This document provides information about vertebrate animals, beginning with their taxonomic classification and then describing key characteristics of major vertebrate groups including fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals. It outlines defining anatomical features for each group as well as examples of orders, classes, and important vocabulary terms.

1. Vertebrate Animals DOMAIN- Eukarya KINGDOM- Animalia PHYLUM- Chordata SUBPHYLUM- Vertebrata CLASS- 7 different ORDERS- 10 Placental mammals

2. Phylum Chordata Recall that vertebrates are chordates. Phylum Chordata includes the lancelets and tunicates (invertebrate chordates) as well as the vertebrates All chordates have:

3. Characteristics of all Vertebrates Endoskeleton with a backbone for support of a dorsal nerve cord & muscle attachment Distinct skull/cephalization Bilateral symmetry 2 pairs of jointed appendages Coelom Closed circulatory system & chambered heart

4. Vertebrate Evolution

7. Agnathans – jawless fishes – hagfish and lampreys

8. Chondrichthyes – cartilagenous fish - sharks & rays

9. Osteichthyes – bony fish – mahi-mahi, tilapia, halibut, puffer fish, tetras, guppies

10. Amphibians – semiaquatic tetrapods with split lives & 3-chambered hearts

11. Anura – “tailless ones” – frogs & toads

12. Urodela – “tailed ones” – salamanders & newts

13. Apoda – “legless ones” - caecilians

14. Reptiles – terrestrial amniote tetrapods with scales & lungs & 3-ish to 4 chambered hearts

15. Squamata – lizards and snakes

16. Testudines – turtles & tortoises

18. Ratites – ostriches, emus, kiwis

19. Passeriformes – perching birds – jays, sparrows, crows, etc.

20. Aquatic birds – ducks, swans, geese

21. Raptors – eagles, falcolns, hawks

22. Penguins

23. Mammals – terrestrial amniote tetrapods with lungs, hair and mammary glands & 4 chambered hearts

24. Monotremes – echidna and platypus

25. Marsupials – koala, kangaroo, opossom

27. Operculum – gill covering in bony fish

28. Lateral line - a row of microscopic organs sensitive to pressure changes, can detect low frequency vibrations.

29. Swim bladder – internal, air-filled sac that acts as an organ for buoyancy in bony fish; sharks have oils in their livers to help them remain buoyant

30. Scale – small, platelike structure covering an organism (or parts of an organism); sharks, fish, reptiles, and birds all have different types of scales

31. Fin – paired appendage found on fish used for locomotion and steering

32. Reproduction

33. External fertilization – release of gametes to the environment where fertilization takes place; bony fish

34. Internal fertilization – deposition of sperm in the female reproductive tract where fertilization takes place; sharks

35. Hermaphrodite – some organisms are capable of producing both male and female gametes; few are capable of self-fertilization; most exchange sperm; evolutionary adaptation for solitary and slow-moving or sessile organisms

36. Ovoviviparous = eggs are fertilized inside the parent and hatch inside the parent and are born liveOviparous = eggs are laid in a nest or in the ground and hatch Viviparous = internal fertilization with live born young (as soon as the egg is fertilized, it becomes an embryo and develops as a fetus).

38. Skeleton of cartilage

39. Reproduce sexually

40. Gills

41. 2 Chambered Heart

42. OviparousHagfish – a detritivore Lamprey – an ectoparasite

43. Evolution of Gnathostomes – the jawed fishes Gills are supported by cartilage or bone. Some of these gill supports became other structures, including the jaws and inner ear bones of other vertebrates.

45. Paired fins

46. Jaws

47. 2 chambered heart

48. Well-developed sense of sight and smell

49. Lateral line system (for sensing pressure changes – vibrations - in water); whole body acts as an “ear”

50. unique scales; teeth may be modified scales

51. Oviparous, ovoviviparous, and a few are viviparous

54. Swim bladder

55. Usually, external fertilization & oviparous (think caviar)

56. Lateral line system

57. Scales different from those in sharks

58. 2 chambered heart (all fish!)

