Lecture Two Assit.Lect.

Maha Mustafa

Chordate classification:
Phylum Chordate: chordates form a phylum of creatures that are based on
a bilateral body plan and are defined by having at some stage in their lives
all of the following distinctive characteristics: (Notochord, Dorsal nerve
cord, Gill slits and Postanal tail). All are found in embryonic stage in all
chordates and may later be lost.

Phylum
Chordata

Division Division
Cephalochordata Vertebrata

sub phylum sub phylum

Agnatha Gnathostomata

super class
Tetrapoda super class
Pisces

Class Class
Chondrichthyes Osteichthyes

Class Class Class Class

Aves Mammales Repitilies Amphibia

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 Lecture Two Assit.Lect.Maha Mustafa

The traditional taxonomy divided vertebrates into classes, Amphibians,

Reptiles, Birds and Mammals are collectively termed Tetrapod. All other
vertebrates are fishes. Vertebrate with jaws are Gnathostomes, fishes without
jaws are Agnathans.

Super class: - Pisces

Pisces which bears fins such as fishes or vertebrate adapted to live in
water and generally possessing fins and scales. All are cold blooded with
two chambered hearts includes the classes of chondrichthyes and
osteichthyes.

1. Class: -Chondrichthyes:

2. Class: - Osteichthyes

Difference between Chondrichthyes and Osteichthyes

Chondrichthyes Osteichthyes

 A class of fish that includes those  A class of fish that includes those
with cartilaginous skeleton, also with bony skeleton, also known bony
known cartilaginous fish fish

 Can be exclusively found in marine  can be found in fresh and marine

water water

 Endoskeleton cartilagenous  Endoskeleton bony

 Skin with ganoid, cycloid or ctenoid

 Skin with placoid scale.
scales.

 Gills 5-7 pairs, gill not cover by an  Gills 4 pairs, gill are covered by an
operculum. operculum.

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 No air bladder or lungs.  Swim bladder present

 Tail fin is heterocercal  Tail fin is homocercal

 Some examples of Chondrichthyes  Some examples of Osteichthyes are

include sharks, and ray fish salmon fish, and seahorse.

 Super class: - Tetrapoda

The super class of subphylum vertebrata whose members typically
possess four limbs includes the classes: Amphibia, Reptilia, Aves and
Mammals.

1- Class: - Amphibia
The characteristics of this class:

1. The name of amphibian refers to the use of both aquatic and terrestrial
habitats.

2. Most of them have two pairs limbs. Body is divided into head and
trunk tail may be present in some.

3. The amphibian skin moist (without scales). The skin is involved

respiration to some degree in some amphibians.

4. Respiration takes place by gills, lung, lining of buccopharygeal cavity

and through the skin.

5. The heart is three-chambered (two auricles and one ventricle).

6. Sexes are separate and fertilization is external.

7. These are cold blood animals.

8. Alimentary canal, urinary and reproductive tract opens into a common

champers called cloaca which opens external.

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Ex: Rana (frog)

2- Class: - Reptiles
The reptiles are class of scaly vertebrates that usually reproduce by laying
eggs.

The characteristics of this class:

1. Reptiles are mostly terrestrial animal. And their body covered by dry
and cornified skin, epidermal scale and always contains a post anal
tail.

2. They can walk with two pairs limb absent in snake.

3. The reptiles skin is protected by hard scales, and they also secrete
toxin through teeth and nails.

4. The heart is three chambered and contain two auricles and one
incompletely divided ventricle.

5. They breathe through lungs.

6. Sexes are separate and fertilization is internal.

7. These are cold blood animals.

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Lecture Two Assit.Lect.Maha Mustafa

Ex: Chamaeleo (Tree lizard)

3-Class: - Aves
The characteristics of this class:

1. All birds have feathers, which no other animals living or extinct are
known to have had.

2. Their forelimbs are modified as wings. The hand limbs are modified
walking, swimming or clasping the tree branched.

3. Feathers are highly modified scales. Presence oil glands base of the
tail and no other gland on the skin.

4. Birds have no teeth: beak helps in feeding in many ways such as

crushing, scooping etc.

5. The digestive tract has additional chambers, the crop and gizzard. The
crop stores and softens the food; however, the gizzard helps in
crushing and churning the food.

6. The long bones are hollow and connected by air passages this reduce
the weight of body.

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7. The heart is four chambers that completely separate oxygenated blood

from deoxygenate blood.

8. Respiration by lungs that contain air sacs.

9. Female has usually well-developed single left ovary and oviduct. If

right ovary and oviduct are present, they are vestigial (nonfunctional).

10. Birds are warm blooded.

Ex: Columba (pigeon)

4- Class: - Mammalian
Mammals are present in almost all habitats - polar ice caps, deserts,
mountains, forests, and grasslands. The characteristic of the class:

1. Skin is glandular and consists of sweat gland, sebaceous gland and

Mammary that milk producing by which the young ones are
nourished.

2. The limbs are of two pairs.

3. The skin is covered with hairs.

4. Heart is four-chambered

5. Respiration is through lungs.

6. Sexes are separate and fertilization is internal.

7. All mammals are warm blooded.

Ex: Macaca (monkey).