Rat and Frog Anatomy Comparison

Rat and Frog Comparison

Done By:

Eyad Ali

Ayoub Merzougui

Isabella Malek

Basic Adaptations

Frogs have very powerful back legs and webbed feet that help them swim and jump. They don't have tails because it would get in the way of their swimming and jumping.

Evolution of Rat and Frog

Rats can see, they do not see very well. Instead they rely on their excellent hearing and sense of smell. A rat's whiskers also help it gather information about the world.

Rat -

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Mammalia

Order: Rodentia

Family: Muridae

Genus: Rattus

Frog -

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Amphibia

Order: Anura

Family: Ranidae

Genus: Rana

Adaptions of Rat and Frog's Vertebrae

Bibliographies

Adaptations of the Rat and Frogs Fibula

Basic Comparison

A rat's vertebrae is much longer compared to a frog, and is much more flexible and cynlindrical than a frog's. It gives them more control, and even an ability to enter in small holes with their amazing flexiblity, and collapsible body. With a tail, they would also have more balance that adds up to their control.

The Rat's fibula does the same function as the Frog, The fibula's main function is to act as a stabilizing bone, particularly for the ankle.So this makes it easier to run away and avoid predators.

A frog's vertebrae is much more shorter compared to a rat, and is very short, with an absence of a neck and tail, which makes it less complex. It leads to its lack of speed, but better, powerful jump heights, which gives them more sensitivity, for their adaptions throughout.

Ayoub's Resources

Eyad's Sources

The Frog's tibiofibula helps the Frog jump higher and support the leg while doing so. If it can jump farther, it can run away, and avoid danger.

Cited Work

Ichthyostega

Ichthyostega is an early tetrapod genus that lived at the end of the Upper Devonian period (about 370 million years ago). It was a labyrinthodont, one of the first tetrapods in the fossil record. Ichthyostega possessed lungs and limbs that helped it navigate through shallow water in swamps, and on land.

Rats are mammals.

Frogs are amphibians.

Rats are warm-blooded.

Frogs are cold-blooded.

Whatcheeriidae

Rat and Frog's Skull's Adaptations

Some of the reasons why Ichthyostega's died of could be because of overproduction and competition, maybe the speces produced too many offsprings for all of them to survive, which leads to competition, there were a lot of predators 370 million years ago, which could be why Ichthyostega's are now extinct.

Comparison of Classifications

This tetrapod was one of the extinct organisms that lived in the Mississippian sub-period, and isn't considered amphibian, but as it's own family, within the tetrapods.

It has an absence of a neck, and has a very long vertebrae ending it up with a long tail. It's limbs are short, and used for both walking and swimming. It has no fur or hair, and has a triangle-shaped skull. It is about 5 or 6 feet long. Most of it's information is unclear, as it has almost no relations between other tetrapods.

Reasons leading to the extinction of the Whatcheeriidae is probably because of their survival habits, and how they reproduce. They might have been prey of lots of other animals, and had competitions with other tetrapods with food and habitats. They might haven't had the time to reproduce quickly, and they might've had some weaknesses they couldn't deal with, like for example, a lack of neck, whick makes it less complex, and flexible to move, and also maybe due to a lack of speed.

Comparison of Orders

Works Cited

Carvell, Catherine. "Frozen Frogsicles!" Darcy Moon Books. Catherine Carvell, 17 Mar. 2015. Web. 20 Nov. 2015. <http://darcymoonbooks.com/?tag=top-ten-frog-adaptations>.

Clarke, Barry, Geoff Brightling, and Frank Greenaway. Amphibian. New York: Knopf, 1993. Print.

Duellman, William E. "Anura." Encyclopedia Britannica. N. pag. Encyclopedia Britannica. Web. 20 Nov. 2015. <http://global.britannica.com/animal/Anura>.

"How Frogs Work." How Stuff Works. InfoSpace LLC, 1998. Web. 20 Nov. 2015. <http://animals.howstuffworks.com/amphibians/frog3.htm>.

Parker, Steve, and Philip Dowell. Eyewitness Skeleton. Rev. ed. New York: DK, 2004. Print.

