Evolution by Monroe W. Strickberger

Jones & Bartlett Publishers

View Items
by Chapter:

Evolution Links
	Chapter 16 - Evolution among Invertebrates Experiences in the Life of an Invertebrate. It is easy to forget that the animals we study may have different sensory inputs from the world we share with them. B-EYE is a very unique site with an interesting point of view. Open B-EYE and find how common objects might appear to a honeybee. Do you agree that the bee’s perception is different than yours? Use this as a reminder that when studying the behavior of an organism that what we see may not be what they get. Visit the B-EYE web site. (The site will open externally in a new window) Biology of an Invertebrate. Invertebrates may have very simple life habits or they may be very complex. Insects are not the only invertebrates to develop flight, but some insect orders have groups that have developed social life systems. Honeybees are well known to you as social insects with complex behaviors. However, you may not realize the extent to which the anatomy of honeybees varies with the social role that they have. This simple principle emphasizes the relationship between form and function which is so integral to understanding of biology. Examine the life history of the honeybee and take special note of differences in internal organ morphology in relation to the behavioral or social role of the insect. Visit the The Biology of the Honey Bee, Apis mellifera web site. (The site will open externally in a new window) Insects in Motion. The behavior of invertebrates usually involves some kind of motion. This interesting web site allows you to click on the photograph and observe a short movie of insect behavior. Two clips that are quite interesting are of feeding by the praying mantid and by the dragonfly nymph. Dragonfly nymphs are aquatic predators. There is quite a contrast between their deliberate stalking and their lightening-quick strike when the prey comes into proximity. Select an insect that may interest you and observe a short video clip of its behavior. Watch for how specific parts of the body are used (or are kept stable) and for small cues to behavioral tendencies as for the dragonfly nymph. Visit the Insects in Motion web site. (The site will open externally in a new window)

Evolution Links