Synthesis Essay

Early Chordates and the Transition to Land

Describe the earliest chordates from early tunicate relatives through the development of vertebrate jaws and a transition to land.

Include in your answer:

a. a description of the form and function of the five essential chordate characteristics

b. a description of the feeding mechanism of a tunicate, a lancelet, an agnathan (such as Jamoytius), and an early jawed vertebrate (such as a shark).

c. a description of the evolutionary history and origin of jaws

d. a description of the habitat from which fishes emerged onto land and the reasons these habitat features supported the transition

e. a description of the adaptations of fishes that made them more successful in this habitat and which coincidentally pre-adapted them for life on land.