SYNOPTIC DESCRIPTION OF THE PHYLUM VERTEBRATA
| EUKARYA>UNIKONTA>OPISTHOKONTA>ANIMALIA>BILATERIA>DEUTEROSTOMATA>VERTEBRATA |
PHYLUM VERTEBRATA LINKS
| The following information came from Margulis and Schwartz (1998), Barnes (1984), Storer and Usinger (1965), Colbert and Morales (1991), Tudge (2000), Nelson (2006), and Benton (2005). |
- I. SYNONYMS: vertebrates. Craniata (Janvier 1981)
- II. NUMBER: >54,703 living species known.
- III. PHYLUM CHARACTERISTICS:
- A. Structure
- Symmetry: Bilateral.
- Body Cavity: Eucoelomate, enterocoelic (text with tooltip) Enterocoelic (adj.) describes the type of true coelom that develops from pockets growing from the archenteron. .
- Body Covering: Covered with well-developed epidermis; often with protective dermal plates, bones, scales, epidermal scales or epidermal derivatives such as feathers or hair.
- Support: Endoskeleton of bone.
- Digestive System: Elaborate; most with jaws at mouth and terminal or subterminal anus.
- Circulatory System: Blood system generally closed; well-developed heart. Blood elements with hemoglobin.
- Locomotion: Fins and segmented myomeres in fishes. Tetrapods usually with muscles acting on jointed internal skeleton to cause movement.
- Excretory System: Glomerular; operate by ultrafiltration.
- Nervous System: Hollow dorsal nerve cord (text with tooltip) A hollow nerve cord develops from the the invagination of the ectoderm. surrounded by segmented, bony elements (vertebrae). Anterior brain encased by bony elements (cranium).
- Endocrine System: complex
- Respiratory System: Gills or lungs (associated with the gut).
- B. Reproduction:
- Reproductive System: Sexes separate. Internal or external fertilization. Oviparous (text with tooltip) ”[An , viviparous or ovoviviparous.
- Development: Larval stages or direct development.
- C. Ecology: Occupy almost all free-living habitats.
- A. Structure
| 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 |