60. Aquatic tetrapods gave rise to the first amphibians, who probably came on land in search of food (abundant plant and arthropod species in Devonian)

61. Amphibian Vocabulary Ectotherm – organism that must gain (or lose) heat from the environment to maintain body temperature; metabolism is NOT sufficient to heat the body; most invertebrates, fish, amphibians, & reptiles Endotherm – organism that maintains a stable body temperature through metabolism; few reptiles, most birds and mammals, insects Metamorphosis – change from a sexually immature stage to a sexually mature stage in the life cycle; involves change in body structure and niche; ex) tadpoles are herbivorous, aquatic larvae with gills and no limbs that change into carnivorous, terrestrial adult frogs with lungs and 4 limbs Tetrapod – vertebrate with 4 limbs located in pectoral and pelvic girdles Lungs – internal respiratory organs that exchange gases across a membrane surface, usually in conjunction with the circulatory system Cloaca – common opening to the outside of the body through which fecal material, nitrogenous waste and gametes pass; common to amphibians, reptiles, and birds

63. Need H2O for breeding

64. Metamorphosis (tadpole  frog)

65. Gas exchange through moist skin & mouth; primitive balloon-like lungs

66. External fertilization

67. Oviparous

68. 3-chambered heart

69. Many have chromatophores in the skin for coloration, as well as poison glands for defense

71. Reptile Vocabulary Amniotic egg – adaptation to terrestrial life that results in a water-proof egg with extra-embryonic membranes that aid in the vital functions of a living organism Extinct – all members of a species have died; ex) pterosaurs Extant – members of a species are still alive Bask – behavioral adaptation of ectotherms to increase body heat; involves moving to locations where more radiant energy (such as from the sun or warm rocks) is available for absorption

72. Amniotic egg in reptiles - note leathery shell characteristic of reptilian eggs

74. Scaly, waterproof skin

75. Respire through lungs only**

76. Internal fertilization

77. Oviparous, ovoviviparous, viviparous (depending on species)

78. 3 or 4 chambered heart

79. Nitrogenous waste is a paste rather than a liquid for water conservation; uric acid

81. Loss of legs is unique to snakes within the reptiles; remnants of pelvic girdles present in boas, as are external claws on the abdomen

82. many have unique adaptations for life as predators

83. Jacobson’s organ – when a snake flicks its tongue it is collecting molecules that are then brought in to Jacobson’s organ for “processing”; kind of a combined sense of taste and smell

84. Pits – many snakes have heat sensory organs on their head that gives an IR picture of an organism, decreasing dependency on vision

85. Hollow fangs – with or without poison glands for capturing, holding, and killing prey

87. Cloaca is secondary respiratory surface in aquatic species **

89. endothermic*

90. 4-chambered heart

91. Related to feathered reptilesAmerican alligator

92. Bird Vocabulary Feather – modified scale used for flight and insulation (contour and down) Keel – sternum modified for flight muscle attachment Ratite – flightless birds Beak – adaptation to the diet of a bird; cranial structure used for feeding and defense Air sac – pocket attached to the lungs that aid the bird in maintaining constant air flow into the lungs, allowing for flight at high altitudes and greater muscle use Preen gland - gland located on the base of the tail, especially in aquatic birds, that produces oil for waterproofing the feathers Crop – portion of esophagus used for temporary storage of food Gizzard – chamber of the stomach for grinding food

93. Birds are reptiles

95. 4 chambered heart

96. Internal fertilization

97. Oviparous

98. Amniotic eggs with calcerous, hard shells

99. Cloaca

100. Nitrogenous waste paste-like for water conservation; uric acid

101. Beaks and claws modified for specific niche

102. Classified as reptiles by many taxonomists

104. Only organism with feathers (modified scales) for flight and insulation

105. Evolutionarily may have began as courtship or defensive displays (behavioral adaptation, rather than for flight)

106. Hollow bones - make bird lightweight

107. Front limbs modified into wings

108. Air sacs to aid in breathing at high altitudes

109. Unique muscle tissue for sustained, intense use

110. Keel – modified breastbone for muscle attachmentBirds migrate – move long distances on a seasonal cycle to reach mating and/or feeding grounds

