narrative. _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ 1 apple tree in bloom _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ 2 honeybees on apple blossoms _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ 3 apple tree in fruit _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ 4 raccoon eating apples 5 apple seeds growing Performance Expectations - Students who demonstrate understanding can: MS-LS1-4. Use argument based on empirical evidence and scientific reasoning to support an explanation for how characteristic animal behaviors and specialized plant structures affect the probability of successful reproduction of animals and plants respectively.