5+ Chambered Heart

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5+ Chambered Heart; could more complex hearts lead to more chambers?
Topic Started: Sep 27 2010, 12:30 AM (524 Views)
Toad of Spades	Sep 27 2010, 12:30 AM Post #1
Clorothod Posts: 624 Group: Members Member #114 Joined: Dec 27, 2008 Nationality: United States Favorite Quote: Street smart is just an excuse for dumb people to use the word smart to describe themselves.	The most advanced hearts in vertebrates have 4 chambers. Crocodilians and their ancestors, dinosaurs, birds, and mammals are known to have 4-chambered hearts. So here is the question. Is it possible for either birds, mammals, or a future group of tetrapods to evolve an extra chamber, or even more? How likely do you think it is and what reasons do you think would require more chambers to evolve? If the need for higher control over oxygen control like modern crocodiles or an extra-boosted metabolism, I think its highly likely that evolving more chambers in the heart is possible. However I think its more likely that better oxygen control is the more likely scenario. Say a group of crocodiles evolve, and they need better oxygen control to stay underwater longer while being active at the same time without using up stored oxygen. An extra chamber or two could help with this. Your thoughts? Edited by Toad of Spades, Sep 27 2010, 12:35 AM.
	Sorry Link, I don't give credit. Come back when you're a little...MMMMMM...Richer. Bread is an animal and humans are %90 aluminum.


Pando	Sep 27 2010, 12:36 AM Post #2
Obey or I'll send you to the moon Posts: 5,648 Group: Members Member #275 Joined: Feb 24, 2010 Area of expertise: Future Evolution	I think that this would lead to over-active hearts. Only would work for large animals.



Toad of Spades	Sep 27 2010, 12:40 AM Post #3
Clorothod Posts: 624 Group: Members Member #114 Joined: Dec 27, 2008 Nationality: United States Favorite Quote: Street smart is just an excuse for dumb people to use the word smart to describe themselves.	Pandorasaurus Sep 27 2010, 12:36 AM I think that this would lead to over-active hearts. Only would work for large animals. It could help with giant megafauna similar to the gigantic sauropods. A giant 200 foot+ long land animal could use some extra chambers to help pump blood around its massive body.
	Sorry Link, I don't give credit. Come back when you're a little...MMMMMM...Richer. Bread is an animal and humans are %90 aluminum.


Toad of Spades	Sep 28 2010, 06:02 PM Post #4
Clorothod Posts: 624 Group: Members Member #114 Joined: Dec 27, 2008 Nationality: United States Favorite Quote: Street smart is just an excuse for dumb people to use the word smart to describe themselves.	Is anyone else going to give their ideas or comment?
	Sorry Link, I don't give credit. Come back when you're a little...MMMMMM...Richer. Bread is an animal and humans are %90 aluminum.


Spugpow	Sep 30 2010, 01:09 AM Post #5
Prime Specimen Posts: 1,025 Group: Members Member #389 Joined: Sep 20, 2010	Wouldn't more powerful heart muscles do the same job as extra chambers?
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Holben	Sep 30 2010, 02:30 AM Post #6
Rumbo a la Victoria Posts: 14,335 Group: Admin Member #220 Joined: Sep 18, 2009 Area of expertise: Xenobiology	Hi there. Hearts shoudl evolve symmetrically, but then if you're going to do this why not have pressure-pumping stations around the body? Why not use several hearts spread around?
	Time flows like a river. Which is to say, downhill. We can tell this because everything is going downhill rapidly. It would seem prudent to be somewhere else when we reach the sea. "It is the old wound my king. It has never healed."


Spugpow	Oct 2 2010, 12:42 PM Post #7
Prime Specimen Posts: 1,025 Group: Members Member #389 Joined: Sep 20, 2010	Our hearts aren't symmetrical.
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Holben	Oct 3 2010, 12:31 PM Post #8
Rumbo a la Victoria Posts: 14,335 Group: Admin Member #220 Joined: Sep 18, 2009 Area of expertise: Xenobiology	Nope, but if you add more going to the body you must add more going to the lungs.
	Time flows like a river. Which is to say, downhill. We can tell this because everything is going downhill rapidly. It would seem prudent to be somewhere else when we reach the sea. "It is the old wound my king. It has never healed."


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