Kingdom Animalia Part I

Animal Diversity and Invertebrates

**Lab coat, eye goggles and gloves (nitrile or latex) are required for this lab. You will not be allowed
to participate without this equipment.

Objectives
1. Explain the major characteristics by which animals are classified and recognize the phyla that
display each characteristic.
2. Correctly identify invertebrate specimens to their correct phylum.

Exercise I - Animal Diversity

1. What are the characteristics of animals?

2. What distinguishes members of Kingdom Animalia from other groups such as protists, plants,
and fungi?

During this lab we will examine characteristics by which animals are classified and specific examples and
phyla that exhibit these characteristics.

A. Symmetry
 Describe the three types of symmetry.
  Complete the following chart using the specimens from Group A.
Symmetry Phylum/Phyla Example specimens

B. Germ layers
 What are the three embryonic germ layers, and what tissues/organs do they develop into?

 Complete the following chart using the specimens from Groups A & B.
Number of Germ Layers Phylum/Phyla Example specimens
None

Diploblastic (2)

Triploblastic (3)

 How does the structural complexity differ between the examples specimens in each group?
C. Coelomic Cavity
 What are the functions of a coelomic cavity?

 What are the different types of coelomic cavities and how do they differ?

 Complete the following chart using the specimens from Groups A-C.
Type of Coelomic Cavity Phylum/Phyla Example specimens
No cavity

Pseudocoelomate

Eucoelomate

D. Protostomes vs. Deuterostomes

 Which characteristics do protostomes and deuterostomes share?
  Complete the following chart using specimen from Groups A-D
Cleavage Cleavage Fate of Formation Phyla Example
(direction) blastopore of coelomic specimens
cavity
Protostomes

Deuterostomes
Exercise II - Invertebrate Identification

There are several unlabeled invertebrate specimens displayed in the lab. Using your text, notes, and
your observations from Exercise I, determine the correct phylum of each specimen. Record your
answers on the table and check with your instructor to see if you have identified the specimens
properly.

Organism Phylum What characteristics allowed you to place the organism in this phylum?

10

11

12