By the end of this section, you will be able to:Explain why angiosperms are the dominant form of plant life in most terrestrial ecosystemsDescribe the main parts of a flower and their purposeDetail the life cycle of an angiospermDiscuss the two main groups of flowering plants

By the end of this section, you will be able to:Explain when seed plants first appeared and when gymnosperms became the dominant plant groupDescribe the two major innovations that allowed seed plants to reproduce in the absence of waterDiscuss the purpose of pollen grains and seedsDescribe the significance of angiosperms bearing both flowers and fruit

By the end of this section, you will be able to:Discuss the type of seeds produced by gymnosperms, as well as other characteristics of gymnospermsState which period saw the first appearance of gymnosperms and explain when they were the dominant plant lifeList the four groups of modern-day gymnosperms and provide examples of each

By the end of this section, you will be able to:Explain how angiosperm diversity is due, in part, to multiple interactions with animalsDescribe ways in which pollination occursDiscuss the roles that plants play in ecosystems and how deforestation threatens plant biodiversity

By the end of this section, you will be able to:Identify the main characteristics of bryophytesDescribe the distinguishing traits of liverworts, hornworts, and mossesChart the development of land adaptations in the bryophytesDescribe the events in the bryophyte lifecycle

By the end of this section, you will be able to:Discuss the challenges to plant life on landDescribe the adaptations that allowed plants to colonize the landDescribe the timeline of plant evolution and the impact of land plants on other living things

By the end of this section, you will be able to:Describe the traits shared by green algae and land plantsExplain the reasons why Charales are considered the closest relative to land plantsUnderstand that current phylogenetic relationships are reshaped by comparative analysis of DNA sequences

By the end of this section, you will be able to:Identify the new traits that first appear in tracheophytesDiscuss the importance of adaptations to life on landDescribe the classes of seedless tracheophytesDescribe the lifecycle of a fernExplain the role of seedless vascular plants in the ecosystem

By the end of this section, you will be able to:Describe the important difference between the life cycle of amphibians and the life cycles of other vertebratesDistinguish between the characteristics of Urodela, Anura, and ApodaDescribe the evolutionary history of amphibians

By the end of this section, you will be able to:Describe the evolutionary history of birdsDescribe the derived characteristics in birds that facilitate flight

By the end of this section, you will be able to:Describe the distinguishing characteristics of chordatesIdentify the derived character of craniates that sets them apart from other chordatesDescribe the developmental fate of the notochord in vertebrates

By the end of this section, you will be able to:Describe the difference between jawless and jawed fishesDiscuss the distinguishing features of sharks and rays compared to other modern fishes

By the end of this section, you will be able to:Name and describe the distinguishing features of the three main groups of mammalsDescribe the proposed line of descent that produced mammalsList some derived features that may have arisen in response to mammals’ need for constant, high-level metabolism

By the end of this section, you will be able to:Describe the main characteristics of amniotesExplain the difference between anapsids, synapsids, and diapsids, and give an example of eachIdentify the characteristics of reptilesDiscuss the evolution of reptiles

By the end of this section, you will be able to:Describe the derived features that distinguish primates from other animalsExplain why scientists are having difficulty determining the true lines of descent in hominids