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A Grouping ChallengeBoxes 1-19 below list characteristics of different vertebrates. Use scissors to cut out the vertebrate descriptions. Think about how scientists classify living things and highlight common characteristics. Then sort the descriptions into 5-9 groups based on how closely related they seem to one another.

• swimsinoceanusingflippersandfins

• blueincolor• strainssmallocean

animals out of the water using baleen

• breatheswithlungs• warm-blooded• feedsyoungwith

milk • hasafewhairs• thelargestanimalever

to live on Earth

• swimsinoceanusingfins

• bluishincolor• hassharpteeth• catchessmallfishwith

sharp teeth• breatheswithgills• cold-blooded• layssofteggs• skinmadeupofscales

• swimsinoceanusingfins

• bluishincolor• hassharpteeth• breatheswithgills• catchessmallfishwith

sharp teeth• cold-blooded• cartilageinstead

of bones make up skeleton

• youngbornalive• skinismadeoftiny,sharp,tooth-likescales,makingtheskinrough,like sandpaper

• largeextinctmarinecreature

• swaminoceanusingfins

• colorunknown• sharpteeth• breathedwithlungs• caughtsmallfishwith

sharp teeth• probablycold-blooded• youngbornalive• skincoveringunknown

➊ ➍➋ ➌

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A Grouping Challenge, continued

• adultswalkonlandwith four legs and breathe with lungs

• havebluespots• laysofteggsinwater• youngswiminwaterusingfinsandbreathewith gills

• moist,non-waterproofskin

• tiny,sharpteeth• cold-blooded

• bluishincolor• nolegs• breatheswithlungs• cold-blooded• layseggs• skinmadeupof

waterproof scales• sharpteeth

• olivebrownincolor• hasfourlegs• breatheswithgillsand

lives in water• layssofteggs• youngswimwithfins• moist,non-waterproof

skin• cold-blooded

• olivebrownincolor• swimsusingfins• breathesairwithmodifiedswimbladder

• layssofteggs• moist,slimyskin• cold-blooded

➑➎ ➐➏

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A Grouping Challenge, continued

• bluishincolor• swimsusingflippers• breathesairwithlungs• hasfeathers• layshard-shelledeggs• noteeth• feedsonsmallfish• warm-blooded

• blueincolor• flieswithwingsmade

of feathers• restofbodyalso

covered with feathers• breathesairwithlungs• layshard-shelledeggs• noteeth• warm-blooded• feedsoninsects

• agroupofextinctflying animals

• flewwithwingsmade of skin stretched between bones

• skinonwingsofsome specimens had coarse hair-likefibers

• skinofsomespecimensalsohadhair-like,fuzzycovering

• possiblywarm-or cold-blooded

• laidhard-shelledeggs• breathedairwithlungs• manysharpteeth

• gigantic,meat-eating extinct animal

• walkedontwolegs• laidhard-shelledeggs• possiblywarm-orcold-

blooded• sharpandverylarge

teeth• colorunknown• scalyskinfoundinsomespecimens,butevidence of possible primitive feathers found in fossils of similar-looking creatures

• had“wishbone”inchest,likeaturkey

➒ ➓

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A Grouping Challenge, continued

• smallflyinganimal• wingsmadeofskin

stretched between bones

• skincoveredwithfur• warm-blooded• youngarebornalive• sharpteeth• darkgrayincolor• feedyoungwithmilk

• swimswithfourlegs• laysleatheryeggs• skincoveredwithfur• hasduck-likebill• warm-blooded• brownincolor• breatheswithlungs• feedyoungwithmilk

• swimswithtwolegs• flieswithwingsmade

of feathers• hasduck-likebill• layshard-shelledeggs• blueincolor• warm-blooded• breatheswithlungs

• nolegs• cold-blooded• skincoveringismoist

and non-waterproof• somespecieslaysoft

eggs on land or water• othersproducelive

young• breatheswithlungs• someyoungswiminwaterwithfins,whileothers always live on land and look like small adults

• land-dwellingspecies,usuallyliveunderground

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A Grouping Challenge, continued

• swimsthroughwater withflippers

• layshard-shelledeggs on land

• cold-blooded• breatheswithlungs• skincoveredwith

waterproof scales• noteeth

• fourlegs• skincoveredwith

waterproof scales• layshard-shelledeggs• cold-blooded• tiny,sharpteeth• breatheswithlungs

• fourlegs• layssofteggsinwater• young(tadpoles)

breathe with gills and swimusingfins

• cold-blooded• skinmoistand

non-waterproof