CHORDATAPHYLUM
II. Tetrapods (Amphibians, Reptiles, Birds, and Mammals)
 Terrestrial/aquatic vertebrates
 Limbs for locomotion
 Vertebral column terminating in a tail (may be absent)
 Heart with two atria with internal nares
AMPHIBIAC
DESCRIPTION - Cold-blooded
aquatic/terrestrial
- Naked or with bony
scales
- vertebrae
HIERARCHY - Labyrihodontia†
- Lepospondylii†
- Caudata/Urodela
(Newts)
- Salientia/Anura (Frogs)
- Apoda/Gymnophiona
(Caecilian)
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REPTILIAC AVESC MAMMALIAC
- Cold-blooded aquatic/terrestrial - Warm-blooded; oviparous - Warm-blooded
- Naked, scaly or with bony plates - Feathers - Nearly always viviparous
- Lungs - One occipital condyle - Hair
- Complete ossification with typical - Quadrate free - Skull with zygomatic arch, secondary palate,
- Modified forelimbs into and two occipital condyles
- With one occipital condyle wings - Teeth in sockets
- Two sacral vertebrae - Heart with two ventricles - Lower jaw of one bone articulating with the
- Heart with sinus venosus - No sinus venosus squamosal
- Ventricle partly to completely divided - Embryo with membranes - Reduced quadrate to a middle ear ossicle
- Embryo provided with embryonic - Hearts as in birds
membranes (Amnion and allantois) - With muscular diaphragm
- Mammary glands
- AnapsidasC - ArchaeornithessC (Back Page)
o Cotylosauriao - NeornithessC
o CheloniaO (Turtles)
- IcthyopterygiasC †
- SynaptosauriasC †
- SauropterygiasC † (Plesiosaurs)
- IcthyosauriasC †
- LepidosauriasC
o EosuchiaO †
o RhyncocephaliaO (Tuatara)
o SquamataO
 LacertiliasO (Lizards)
 OphidiasO (Snakes)
- ArchosauriasC (Leads to Aves)
o TheodontiaO †
o CrocodiliaO
- PterosauriasC, SaurischiasC, OrnistichiasC
(Dinosaurs)
- SynapsidasC
- PelycosauriasC

PICTURE
1. AMPHIBIAC
LabyrinthodontiaO †
- Extinct
- “Stegocephali”
- Armored of small, ventral
scales
- Primitive vertebrae made
of separate pieces
- Without typical centra
- FIRST TETRAPODS
- Eryops
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- TherapsidasC (Leads to Mammalia)
LepospondyliO † Caudata/Urodelao
- Spool-shaped - “Newts and Salamanders”
centra - Naked, tailed amphibians
- range of body - With or without external gills
forms - Two pairs of limbs
- Nectridea - Vertebrae with solid centra
- Two occipital condyles
- Siren, Triton, Salamandra,
Necturus, etc
Salientia/Anurao
- “Frogs/Toads”
- Naked, tailless amphibians
- Without external gills
- With typical vertebrae; fused
- Two pairs of limbs
- Tarsus much lengthened
- Two Occipital condyles
- Discoglossus, Pipa, Rana
CyclostomataO
- “Coecilians” or “Blindworms”
- Vermiform amphibians
- Limbless
- With small scales
- Amphicoelous vertebrae
- Persistent Notochord
 2.REPTILIAC
AnapsidasC LepidosauriasC ArchosauriasC
- Skull completely roofed without temporal vacuities - Diapsid skull with; two lateral temporal vacuities
- Skin with horny scales
CotylosauriaO † CheloniaO RhyncocephaliaO SquamataO CrocodiliaO
- Resembles amphibians - “Turtles” - Long tail - Long tail - Amphibious
- Seymouria - Trunk short and - Weak limbs - Covered with horny scales - Bony plates
broad - Skull; two - Lost vacuities - Quadrate fixed
- Enclosed in an vacuities - Quadrate movable - Formation of secondary
armor; of outer - Teeth fused to - Teeth set in sockets plates
horny and bony jaw - Abdominal ribs wanting - Teeth in sockets
plates - Amphicoelous LacertiliasO Ophidia sO
- Internal nares posterior
- Limb girdles inside vertebra; - Vertebra centra
- Jaws without teeth persisten - limbs presents - Limbs absent - Alligator, Caiman, etc
- Chelydra, Testudo, intercentra - limb girdles - Limb girdles absent,
Emys, etc - Skull with one except pelvis
temporal vacuity - Lost vacuities
- With mandibular - No Mandibular
symphysis symphysis

