| pachyderm |
a thick-skinned mammal, esp. an elephant or rhinoceros.
Derivative
pachydermatous adj.(F pachyderme f. Gk pakhudermos f. pakhus thick + derma -matos skin) |
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| pair bond |
The social ties that keep members of a mated pair together, usually reinforced by mutual grooming, marking, calling, aggression toward outsiders, etc. |
|
| palaeomagnetism |
Magnetism that was imprinted in
rocks when they formed; its measurement
enables determination of the orientation and
location of the rock mass relative to the Earth’s
magnetic poles at the time the rock formed |
|
| palaeontology |
the study of fossils |
|
| palatability |
how tasty an animal finds a plant or another animal |
|
| paleo-climate |
ancestral climatic conditions that were prevalent thousands or millions of years ago |
|
| palp |
sensory organ, usually associated with the head (particularly mouth parts) of arthropods |
|
| palps (labial) |
sensory organs of the mouth parts of insects |
|
| pangaea |
Supercontinent consisting of all of the
Earth’s present continents; believed to have
formed about 300 million years ago |
|
| panleucopenia |
a viral disease affecting the immune system of felids. |
|
| panspermia |
Notion that life on Earth was seeded
from Space |
|
| papillae |
absorption structures in the stomach, resembling small bumps |
|
| paradigm |
a philosophical and theoretical framework of a scientific school or discipline within which theories, laws, and generalisations and the experiments performed in support of them are formulated |
|
| parakeratosis |
an abnormal condition affecting the epidermal cells of tissues |
|
| parasite |
An organism that derives its nutritional needs from another living organism at the expense of that organism (called a host) |
|
| parasitism |
symbiotic relationship in which the parasite benefits and the host is negatively affected |
|
| pareiasaurid |
Family of plant-eating early anapsid
reptiles that formed an important component
of the Permian reptilian fauna; their bodies
were covered by large bony scutes (scales) and
they had characteristically serrated teeth |
|
| parent material |
a term used to describe the original underlying rock from which a soil was formed |
|
| paresis |
weakening of the muscles, leading to partial paralysis |
|
| parotid |
pertaining to the throat region |
|
| parturition |
the act of giving birth |
|
| parvovirus |
a viral disease causing suppression of the immune system in canids |
|
| passerine |
perching birds |
|
| pastern |
The part of an ungulate's foot extending from the top of the hoof to the fetlock, including the joint. |
|
| pathogen |
harmful microorganism responsible for disease, cholera, botulism, syphilis and many others |
|
| pathogenecity |
the ability of the vector to induce any degree of disease in the host |
|
| pathogenesis |
the process of the development of disease in a host |
|
| pauropod |
an obscure class of minute arthropods with branched antennae and 8 to 10 pairs of legs |
|
| pecora |
A systematic division of the Artiodactyla representing those animals with well-developed, four-chambered ruminant stomachs. Most have paired horns on the head. E.g. giraffe and all the bovids. |
|
| pecorans |
ruminant mammals, usually with paired horns |
|
| pediment |
Gently sloping erosion surface at the
base of a mountain |
|
| pedipalp |
a pair of appendages near the mouth of an arachnid that are modified for various reproductive, predatory, or sensory functions |
|
| pedogenesis |
the formation of soil |
|
| pedoturbation |
mixing of the soil layers by earthworms for example |
|
| pelage |
the "pelt" of fur bearing animals |
|
| perennial |
plants that live for a number of years |
|
| perennial (plants) |
a plant that lives more than two years |
|
| perennial (water) |
A body of water (river, stream or lake) that remains throughout the year or over a period of many years. |
|
| perihelion |
the closest point of a planets orbit from the sun |
|
| perineum |
The area that includes the anus and external genitalia, especially the female's. |
|
| perissodactyla |
Odd-toed ungulates. Members of this mammalian order are characterised by having either a single toe or three toes together. E.g. zebra and rhino. |
|
| petechiation |
the appearance of flat, purplish-red spots on internal tissue; normally caused by an internal hemorrhage |
|
| petiole |
the stalk that attaches a leaf to a stem |
|
| phanerozoic |
Eon Period of Earth history extending
from 545 million years ago to the present |
|
| phenology |
the study of a plant's life cyle, including flowering, abscission, fruit production etc. |
|
| pheromones |
chemical substances secreted by animals that cause specific reproductive, developmental or behavioural responses in neighbouring members of the same species |
|
| photo-sensitivity |
over-sensitivity to sunlight |
|
| photoperiodism |
the response of plants to changing day and night length |
|
| photosynthesis |
the process whereby plants produce carbohydrates from sunlight |
|
| photosynthesis (2) |
Metabolic process in which light
or heat energy is used to convert carbon
dioxide and water to carbohydrate |
|
| phototropism |
the growth of a plant in response to a light source |
|
| phylum |
A primary division of a kingdom, as of the animal kingdom, ranking next above a class in size. |
|
| physiognomical |
the outward appearance of something, esp the physical characteristics of a geographical region |
|
| physiognomical structure |
the general form, shape and appearance of the vegetation |
|
| physiognomy |
the structure, in terms of height and density, of the vegetation comprising a plant community eg. short closed grassland |
|
| physiographic |
a combination of factors that are used to describe an ecosystem, including topography, aspects, latitude and altitude |
|
| physiological |
pertaining to body chemistry |
|
| phytomass |
the mass of grass material in a specific area |
|
| phytomers |
describing the general morphology of grass, consisting of an internode, node, leaf, bud and adventitious root |
|
| pica |
