PHYLA CHORDATA

Amphibians, Reptiles, Birds, and Mammals

By: Julia, Noah, Shannon, and Brandon

Amphibians- Julia
Recently, scientists have done research on an infectious disease caused
by a fungal pathogen that is killing off the amphibian population in
Madagascar.
- this disease could bring mass amphibian decline and even
extinction
- the frogs carry the fungus but have not developed the disease
- discovering how the Malagasy amphibians are fighting the disease
could be beneficial to help save amphibians in other areas
- may be necessary to capture animals that live in vulnerable areas
and proceed to raise them in captivity

Birds
-research on chickens
- is it safe to feed chickens Bacillus thuringiensis
rice?
-experimented for 42 days
-female chickens fed genetically modified rice
and regular rice
-genetically modified rice had no effect on
chicken
-genetically modified rice is safe for chickens

Effect of Industrialization on Fringe-Toed

Lizards
Where
Gabs region of Tunisia
Why
Nearby phosphate treatment plant: Gabs-Ghannouche factory
complex
Diet of littoral amphipods
Contaminated with heavy metals
Result
Large concentrations of cadmium, lead, and zinc in stomach, liver,

Mammals - Brandon
-New research has shown that first ebola infection may have been
caused by bats
-Tree discovered that housed bats commonly hunted by children, not
adults
-First ebola-like symptoms = in children
-tree was burned in 2014, causing rain of bats that spread everywhere
in village
-that village = origin point of Ebola
-Next step: to investigate more about what those bats ate, if that
caused Ebola

Artistic Representation of Ebola Transfer to

Humans
EBOLA

Sources
Birds: Effects of a diet containing genetically modified rice expressing the Cry1Ab/1Ac
protein (Bacillus thuringiensis toxin) on broiler chickens. Pubmed, September 28, 2015
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26414482
Amphibians:
http://theconversation.com/killer-frog-fungus-could-actually-help-amphibians-survive-diseas
e-38073
Reptiles:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26374543
Mammals:
http://dx.doi.org/10.15252/emmm.201404972
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