"Rat." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 18 Nov. 2015. Web. 20 Nov. 2015. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rat>.

"Skeletal System." Evolution/Comparison. Not Listed, 20 May 2013. Web. 12 Nov. 2015. <http://ratsandstuff.blogspot.qa/2013/05/skeletal-system.html>.

"True Frog." Wikipedia. Wikimedia foundation, 27 Oct. 2015. Web. 20 Nov. 2015. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/True_frog>.

The Visual Dictionary of the Skeleton. London: Dorling Kindersley, 1995. Print.

"What Is a Tibiofibular Joint?" Wise Geek. Conjecture Corporation, 2003. Web. 20 Nov. 2015. <http://www.wisegeekhealth.com/what-is-a-tibiofibular-joint.htm>.

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Chordata

Superclass: Tetrapoda

Order: Ichthyostegalia

Family: Ichthyostegidae

Genus: Ichthyostega

Resources:

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2015. <http://www.ask.com/science/

rats-adapted-environment-8fdbdbff0865faed>.

"Frog(Amphibian) Vertebrae." Frog Vertebrae. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Nov. 2015.

<http://www.mchenry.edu/bones/pdf/FrogVertebra.pdf>.

"The Amazing Adaptable Frog." frogs. The Exploratorium, 1999. Web. 12 Nov. 2015.

<https://www.exploratorium.edu/frogs/mainstory/frogstory2.html>.

"Rat." Wikipedia. WikiMedia Foundation, 18 Nov. 2015. Web. 21 Nov. 2015.

<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rat>.

"Frog." Wikipedia. WikiMedia Foundation, 16 Nov. 2015. Web. 21 Nov. 2015.

<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frog>.

"Specialized Cells in the Skeletal System." LIVE STRONG. Demand Media, 24 June

2015. Web. 21 Nov. 2015. <http://www.livestrong.com/article/

72443-specialized-cells-skeletal-system/>.

"Tiktaalik." WikiPedia. WikiMedia, 26 Oct. 2015. Web. 21 Nov. 2015.

<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiktaalik>.

"Whatcheeriidae." Palaeos. Creative Commons, 2015. Web. 21 Nov. 2015.

<http://palaeos.com/vertebrates/tetrapoda/whatcheeriidae.html>.

"Whatcheeriidae." Wikipedia. WikiMedia Foundation, 11 Nov. 2015. Web. 21 Nov.

2015. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whatcheeriidae>.

Frogs have forward facing eyes and large eye sockets that help them to hunt. These adaptations help them with competition, as it’s easier for frogs to get food and survive. Also, frog’s skulls are flat, so they can hide. This also helps them with the competition element of natural selection, because it helps them because they could hide from their predators and survive longer.

Rats have incisors and molars, and their large teeth allow them to eat a larger range. They also have large, strong jaws. These traits help them with competition, as they'll be able to eat more than other animals. Also, rats don't need large eye sockets like frogs because their whiskers help them to sense their surroundings.

While both rats and frogs have the same kingdom and phylum, the orders of classification start to change, as the rat represents "Mammalia" while the frog represents "Amphibia". Mammals are warm blooded, and give birth from their body, while also having fur/hair on them. Amphibians are cold blooded, and give birth by laying eggs, but don't have any fur/hair on them.

Anura, also called Salientia, one of the major extant orders of the class Amphibia. It includes the frogs and toads, The single largest group of mammals is the Rodentia. Most non-flying mammals are rodents. Anura is mostly composed of Amphibians such as frogs and toads, while Rodentia is composed of mostly Rodents and rats.

Rat and Frog Fibula Comparison

Comparison of Vertebrae Between Rat and Frog

Acanthostega

Comparisons of Whatcheeriidae

An extinct tetrapod (a superclass that relates to both mammals and amphibians) that could be an ancestor to both rats and frogs was called an acanthostega.

Possible reasons that acanthostegas would become extinct could be similar to the reasons that many frogs die. Lots of overpopulation happens for frogs, as a single frog can lay 100 eggs in 1 year. Also, predators could have killed acanthostegas off. It is possible that acanthostegas weren't very high up on the food chain and had many predators like frogs.

