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Natural Sciences�Grade 7

Term 1: Life and Living

Biodiversity

(PPT 3)

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Topic 2 �Biodiversity

Diversity of Animals: Vertebrates

Natural Sciences – Grade 7

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Classifying the Animal Kingdom

  • Animals can be sorted or classified into two smaller groups:

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    • vertebrates and
    • invertebrates

Natural Sciences - Grade 7

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Vertebrates

  • Animals with a backbone.
  • Belong to Phylum Chordata
  • There are 5 classes of vertebrates:
    • fish
    • amphibians
    • reptiles
    • birds
    • mammals

Natural Sciences - Grade 7

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Vertebrates: fish

  • Fish are aquatic.
  • They are cold-blooded organisms that live in fresh or saltwater.
  • Fish have gills instead of lungs.
  • They usually have scales, fins and a tail.

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Vertebrates: fish

Natural Sciences - Grade 7

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Why is this vehicle called “amphibious”?

Natural Sciences - Grade 7

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Vertebrates: amphibians

  • Amphibians are cold-blooded organisms.
  • They include frogs, toads, newts and caecilians.
  • Most amphibians have four legs and can live on water and on land.
  • We say that they are amphibious.
  • They undergo metamorphosis from a larval stage.

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Vertebrates: amphibians (frog)

Natural Sciences - Grade 7

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Vertebrates: Reptiles

  • Reptiles are cold blooded.
  • They are found in almost every habitat in the world, except for the Antarctic.
  • They usually have four legs and are covered in scales.
  • There are some exceptions, e.g. snakes do not have legs and certain lizards do not have legs.

Natural Sciences - Grade 7

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Vertebrates: Reptiles (lizard)

Natural Sciences - Grade 7

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Vertebrates: Birds

  • Birds are warm blooded organisms that lay eggs.
  • They have feathers, wings and a beak.
  • They have two legs that are covered in scales.
  • Most birds are able to fly, although there are some that cannot fly.
  • Birds are found in ecosystems across

the world.

Natural Sciences - Grade 7

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Vertebrates: Birds

Natural Sciences - Grade 7

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Vertebrates: Mammals

  • Humans belong to the class of mammals.
  • There are many different types of animals in this group.
  • They are able to live in almost any habitat.
  • Some mammals are adapted to walking, some to running, others to flying and some others even to swimming.

Natural Sciences - Grade 7

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Vertebrates: Mammals (rat)

Natural Sciences - Grade 7