Vertebrate Zoology Domain Eukarya Kingdom Animalia Phylum Chordata Sub-phylum Vertebrata
Phylum Chordata • Chordates have a nerve cord on the dorsal side of their bodies.
Sub-Phylum Vertebrata Bony covering over the spinal cord / nerve cord. Vertebra – singular Vertebrae – plural
Fishes • Ichthyology is the study of the fishes • Characteristics scales-not all have scales (ex. Catfish) ectothermic (cold-blooded) aquatic sexual reproduction external fertilization (in most cases) lateral line swim bladder gills (except lung fishes) • Key Sentence: Fishes have endoskeletons, gills, closed-loop circulation, and kidneys.
Class Agnatha • Jawless fishes • Ex. Lamprey • Ex. Hagfish
Class Chodrichthyes • Cartilage skeletons (no bones) • Sharks • Skates • Rays
Class Osteichthyes • Bony Fishes • Ray-finned fishes • Most diversity • Lung fishes • Lobe-finned fishes • Ex. Coelocanth
Class Amphibia • Characteristics • Ectothermic • Smooth, moist skin • No claws on toes if toes are present • Aquatic and terrestrial • Have to return to water to reproduce • Sexual reproduction • External fertilization • Key Sentence: Most of these amphibians share five key characteristics: legs, lungs, double-loop circulation, a partially divided heart, and cutaneous respiration.
Class Amphibia Anura – no tail ex. Toads & frogs Urodela – visible tail ex. Salamanders & newts Apoda – no legs ex. Caecilians Trachystoma – rough mouthed ex. Sirens, mudpuppy, hellbender
Class Reptilia • Characteristics • Ecotothermic • Aquatic & terrestrial • Sexual reproduction • Internal fertilization • Amniote egg • Have to return to land to reproduce • Dry, scaly skin (waterproof) • Claws on toes if toes are present • Key Sentence: Modern reptiles have scales, clawed toes, and an ectothermic metabolism, and reptiles lack feathers or hair.
Class Reptilia Order Rhynchocephalia ex. tuatara Order Chelonia ex. Turtles (aquatic) & Tortoises (Terrestrial) Order Crocodilia ex. Crocodiles, Alligator, Gavial, Caimen Order Squamata ex. Lizards & Snakes
Venomous Snakes in Emanuel County Pit-Vipers (hemotoxin) • Rattlesnakes • Eastern Diamondback *** • Timber or Cane-break • Pygmy (Carolina, Dusky, & pygmy) • Cottonmouth moccasin • Copperhead Elapid (neurotoxin) Coral (red & yellow touch)
Aves • Characteristics • Endothermic (warm-blooded) • Feathers • Scales on legs • Claws on toes • Protect young • Beak or bill • Amniote egg • Oviparous • Sexual reproduciton • Internal fertilizatin • Key Sentence: The key characteristics of modern birds include feathers, wings, lightweight skeleton, enodthermic metabolism, lungs with air sacs, and a beak.
Orders of Aves • Anseriformes- swans, geese, & ducks • Strigiformes- owls & nocturnal raptors • Apodiformes- hummingbirds • Psittaciformes- parrots, parakeets, budgerigars, cockatoos, & cockatiels • Piciformes- woodpeckers, honeyguides, & toucans • Falconiformes- raptors • Passeriformes- 5700 species most of the familiar North American birds • Columbiformes- pigeons & doves
Orders of Aves Cont. • Ciconiiformes- long-necked, long-legged • Galliformes- turkeys, pheasants, chickens, grouse, and quails (fowl) • Sphenisciformes- flightless marine birds (penguin) • Struthioniformes- ostritch
Mammalia • Characteristics • Endothermic • Hair / fur • 4 types of teeth • Mammary tissue • Young nourished with milk • Protect young • Sexual reproduction • Internal fertilization • Key Sentence: Mammals are endothermic, they have hair and specialized teeth, and females produce milk in mammary glands, to nourish their young.
Order Monotremata Echidna- spiny ant-eater Duck-billed platypus Both are oviparous but nourish their young with milk Found only in Austrailia
Order Marsupalia • Pouched mammals • Kangaroo • Koala • Wallaby • Wambat • Cuscus • Flying phylanger • Opossum
Orders of PlacentalsCarry the young inside the uterus for full gestation (from conception to birth) • Rodentia- squirrels, marmots, chipmunks, gophers, muskrats, mice, rats, & porcupines • Edentata-ant- eaters, armadillos, sloths • Lagomorpha- rabbits, hares, pikas • Insectivora- shrews, hedgehogs, moles • Primates- prosimians (lemurs, tarsiers, lorises) & anthropoids (apes, monkeys, & humans)
Orders of Mammalia cont. • Chiroptera- bats • Carnivora- dogs, cats, raccoons, bears, hyenas, & otters • Pinnidedia- sea lions, seals, walruses (or is it walri???) • Artiodactyla- deer, elk, bison, moose, cattle, sheep, goats, pigs, and camels • Perissodactyla- horses, zebra, rhinoceroses, tapirs
Orders of Mammalia cont. • Cetacea- whales, dolphins, porpoises • Sirenia- manatees & dugongs • Proboscidea- elephants (African & Indian)
Gestation • Oviparous- lay eggs that are incubated outside of the body ex. Aves • Viviparous- hold young inside the body for the entire gestation and give live birth ex. Placental mammals • Ovoviviparous- hold eggs inside female’s body, eggs hatch, live birth ex. Pit-vipers