Isabella's Bibliography

Ichthyostega

Rats and Whatcheeriidaes are both tetrapods, and have a few things in common, and it's mostly because of their long vertebrae ending them both up with a tail. They are about the same size and length too (both about 5 or 6 feet).

Ichthyostega possessed lungs and limbs that helped it navigate through shallow water in swamps, just like how an amphibian would, it has similar limbs and a similar skull.

The Frog

A tibiofibular joint is one of two joints between the tibia and fibula, the two bones in the lower leg between the knee and ankle. The frog has no fibula. Instead, it has a tibiofibula. This is an advantage because they can jump farther. If it can jump farther, it can run away, and avoid danger. A disadvantage to being a frog is that it can only jump. It cannot run in use of danger, making its 'getaway' slower than normal.

A few things that makes the Whatcheeriidae completely different from both frogs and rats, is its narrowness, steep-sided skull, and massive sharp teeth, and the bones on the skull surface is unusually smooth, and it's ears are really sensitivly high in the water. It is right now extinct unlike the rat, and frog.

Rat's Vertebrae - A rat's vertebrae is slightly long, and and very flexible, allowing it to enter small holes when needed. In addition, it's tail helps keep its balance, and gives them more control.

The Ichthyostega is a tetrapod very similar to a Acanthostega, it looks very similar, but what these two of these organismis have in common is that they eveolved from the same specie. And depending on their location, they have learned to adapt overtime.

Frogs are also tetrapods like the Whatcheeriidae, and have some similarities with them. They both have a triagular shaped skull, and almost got the same limbs. They both got an absence of a neck, and have no fur or hair on them.

The Osteoblast Cell

The Ichthyostega and the rat

both share features that they share,

like the tail. But also when we

dissected a rat, we noticed they had

lungs similar to those in a

Ichthyostega

The structure and function for the Osteblast cell is the same for both the frog and that rat. Ostoblasts are a circular cell that gets grouped together with other cells that form a new bone. They also come from the bone marrow and are related to structural cells. They have only one nucleus. Osteoblasts work in teams to build bone. They produce new bone called "osteoid" which is made of bone collagen and other protein. Then they control calcium and mineral deposition. They are found on the surface of the new bone.

Comparison of Class

Frog's Vertebrae - A frog's vertebrae is very short, and less complex. It has an absence of a neck and tail, that gives it a lack of speed, but powerful jump heights, and allow it to control itself.

"Acanthostega." Wikipedia. N.p.: Wikimedia, 2015. Wikipedia. Web. 21 Nov. 2015. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acanthostega>.

B., Dorota. "Do Frogs Have Teeth?" All About Frogs. Dorota, 2006. Web. 21 Nov. 2015. <http://www.allaboutfrogs.org/weird/general/teeth.html>.

Chu, Jeanyan, and Crystal Yu. "Evolution and the Body Systems of the Earthworm, Crayfish,Frog, and Rat." Jeanyan and Crystal. Blogspot, 10 June 2013. Web. 10 Nov. 2015. <http://jeanyanandcrystal.blogspot.qa/>.

"Evolution/ Comparison- Skeletal System." Rats and Stuff. Blogger, 20 May 2013. Web. 21 Nov. 2015. <http://ratsandstuff.blogspot.qa/2013/05/skeletal-system.html>.

Farke, Andrew. "Acanstethstoga." Plos Blogs. Plos Blogs, 2015. Web. 21 Nov. 2015. <http://blogs.plos.org/paleo/2015/03/12/digital-head-acanthostega/>.

Fröhlich, Edda. "Frog Silhouette." Shirta. Xonu, 2013. Web. 21 Nov. 2015. <http://shirta.de/frosch-frog-silhouette-d75391372.html#d>.

Geek, Wise. "Frog." Wise Geek. Conjecture Corporation, n.d. Web. 21 Nov. 2015. <http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-a-trident.htm>.

Hanson, Anne. "Rat Teeth." Rat Behavior and Biology. RatBehavior.org, n.d. Web. 21 Nov. 2015. <http://www.ratbehavior.org/Teeth.htm>.

Parker, Steve, and Philip Dowell. Eyewitness Skeleton. Rev. ed. New York: DK, 2004. Print.

