The Coconut Octopus: Convergent Evolution
CC Orellana
Richter
AP Biology, B2
February 8th, 2016
Organism Report
Amphioctopus marginatus also known as the Coconut Octopus is related evolutionary to many other organisms. For one, it is a under the Phylum Mollusca, the same phylum as snails, squid, clams, scallops, and oysters. Cephalopoda, the class of this octopus is what seems to so have the most similar familiarities in animals. The class of this animal is characterized by having bilateral body symmetry, a large head, and a set of tentacles that was evolution from the molluscan foot. Squid and cuttlefish is a part of this class which shows that the Octopus is every similar to a squid, but over timed evolved. There are structures that may be the result of adaptive radiation. One …show more content…
Octopuses have an active, hunting lifestyle, which cause of the loss of the shells occurring in later evolution. An example of convergent evolution is the eye of this octopus. Birds and bats both evolved wings, an example of convergent evolution. The same happened for the eyes of squid, octopuses, and even in humans. The gene used in making eyes is called Pax6. The ancestor Pax6 gene created the formation of a simple eye. It was just a couple of light-sensing cells only informing an organism of when it in the dark or light, especially in octopuses. Today that Pax6 gene creates a diversity of organisms, from that octopus to you and me. The Pax6 gene is the evolutionary diversification of these lineages of evolution.
There are a few, only about 15 other organisms that share the same genus, but is a different species than the Amphioctopus marginatus. The species in this genus is separated, by its behavior and how it acts and use certain “tools” in their environment. For my species, its unusual behavior is bipedal walking as movement. Its unusual behavior is also its tool use. The Amphioctopus marginatus gathers coconut shells and seashells and uses them as shelter (hence why it’s commonly known as the coconut octopus.) Other species in the same genus are different as the hardly walk on the ground as an octopus and/ or the use bivalve shell as shelter. Some other species use skeletons of dead marine animals such as whales and sharks as shelter. This behavior is what commonly differentiates
Richter
AP Biology, B2
February 8th, 2016
Organism Report
Amphioctopus marginatus also known as the Coconut Octopus is related evolutionary to many other organisms. For one, it is a under the Phylum Mollusca, the same phylum as snails, squid, clams, scallops, and oysters. Cephalopoda, the class of this octopus is what seems to so have the most similar familiarities in animals. The class of this animal is characterized by having bilateral body symmetry, a large head, and a set of tentacles that was evolution from the molluscan foot. Squid and cuttlefish is a part of this class which shows that the Octopus is every similar to a squid, but over timed evolved. There are structures that may be the result of adaptive radiation. One …show more content…
Octopuses have an active, hunting lifestyle, which cause of the loss of the shells occurring in later evolution. An example of convergent evolution is the eye of this octopus. Birds and bats both evolved wings, an example of convergent evolution. The same happened for the eyes of squid, octopuses, and even in humans. The gene used in making eyes is called Pax6. The ancestor Pax6 gene created the formation of a simple eye. It was just a couple of light-sensing cells only informing an organism of when it in the dark or light, especially in octopuses. Today that Pax6 gene creates a diversity of organisms, from that octopus to you and me. The Pax6 gene is the evolutionary diversification of these lineages of evolution.
There are a few, only about 15 other organisms that share the same genus, but is a different species than the Amphioctopus marginatus. The species in this genus is separated, by its behavior and how it acts and use certain “tools” in their environment. For my species, its unusual behavior is bipedal walking as movement. Its unusual behavior is also its tool use. The Amphioctopus marginatus gathers coconut shells and seashells and uses them as shelter (hence why it’s commonly known as the coconut octopus.) Other species in the same genus are different as the hardly walk on the ground as an octopus and/ or the use bivalve shell as shelter. Some other species use skeletons of dead marine animals such as whales and sharks as shelter. This behavior is what commonly differentiates