Shark Animal Lab
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John Francis101
Honors Biology
5/14/15
Title: Classification of Species
Purpose: The purpose of this lab is to understand the concept of taxonomic classification and to practice using dichotomous keys for classification.
Procedure: To start the experiment with exercise 1, I gathered all of the needed supplies, both from around my house and from the lab paq CD. I then began exercise one by printing the images in Figure 5 from my labpaq. I then proceeded to cut out each shark. Next I carefully examined the drawing of shark specimen 1. After examining the shark I went to the Key to the Classification of Sharks by Family chart. There, I went through each question, answering yes or no until I hit the family name of the shark. I recorded the family name of Shark 1 in Data Table 1. I repeated all of the steps starting with examining the …show more content…
The eight characteristics used to identify a shark are its mouth location, its gills, its pelvic fin, its anal fin, its dorsal fins, its caudal fin, its nose, and its body shape from above.
D) What is the main characteristic that distinguishes shark 12 from shark 7?
The main characteristic that distinguishes the two is the fact that shark 12 has 6 gills and shark 17 only has 7.
Questions for exercise 2:
A) Were the characteristics of all of the living specimens able to fit in the key, or were there some specimens that were difficult to place?
Some specimens were difficult to place.
B) Were some of the living crawlas placed in the same species? If so, do you think their similarities warranted classification in one species? Explain your answers.
Yes, in two different cases, two crawlas were placed in the same species.
C) Were the characteristics of all of the fossil specimen able to fit the key, or were there some specimen that were difficult to place?
The characteristics of all of the fossil specimen were not able to fit the
John Francis101
Honors Biology
5/14/15
Title: Classification of Species
Purpose: The purpose of this lab is to understand the concept of taxonomic classification and to practice using dichotomous keys for classification.
Procedure: To start the experiment with exercise 1, I gathered all of the needed supplies, both from around my house and from the lab paq CD. I then began exercise one by printing the images in Figure 5 from my labpaq. I then proceeded to cut out each shark. Next I carefully examined the drawing of shark specimen 1. After examining the shark I went to the Key to the Classification of Sharks by Family chart. There, I went through each question, answering yes or no until I hit the family name of the shark. I recorded the family name of Shark 1 in Data Table 1. I repeated all of the steps starting with examining the …show more content…
The eight characteristics used to identify a shark are its mouth location, its gills, its pelvic fin, its anal fin, its dorsal fins, its caudal fin, its nose, and its body shape from above.
D) What is the main characteristic that distinguishes shark 12 from shark 7?
The main characteristic that distinguishes the two is the fact that shark 12 has 6 gills and shark 17 only has 7.
Questions for exercise 2:
A) Were the characteristics of all of the living specimens able to fit in the key, or were there some specimens that were difficult to place?
Some specimens were difficult to place.
B) Were some of the living crawlas placed in the same species? If so, do you think their similarities warranted classification in one species? Explain your answers.
Yes, in two different cases, two crawlas were placed in the same species.
C) Were the characteristics of all of the fossil specimen able to fit the key, or were there some specimen that were difficult to place?
The characteristics of all of the fossil specimen were not able to fit the