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 3.AVESC
ArchaeornithessC † NeornithessC
- Extinct - Extant modern birds
- Long tail bordered by feathers - Tail feathers fan-like
- Separate metacarpals - Fused metacarpals
- Archaeopteryx, Archaeornis - Teeth present (Extinct forms) †

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 4.MAMMALIAC
 ProtheriasC  FissipediasO (Cats, Dogs, Wolves) o CetaceaO
o MonotremataO (Echidna, Platypus)  PinnipediasO (Seals, Walrus)  OdontocoetisO (Toothed cetaceans; dolphin)
 Methatheria/Didelphia/MarsupaliasC o PerissodactylaO  MystacoetisO (Whalebone Whales)
o MarsupaliaO (Kangaroos, Koalas)  EquioideasO (Horses, Zebra) o ProboscideaO (Elephants)
 Eutheria/Monodelphia/Marsupalia  TapiroideasO (Tapirs) o SireniaO (Sea Cows)
o InsectivoraO (Moles, Shrews, Hedgehogs)  RhinocerotoideasO (Rhinos) o HyracoideaO (Coneys)
o ChiropteraO (Bat) o ArtiodactylaO o RodentiaO (Rodents)
o DermopteraO (Flying Lemurs)  Suina sO (Pigs, Hippos) o XenarthraO (Edentates, Sloths, Anteaters)
o PrimatesO (Monkeys)  TylopodasO (Camels, Llamas) o PholidotaO (Pangolin)
o CarnivoraO  PecorasO (Deers, Antelopes, Sheep, Goat) o TubulidentataO (Aardvark)

PrototheriasC † Metatheria/Didelphia/MarsupaliasC Eutheria/Monodelphia/PlacentaliasC †

- “Egg-laying mammals” - “marsupials” - “Placental mammals”
- Oviparous - Viviparous - Viviparous
- Mammary glands without nipples - With pouch (marsupium) supported by two - With Allantoic placenta
- Pectoral girdle with separate precoracoid, coracoid marsupial bones - Without marsupium
and interclavicle - Precoracoid and interclavicle absent - Precoracoid and interclavicle absent
- Scapula with spine - Teats opening in marsupium - 3 molars
- Oviducts separate with cloaca - Without true allantoic placenta - One vagina; no cloaca
- 4 molars
- No cloaca; double vagina
- Smooth brain
MonotremataO MarsupaliaO

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Eutheria/Monodelphia/PlacentaliasC
InsectivoraO - Small nocturnal, burrowing animals (E.g. Moles, shrews, hedgehog)
- Plantigrade clawed feet
- Elongated snout
- Primitive dentition
- Teeth with sharp cusps
- Auditory region completely ossified; without bulla
- Bicornuate uterus
- With clavicles
- Smooth brain
ChiropteraO - Flying mammals (E.g. Bats)
- With wing membranes
- Supported with greatly elongated metacarpals
- Thumb and hind feet with claws
- With clavicles
- Smooth brain
- Thoracic teats
DermopteraO - Flying Lemurs (E.g. Cynocephalus)
- With wing membranes but without elongated metacarpals

PrimatesO - Hairy mammals with 5 digits (E.g. Lemurs, monkeys, man)

- Flat nails
- Gait plandigrade
- Forefeet grasping
- Orbital and temporal depressions partly or completely separated by bony ridge
- With clavicles
- Simple stomach
- Teats abdominal, pectoral or axillary
- Brain highly convoluted with very large cerebral hemisphere

