Animal design principles:

The basic bits for most animals

 1. Body size

complexity

10-4 size (m) 102

Compartments: none many, complex
Surface area: high low
Transport: diffusion internal flow
Support: minimal complex
2. Layers & epithelia
3. Developmental pattern: three embryonic germ layers
3. Developmental pattern: three embryonic germ layers

Blastula Gastrula
animal pole
blastocoel blastocoel
Invagination
archenteron
ectoderm
endoderm
vegetal pole
blastopore

blastocoel
ectoderm
Epiboly endoderm

blastopore

blastocoel
ectoderm
Ingression
endoderm
 3. Developmental pattern: three embryonic germ layers

One way to do it
blastocoel

ectoderm
endoderm

Blastula blastopore Gastrula

Follow the mesoderm: connective tissue, mesenchyme, coeloms

 3. Developmental pattern: three embryonic germ layers

Another way to do it
animal pole
blastocoel blastocoel

archenteron

vegetal pole
blastopore

Follow the mesoderm: connective tissue, mesenchyme, coeloms

4. Bilaterality & cephalization
5. Connective tissue layer: muscles

Chapter 5
6. Connective tissue layer: skeletons

complexity

body size
cuticles, hydrostats exoskeletons,
collagen shells, bones
6. Connective tissue layer: skeletons

Allometric growth/increase

Isometric (1:1)
Log(size)

Log(body size)
6. Connective tissue layer: skeletons

Allometric growth/increase

Isometric
Log(size)

Earthworms

Log(body size)

Kurth & Kier 2014

7. Internal spaces

Blastocoel, gut, coelom…

…and blood vessels

(connective tissue)
 8. Circulatory systems

system layer origin lining form pump fluid

coelomic coelom mesoderm mesothelium cavities, cilia, body coelomic
vessels wall muscle
hemal connective blastocoel basal lamina tubular heart, body blood or
tissue vessels wall hemolymph
gastrovascular gut endoderm gastrodermis gut tube, cilia, gut chyme
caeca wall
9. Gas exchange surfaces

diffusion distance

size
9. Gas exchange surfaces Amphipods

Log(diffusion distance)
Fish absent
(allometric)

Fish present
(isometric)

Log(body size)

Glazier & Paul 2017

10. Excretory structures

blood
vessel

nephridium
10. Excretory structures
11. Nervous systems & sensory structures
12. Reproductive structures

Often with complex

structures for exchanging
and packaging sperm or
eggs

And elaborate specializations for life as a larva

Chapter 24
 Animal design principles:

A few taxa lack epithelia, CNS, bilateral symmetry

Large bodies with… And evolution of small bodies often

involves loss of…
complex skeletons
coeloms
blood vessels
gills
muscles
nephridia
gonads
brains