describe the life cycle of the leatherback turtle
Points to remember:
females reproduce every 2–5 years
females return to the sandy shore where they hatched and excavate a nest in which they lay eggs
females repeat this egg-laying several times at 10-day intervals
females bury eggs and depart
temperature of incubation determines sex of offspring
eggs hatch after 55–60 days, after which the offspring go to sea, feed and grow, reaching maturity after 15–25 years
males live entirely at sea
describe the life cycle of a coral polyp
polyps reproduce asexually and sexually
asexual reproduction occurs when a parent produces a new polyp next to itself by budding •
sexual reproduction occurs through the synchronised release of a huge number of eggs and sperm into the water
fertilised eggs float to the surface to form planktonic larvae
larvae swim to the light, they feed and grow, and are moved by currents
larvae descend and attach to a hard surface, where they grow into polyps
My notes:
The chapter look at 2 quite different animals, a vertebrate and a invertebrate, and use ther life cycles as models for the chapter.
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