Raid, Dr. Richard. "Key to Rodent Skulls." University of Florida. U of Florida, 26 Oct. 2015. Web. 21 Nov. 2015. <http://erec.ifas.ufl.edu/barn_owl_research/pdf/KeyToRodentSkulls.pdf>.

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"Silhouette of Rat." Silhouettes Free. Silhouettes Free, n.d. Web. 21 Nov. 2015. <http://silhouettesfree.com/s.php?silhouette=Rat&st=10>.

"Skull of a Frog." Transtutors. Transweb Global, 2015. Web. 12 Nov. 2015. <http://www.transtutors.com/biology-homework-help/zoology/skull-of-frog/>.

"Tetrapod." Wikipedia. N.p.: Wikimedia, 2015. Wikipedia. Web. 21 Nov. 2015. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tetrapod>.

"True Frog." Wikipedia. N.p.: Wikimedia, 2015. Wikipedia. Web. 21 Nov. 2015. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/True_frog>.

Utley, Kadyn. "Differences between Reptiles, Amphibians and Mammals." Quora. Quora, 4 Aug. 2015. Web. 21 Nov. 2015. <https://www.quora.com/What-is-the-difference-between-reptiles-amphibians-and-mammals>.

Wilson, Tracy V. "How Frogs Work." How Stuff Works Animals. HowStuffWorks, n.d. Web. 21 Nov. 2015. <http://animals.howstuffworks.com/amphibians/frog3.htm>.

The Rat

The fibula, also known as the calf bone, is one of the two main bones of the lower leg. It is thinner than the other bone of the lower leg, the tibula, and it is the outer of the two bones. The fibula is connected to the upper tibia only by ligaments and is not truly connected to the knee, but it is joined to the talus (ankle bone). This joint is the section of bone that protrudes from the outer side of the ankle. The fibula is significantly thinner than its partner bone, the tibia. It is not designed to carry much weight, although it does support a bit. The fibula's main function is to act as a stabilizing bone, particularly for the ankle.

OsteoClasts

These are cells that break down and absorb bone tissue back into the body. This would be similar for both rats, and frogs, since they're both the largest cells, that dissolve the bone, and have more than 1 nuclea. It is the membrane that lines the nner cavity of the bone for both, and these would be some of the strucutures that helps the rat and frog with bone development, repair, and preventing diseases. It also helps with digestion of hydrated protein, and minerals.

Rat and Frog Skull Comparison

White rats and true frogs have the same kingdom and phylum, but their main difference is their class. White rats are part of the class Mammalia, and true frogs are part of the class Amphibia. The differences between Mammalia and Amphibia are that amphibians are cold-blooded, don’t have fur, and that they lay eggs.

Frogs have forward facing eyes and large eye socket to provide better eyesight, to help precise hunting, and to make up for the lack of being able to turn the head (frogs don't have necks.) Frogs have flat skull bones to help them hiding, and the main function of the skull is to protect the brain. In tadpole stage frogs' skulls are fully made of cartilage and are called chondrocranium, but by the adult stage, the skull is changed into bones. The skull is triangular, and somewhat flattened, and frogs have maxillary teeth, vomerine teeth and no teeth on the lower jaw.

Rats have the same parts of the skull as frogs do, but the don't have a need for large eye sockets, as they have necks. A rat's skull structure is oval-shaped and is gradually domed. Rats have incisors and molars, and they need larger teeth than frogs, as they have a different diet (of almost everything. Like frogs, rat skull's main function is to hold and protect the brain.

Acanthostega

Tail's bone structure similar (frogs adapted not to have tails, as tails would get in the way of frogs' jumping and movement). The shaping of the digits on their limbs are also similar.

Acanthostegas, rats and frogs all have differently-shaped limbs. Acanthestogas' limbs were shaped like they were to help swimming, frogs' limbs are shaped like they are to help jumping, and rats' limbs are shaped like they are to help walk.

The acanthostega's triangular shaped skull similar to frog's. Also, the acanthostega had a similar ability to live like a frog. Frogs and

acanthostegas also are similar in the way that they don't

have necks.