URGENT!!!!!
You are once again the science officer stationed on the starshipNX-01. Upon discovery of a new planet, the mission of you team isto conduct a survey of the resources found on the planet. Now thatyou have conducted an ecological analysis of the planet, you havebeen called upon to some examine some of the living organisms onthe planet. The area your team has been assigned to explore islocated on East Darwin near the coast. The seawater is salty,approximately the same concentration as the seas on earth. Inlandfrom the sea is a dry desert region with very little fresh wateravailable. Between the desert and the sea are patches of scrubbygrass, averaging approximately 35 cm in height.
While exploring the coastal areas of east Darwin, you find theremains of a large organism on the beach. The body is approximately25m long, and appears to be some type of vertebrate-like organism.The organism has four relatively short limbs, attached to a heavypectoral and pelvic girdle. Because of it’s location, you are atfirst unsure if it is an aquatic organism that washed up on thebeach, or a terrestrial organism that died near the seashore. Whatrespiratory, circulatory excretory and, structuralfeatures would you look for during your dissection todetermine if it was aquatic or terrestrial? Explain why thestructures you have mentioned are important in determining aquaticor terrestrial origins for the organism? (10 pts)
Describe some of the problems associated with the size of theorganism mentioned in question #1. In your answer, address possibleproblems with movement, transfer of heat energy generatedby the body and movement of materials across theepidermis. You must refer to the square cube law in youranswer. If you answered terrestrial in question 1 assume yourorganism is terrestrial for question 2 as well. If you answeredaquatic in question 1, assume your organism is aquatic for question2 as well. (10)
In a stream you are observing, you see a living organism thatappears to be Catadromous. Explain what this means for theirphysiology? (5)
These aquatic organisms can sense their environment in a varietyof different ways. Discuss two different sensory systems thataquatic organisms may have that humans do not have. (5)
While continuing to explore your assigned area, you come acrossa small 4-legged organism (approximately 40 cm high, weightapproximately 6 kg) with a feather-like outer covering. It inhabitsthe scrubby grass strips between the sea and the desert. As youobserve the animal, you notice that after grazing on the grass, itwalks to the sea and drinks the water. What adaptations might thisorganism have to be able to drink seawater? Explain. (10)
You are to travel to the cold regions in far north of the planetfor your final explorations before you return to Earth from yourcontinuing mission. Would you expect to large, small animals, bothor none in this region? Why? (10)
