SUBPHYLUM

VERTEBRATA
 CHARACTERISTICS OF
SUBPHYLUM VERTEBRATA
 Also known as craniate
 Aquatic as well as terrestrial
 Notochord is replaced by vertebrae or back bone
 Germ layer: triploblastic
 Body symmetry: bilateral symmetry
 Body divided into head, trunk , and tail
 Complex respiratory system
 Blood pigment present
 Fertilization: internal or external
 Vertebrates are coelomic and segmented with complex differentiation of body tissues.
 These animals have a true vertebral column and internal skeleton allowing a
completely different distribution of muscle attachment points to be used for movement.
 The members of subphylum vertebrata possess notochord during the embryonic
period.
 Have ventral muscular heart with two ,three or four chambers.
 Excretory system consisting of paired kidneys (mesonephric or metanephric types in
adults) provided with ducts to drain the waste to cloaca or anal region.
 Complete digestive system ventral to the spinal column and provided with large
digestive glands,liver,and pancreas.
2 DIVISIONS OF SUBPHYLUM VERTEBRATA:
 Agnatha
 Is the jawless fish
 They have no fins , soft skin, and cartilage skeleton, and gills.
 They are ectophermic which is where there body temperature rregulates on behavior.
 They were quite abundant but only 81 species exist today.
 Aquatic fish-like
 Often retain notochord
 As they lack jaws must feed by suction with the aid of a round muscular mouth and rows of
teeth.
 Body is cylindrical and elongated like that of an eel or snake.
 Respiratory: multiple gills
 Circulatory: 2 chambered heart
 Reproduction: External fertilization and development
  GNATHOSTOMATA
 The Gnathostomata or or gnathostomes are the majority of the the Middle Devonian( 380 million years ago) to
recent vertebrates.
 They differ from all other craniates or vertebrates in having a veritically biting device, the jaws, which consists of
an endoskeletal mandibular arch and a variety of exoskeleton grasping, crushing,or shearing organs, i.e. the teeth,
and jaws.
 Includes sharks, rays chimaeras, ray- finned fishes,and lobe- finned and land vertebrates.
 CLASS UNDER AGNATHA