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 - Carnivores - Terrestrial carnivores (E.g. Cats, lions, tigers, leopards,
- Prominent canine teeth dogs, wolves, civets, foxes, hyenas)
- Well-developed auditory region usually expanded bulla - Strongly clawed
- Clavicles reduced or absent FissipediasO - Gait plantigrade to digitigrade
- Simple stomach - 6 incisors
CarnivoraO - Brain convoluted - Anterior cheek teeth sharp
- Special carnassial tooth
- Aquatic (E.g. Seals walruses)
- Webbed feet modified into swimming flippers
LepidosteoideisO
- Cheek teeth alike
- No carnassial tooth
PerissodactylaO - Odd-toed Ungulates
- Large-hoofed herbivores - Only one functional digit
EquioideasO
- 3rd digit forming limb - (E.g. Horses, asses, zebras)
- Other digits smaller or reduced
- Gait unguligrade - 4 toes in front, 3 behind
- Cheek teeth broad - Dentition complete
TapiroideasO
- Lophodont (grinding ridges) - No horns
- Clavicles absent - (E.g. Tapirs)
- Simple stomach - 3 or 4 toes in front, 3 behind
- No gall bladder - Canines and incisors reduced or wanting
RhinocerotoideasO
- Convoluted brain - With one or two median horns
- Teats inguinal - (E.g. Rhinoceros)
ArtiodactylaO - “Even-toed ungulates” - Swines (E.g. Pigs, peccaries, hippos)
- Large-hoofed herbivores - Dentition complete
- Third and 4th digits equal and symmetrical - Molars bunodont
SuinasO
- Limb axis passing between them - Simple stomach to two-chambered
- Broad-grinding cheek teeth - No horns
- Bunodont (rounded cusps)/Selenodont (Cusps cresentic)
- No clavicles - (E.g. Camels, llamas, alpaca)
- No gall bladder - One upper incisor
- Brain convoluted - Ruminating habit
- Teats inguinal or abdominal TylopodasO
- Stomach somewhat complex with wáter cells
-

- (E.g. Sheep, goat, cattle, giraffe)

- Upper incisors wanting
- Molars selenodont
PecorasO
- Feet two-toed
- Complex stomach without watercells, with 3 or 4
compartments

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 CetaceaO - Gigantic fish-like mammals (E.g. Whales dolphins, porpoises)
- Without external neck
- With horizontal tail fin and single dorsal fin
- Fins lack skeletal support - Toothed (E.g. Dolphins, porpoises, some whales)
OdontocoetisO
- Hairs limited to few on muzzle -
- Nostrils set far back
- Forelimbs modified into swimming paddles
- Vestigial hind limbs and girdle
- Whales without teeth, whalebones instead
- No clavicles
- Horny fringes hanging on the edge of the upper jaw
- Complex stomach MystacoetisO
- Convoluted brain
- Inguinal teats
ProboscideaO - Gigantic herbivores with scanty hair (E.g. Elephants)
- Lips and upper lip drawn out into a proboscis
- 2 or 4 incisors enlarged into a long tusk
- 5 digits
- Nails hooflike
- Legs straight; without knee or elbow bend
- No clavicles simple stomach
- Convoluted brain
- Teats pectoral
SireniaO - Large aquatic mammals with few hai (E.g Manatee/Sea cow)
- Forelimbs modified to flippers
- Hind limbs absent
- Pelvic girdle vestigial
- Flattened horizontal tailfins; no clavicle
- Stomachs comple
- Teats pectoral
HyracoideaO - Short-tailed herbivores (E.g. Coneys)
- Rodent-like upper incisors
- Ungulate type molars
- Gait plantigrade
- Toes with flat nails
- 4 in front; 3 behind
- No clavicle
RodentiaO - Rodents (E.g. Squirrels, mice, rabbits, hares)
- Clawed plantigrade teeth
- With long, strong chisel-like incisors
- Growing throughout life
- With enamel on front faces only
- Canines lacking; hence Diastena (Gap) between cheek teeth
- Large caecum
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 - Clavicles present usually
- Brain smooth or slightly convoluted
XenarthraO - Edentates (E.g. Sloths, armadillos, anteaters)
- Small to moderate terrestrial or arboreal mammals with strongly clawed feet
- Teeth without enamel
- With clavicles
- Some have armor or body scutes
- Hair correspondingly reduced
- Smooth brain
PholidotaO - (e.g. Pangolins)
- Head, body and tail covered with imbricated horny scales
- Teeth absent
- No clavicles or zygomatic arch
- Very long tongue
TubulidentataO - (E.g. Aardvark)
- Scantily haired
- Ant-eating mammals
- Few reduced teeth with perforated dentine and withot enamel
- Long snout and tongue

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