Chapter 29.1, Problem 4MI

Summary Introduction

To define:

The given term “interpretation” to show its scientific meaning

Introduction: Vertebrates are animals with backbones. Reptiles are vertebrates that are fully adapted to life on land. The features that help them to survive on land are scaly skin, shelled egg, efficient circulatory and digestive system.

Today four living orders of reptiles remain- snakes and lizards, crocodiles and alligators, turtles and tortoises and tuataras.

Answer to Problem 4MI

Interpretation refers to a particular adaptation or version of a work, method or style.

Explanation of Solution

The cladogram of reptiles show one interpretation of how early amniotes underwent adaptive radiation giving rise to reptiles as well as modern birds and mammals. We know that amniotes are vertebrates in which the embryo is encased in an amniotic membrane. Early amniotes separated into three lines, each having a different skull structure. Anapsids, diapsids and synapsids are the three lines which gave rise to turtles, birds and mammals respectively.

Here the word ‘interpretation’ means a particular line of thought or version of work. Scientists interpreted the cladogram in a particular way to explain how reptiles evolved.