Original function of gills in bivalvia

[ManBearPig89]

Original function of gills in bivalvia

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Post by ManBearPig89 » Mon Apr 19, 2010 4:24 pm

Hi!

Im working on my zoology- paper and got this question regarding bivalvia, and i can't find a solution to the problem. The function of the originall gill, or umh, the "pre -gill" if you like.

I know that apart from the uptake of 02/ descretion of gases, the gills also work as a mecanism to trap food.

I don't know if this might be the function of the "pre- gill", or if it's something else. I considerd the function might have something to do with "cleaning", but I can't think of anything else right now.

Thoughts?

[Darby]

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Post by Darby » Tue Apr 20, 2010 7:34 pm

So what might be the ancestor of the bivalves - would it have most likely used a gill for one or the other of those functions?

[ManBearPig89]

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Post by ManBearPig89 » Wed Apr 21, 2010 2:01 pm

I red on wikipedia that it was difficult to pinpoint the ancestor of bivalvia do to big gaps in the foissil record.
Later, i red (here http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/a ... 6/4161/311) that some molluscan might be filter- feeders in early cambrian.

Do you think the filers later would develop into gills? I think it might be possible, given the "filer like" strukture of gills...

[Darby]

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Post by Darby » Wed Apr 21, 2010 10:31 pm

Well, would it be easier to be a surface feeder with gills for respiration, or a filter feeder with no way to breathe?