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HIERARCHICAL CLASSIFICATION OF THE PHYLUM VERTEBRATA

HIERARCHICAL CLASSIFICATION OF THE PHYLUM VERTEBRATA

EUKARYA>UNIKONTA>OPISTHOKONTA>ANIMALIA>BILATERIA>DEUTEROSTOMATA>VERTEBRATA
PHYLUM VERTEBRATA LINKS

Description of Phylum

Synoptic Description

The structure of the following system is a modification of Benton (2005), Nelson (2006), and Donoghue and Purnell (2005). Follow the links to expanded descriptions of the taxa, many to family-level.
  • SUBPHYLUM CYCLOSTOMATA
    • SUPERCLASS MYXINOMORPHI
      • CLASS MYLLOKUNMINGIIDA+
      • CLASS MYXINI (HAGFISHES)
    • SUPERCLASS PETROMYZONTOMORPHI
      • CLASS PETROMYZONTIDA (LAMPREYS)
  • SUBPHYLUM VERTEBRATES WITH MINERALIZED BONE
    • SUPERCLASS CONODONTOMORPHI+
      • CLASS CONODONTA+
    • SUPERCLASS PTERASPIDOMORPHI+
      • CLASS PTERAPSIDA+
    • SUPERCLASS ANASPIDOMORPHI+
      • CLASS ANASPIDA
    • SUPERCLASS THELODONTOMORPHI+
      • CLASS THELODONTI
    • SUPERCLASS OSTEOSTRACOMORPHI
      • CLASS CEPHALASPIDOMORPHI
    • SUPERCLASS GNATHOSTOMATA
      • CLASS PLACODERMI+
      • CLASS CHONDRICHTHYES (SHARKS, SKATES, RAYS, CHIMERAS)
      • CLASS ACANTHODII+
      • CLASS OSTEICHTHYES (THE BONY FISHES)
      • CLASS STEGOCEPHALI+ -(THE TRANSITIONAL EARLY TETRAPODS)
      • CLASS BATRACHOMORPHA (CONTAINS EXTANT AMPHIBIA)
      • CLASS PROAMNIOTA+ (LEPOSPONDYLI-REPTILIOMORPHA CLADE)
      • CLASS EOSYNAPSIDA+- THE MAMMAL-LIKE REPTILES
      • CLASS MAMMALIA (CONTAINS EXTANT MAMMALS)
      • CLASS ANAPSIDA (CONTAINS TURTLES)
      • CLASS EODIAPSIDA+ (CONTAINS STEM DIAPSIDS AND ICHTHYOSAURS)
      • CLASS LEPIDOSAUROMORPHA (CONTAINS EXTANT LIZARDS, SNAKES, AND TUATARAS)
      • CLASS ARCHOSAUROMORPHA (CONTAINS CROCODILIANS & BIRDS)
LITERATURE CITED

Barnes. R. S. K. 1984. Kingdom Animalia. IN: R. S. K. Barnes, ed. A Synoptic Classification of Living Organisms. Sinauer Associates, Inc., Sunderland, MA. pp. 129-257.

Benton, M. J. 2005. Vertebrate Paleontology. Third Edition. Blackwell Publishing, Malden, MA.

Colbert, E. H. and M. Morales. 1991. Evolution of the Vertebrates, A History of the Backboned Animals Through Time. WILEY-LISS, Inc. New York.

Margulis, L. and K. Schwartz. 1998. Five Kingdoms, An Illustrated Guide to the Phyla of Life on Earth. 3rd Edition. W. H. Freeman and Company. New York.

Nelson, J. S. 2006. Fishes of the World. 4th edition. John Wiley and Sons, Inc. New York.

Storer, T. I. and R. L. Usinger. 1965. General Zoology. 4th Edition. McGraw-Hill Book Company. New York.

Tudge, C. 2000. The Variety of Life, a Survey and a Celebration of All the Creatures That Have Ever Lived. Oxford University Press. New York.
By Jack R. Holt. Last revised: 01/17/2013
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