depraved appetite. Animals consume unusual substances in an attempt to satisfy a mineral deficiency, especially phosphorus. |
|
| picarism |
the ability that animals have to sense they are ill or have a mineral deficiency. the seeking and consumption of unusual food by animals which are sick or suffering from a mineral deficiency |
|
| pillow lava |
Pillow-shaped masses of lava formed
during undersea volcanic eruptions, or when
erupting lava issues into a lake or other body
of water |
|
| piloerection |
When hair/fur stands on end, eg. in fright or when a mammal tries to make itself look bigger and more frightening in defense. |
|
| pinnae |
external ear lobes |
|
| pioneer stage |
vegetation that is the first to colonise (begin growing) in an area. |
|
| piscivore |
a diet of fish |
|
| placoderm |
Group of early fish that had |
|
| plagioclase |
Mineral consisting of sodium and
calcium aluminium silicate |
|
| planetesimals |
Small bodies that grow into planets
by a process of accretion |
|
| plankton |
small floating or weakly swimming plants and animals in fresh and marine ecosystems |
|
| plantigrade |
an animal that walks or stands on the whole surface of its feet e.g. Humans, other primates and bears |
|
| plastron |
the lower portion of a chelonia shell |
|
| plate boundary |
Region where the rigid plates
that form the outer layer of the Earth come
into contact; at these boundaries plates may
converge, diverge or slide past each other |
|
| plate tectonics |
Theory that proposes that the outer
layer of the Earth (lithosphere) consists of separate, rigid plates (in which the continents are
embedded) that move relative to each other |
|
| plesiosaur |
Group of reptiles that were adapted to
an aquatic life, having a long neck and paddles; they lived during the Mesozoic Era |
|
| plumage |
feathers |
|
| pluton |
A body (less than 100 square cm) of intrusive
igneous rock |
|
| pneumostome |
Long tube which is an extension of the edges of the mantle cavity, for breathing purposes. Found in some Pulmonates. |
|
| pod |
hard outer shell that protects fruit/seeds |
|
| pollination |
the transfer of genetic material (pollen) from the stamen (male part) of one flower to the stigma (female part) of another flower of the same species |
|
| polyandry |
the mating of one female with more than one male |
|
| polygamy |
a male that mates with more than one female |
|
| polygyny |
Mating system in which one male has reproductive access to two or more females. |
|
| polymorphism |
different body forms in the same species e.g. soldier and worker termites |
|
| population |
a group of conspecifics that reside in the same habitat in the same area or region |
|
| pre-orbital |
pertaining to the region around the eye |
|
| precipitation |
any form of rain, sleet, snow, hail dew, fog or mist |
|
| precocial |
young born in an advanced state, they are able to move about, covered in fur or feathers, and are not blind and helpless |
|
| predation |
The killing/eating of living animal prey. |
|
| predeliction site |
preffered attachedment places for ticks |
|
| predilection |
A partiality or disposition in favor of something; a preference. |
|
| prehensile |
able to grasp and hold onto things with a tail / tongue |
|
| preorbital |
In front of the eye, where a gland occurs in many ungulates. |
|
| preputial |
pertaining to the genital region of males, specifically the penile area |
|
| presenting |
The act of directing the hindquarters toward another individual, either in sexual solicitation or as a gesture of appeasement derived from sexual presenting. |
|
| primate |
mammals having opposable thumbs for grasping |
|
| procaryote |
Life form consisting of simple, single
cells, such as cyanobacteria, that are not
specialised and do not have organelles or a
nucleus inside them |
|
| procolophonid |
Family of plant-eating early anapsid
reptiles common during the Triassic Period in
Antarctica, Argentina, China and South Africa |
|
| producer |
an organism that is able to make its own food e.g. plants produce food by the process of photosynthesis. |
|
| prokaryotic |
An organism of the Kingdom Monera, comprising the bacteria and cyanobacteria, characterized by the absence of a distinct, membrane-bound nucleus and by DNA that is not organized into chromosomes. |
|
| pronking |
See stotting. |
|
| prosauropod |
Primitive plant-eating member of
the early Saurischian dinosaurs, including the
ancestors of the later gigantic brontosaurs |
|
| proteins |
Complex combinations of amino acids containing carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen and oxygen, ; essential constituents of all living cells, have to be assimilated as separate amino acids by animals. |
|
| proterozoic era |
Period of Earth history extending
from 2 500 million to 545 million years ago |
|
| proto-alkaloids |
an alkaloid without the heterocyclic nitrogen atom. |
|
| protozoa |
a unicellular animal |
|
| prussic acid poisoning |
poisoning in animals after consuming wilted and damaged plants containing harmful glycosides |
|
| pseudo-alkaloids |
type of alkaloid differing from others in terms of the origin of the carbon framework. |
|
| pseudotachylite |
Dark, fine-grained rock, often
containing fragments of other rocks, which
occurs in the form of dykes; believed to form
by frictional melting of the surrounding rock |
|
| psychological |
pertaining to the mind, usually with reference to behaviour |
|
| pterosaur |
Member of a group of bat-like flying
reptiles that co-existed with the dinosaurs, and
also became extinct at the end of the
Cretaceous; often referred to as pterodactyls,
but this name properly applies to only one
branch of the pterosaurs |
|
| pupa |
insect in pre-active, pre-adult form (cocoon) |
|
| putrefaction |
decomposition of organic substances and the release of foul-smelling gases |
|
| pyroclastic flow |
Avalanche of hot, often incandes-
cent, volcanic rock and dust, together with
superheated gases, emanating from a volcano |
|
| pyroxene |
An iron, magnesium silicate; calcium-
bearing and calcium-free varieties exist |
|
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