112. Penguins have wings modified for swimming

113. Aquatic birds have preen gland to keep their feathers from becoming saturated, impeding flight

114. Most birds are passeriformes – perching birds, including jays, swallows, sparrows, and warblers (see pp. 790 & 91 in your text for more groups of birds)Bird courtship and mating behaviors are an evolutionary adaptation unique to each species Many other groups of birds, including birds of prey, marine birds, seed eaters, woodpeckers, hummingbirds, etc

115. Mammal Vocabulary Mammary gland – gland adapted to produce protein and fat rich nutrition for offspring during early development Hair – keratinous growth for insulation, camouflage, and display; made of same material as reptilian scales and bird feathers Fat – layer of connective tissue for insulation and padding; energy reserve Diaphragm – sheet of muscle separating thoracic and abdominal cavities used in respiration Monotreme – mammal that lays eggs Marsupial – mammal with young that finish developing in a pouch Marsupium – pouch in a marsupial Placental – mammal whose young develop in a uterus attached to a placenta Uterus – muscular organ that houses the fetus until birth Placenta – extraembryonic tissues that develop as a connection between the circulatory system of the mother and that of the developing fetus Dentition – tooth pattern; varies with diet; ex) reptilian dentition is characteristically uniform conical teeth for capturing prey, mammalian dentition varies significantly (carnivores, herbivores, insectivores, baleen, omnivores)

117. Hair – keratinous protein that aids in insulation

118. Mammary glands – produce milk to feed offspring

119. Internal fertilization

120. 2 species of monotreme; oviparous

121. Marsupials and placentals are viviparous

122. Diaphragm for increased respiration & spongy lungs for increased surface area

123. 4-chambered heart

124. Dentition & jaw structure reflect diet

125. Inner ear contains 3 bones for improved hearing

126. Large brain; learn; Extended parental care

128. 3 categories of mammals 1. Monotremes - mammals that lay eggs, have hair, and produce milk with mammary glands - mother produces milk which is excreted from glands on the abdomen and the babies lap up the milk or suck it off the fur of the mother Echidna and platypus Platypus has a cartilaginous bill used to find food on the bottom of a pond or river. Males have poisonous spurs on their hind feet for defense Platypi store fat in their beaver-like tails

129. Marsupials - embryo develops in a uterus with a placenta Immature fetus is born into a pouch called a marsupium. Young develop in marsupium, attached to a teat, until much more mature. All marsupials live in Australia with the exception of the opossum, which can be found in the Americas.

130. Interesting Evolutionary Note Marsupials and placentals show parallel evolution

131. Placentals Placental mammals develop in a uterus attached to a placenta until at a comparably advanced stage of development Widespread on earth – found in every major biome, including marine, arctic, and tundra. Many orders of placental mammals. 10 discussed as follows:

132. Orders of Placental Mammals Rodentia- razor sharp teeth (rats, squirrels) Lagomorpha- fused hind leg bones (rabbits) Chiroptera- flying mammals (bats) Carnivora- eat meat (lions, tigers, wolves) Cetacea- Blow holes to breathe (dolphins, whales) Insectivora- eat insects (moles, shrews, hedgehog) Artiodactyla- even # of toes (cows, sheep, goat, pigs, hippos, camels) Perissodactyla- odd # of toes (horse, zebra, rhino) Proboscidea- trunks (elephants) Primates- opposable thumbs (apes, monkeys, humans)

133. Order Primates Prosimians – lorises, lemurs, tarsiers Monkeys – New World Old World Prehensile tails

134. Apes Humans Gibbon Orangutan Gorilla Chimpanzee