 Class Ostracoderm
 An archaic and informal term for a member of the grouped of armoured, jawless,fishlike
vertebrates that emerged during the early part of the Paleozoic Era(542-251) million
years ago.
 Ostracoderms include both extinct groups such as the heterostracans and
osteostracans, and living forms such as hagfishes and lampreys.
 an external bony head shield, but probably its internal
skeleton was not ossified to any great extent. Its eyes were
situated on the dorsal side of the flat head; the ventral
placement of its mouth indicates that Cephalaspis was a
bottom-feeding animal. It is probable that Cephalaspis lived
by straining organic matter from the bottom sediments of
the freshwater streams it inhabited, a feeding method that
persisted from its ancestors. Cephalaspis differed from its
predecessors in that the head shield was freed from the
rest of the body, allowing for greater mobility, and it also
possessed paired pectoral fins. Sensory structures,
perhaps electric organs of a sort, were present along the
margins of the head shield.
  Class Cyclostomata
 All living members of the class Cyclostomata are ectoparasites( lives on the outside of
its host) on some fishes.
 They have an elongated body bearing 6-15 pairs of gill silts for respiration.
 Cyclostomes have a sucking and circular mouth without jaws
 Their body is devoid of scales and paired fins.
 Cranium and vertebral column are cartilaginous.
 Circulation is of closed type.
 Marine but migrate for spawning(release or deposit eggs) to fresh water.
 After spawning within a few days,they die.
 Their larvae, after metamorphosis(transformation from an immature form to an adult in
two or more distinct stages.Example:Larvae-tadpole-frog) return to the ocean
) EXAMPLE: Petromyzon( Lamprey
 SUPER CLASS OF
GNATHOSTOMATA
 SUPER CLASS PISCES
 The body is streamlined , and muscular tail is used for movement.
 These are fish. Their skin is covered with scales/plates. They lay eggs(oviparous).
 They obtain oxygen dissolved in water by using gills.
 They are cold-blooded and their hearts have only 2 chambers, unlike the 4 that
humans have.
 Some fish skeletons are made entirely of cartilage ( Chondrichthyes ) such as
sharks ,and some with skeleton made of both bone and cartilage(Osteichthyes).
 SUPER CLASS
GNATHOSTOMATA
SUPER CLASS TETRAPOD
 Tetrapod, (superclass Tetrapoda), a superclass of animals that includes all limbed
vertebrates (backboned animals) constituting the classes Amphibia (amphibians), Reptilia
(reptiles), Aves (birds), Mammalia (mammals), and their direct ancestors that emerged
roughly 397 million years ago during the Devonian Period. In a strict evolutionary sense, all
tetrapods are essentially “limbed fish,” because their ultimate vertebrate ancestor is a fish. All
tetrapods share a variety of morphological features. These include a pair of bones (the ulna
and radius and the tibia and fibula) in the epipodial segments of the forelimbs and hind limbs,
digits on the end of each limb, an oval window (fenestra ovalis) in the skull opening into the
middle ear, a stapes (ear bone), and several other skeletal features. Undoubtedly, the early
tetrapods also shared unique physiological, behavioral, and soft anatomical features;
however, only skeletal features are preserved in the fossil record and thus are used for
classification.
 CLASS UNDER PISCES
Chondrichthyes
They are marine animals with streamlined body and have cartilaginous endoskeleton. Mouth is
located ventrally.
Notochord is persistent throughout life.
Gill slits are separate and without operculum (gill cover).
The skin is tough, containing minute placoid scales.
Teeth are modified placoid scales which are backwardly directed.
Their jaws are very powerful.
These animals are predaceous [shark].
Due to the absence of air bladder, they have to swim constantly to avoid sinking.
Heart is two-chambered (one auricle and one ventricle).
Some of them have electric organs (e.g., Torpedo) and some possess poison sting (e.g., Trygon).
They are cold-blooded (poikilothermous) animals, i.e., they lack the capacity to regulate their body
temperature.
Sexes are separate. In males pelvic fins bear claspers.
They have internal fertilisation and many of them are viviparous [give birth to young ones].
Examples: Scoliodon (Dog fish), Pristis (Saw fish), Carchaiodon (Great white shark), Trygon (Sting ray).
Osteichthyes

It includes both marine and fresh water fishes with bony endoskeleton.
Their body is streamlined. Mouth is mostly terminal.
They have four pairs of gills which are covered by an operculum on each side.
Skin is covered with cycloid/ctenoid scales.
Air bladder is present which regulates buoyancy.
Heart is two- chambered (one auricle and one ventricle).
They are cold-blooded
Sexes are separate.
Fertilisation is usually external.
They are mostly oviparous and development is direct.
Examples: Flying fish, Sea horse, Fighting fish, Angel fish etc.
 CLASS TETRAPODA
Class – Amphibia
•As the name indicates (Gr., Amphi : dual, bios, life), amphibians
can live in aquatic as well as terrestrial habitats.
•The amphibian skin is moist without scales [mucus glands in the
skin]. The eyes have eyelids. A tympanum represents the ear.
•Alimentary canal, urinary and reproductive tracts open into a
common chamber called cloaca which opens to the exterior.
•They have a three-chambered heart (two auricles and one
ventricle). These are cold-blooded
•Respiration is through gills, lungs and through
•Respiration is by gills, lungs and through skin.
•Sexes are separate. Fertilisation is external.
•They are oviparous and development is indirect.
•Examples: Toad, Frog), Tree frog, Salamander, Limbless
amphibia.
Class – Reptilia

•The class name refers to their creeping or crawling mode of locomotion (Latin, repere or
reptum, to creep or crawl).
•They are mostly terrestrial animals and their body is covered by dry and cornified skin,
epidermal scales or scutes. Snakes and lizards shed their scales as skin cast.
•They do not have external ear openings. Tympanum represents ear. Limbs, when present,
are two pairs.
•Heart is usually three-chambered, but four-chambered in crocodiles.
•Reptiles are poikilotherms [cold-blooded animals].
•They lay eggs with tough coverings and do not need to lay their eggs in water, unlike
amphibians.
•Sexes are separate.
•Fertilisation is internal.
•They are oviparous and development is direct.
•Examples: Turtle), Tortoise, Chameleon (Tree lizard), Garden lizard, Crocodile, Alligator,
Wall lizard, Poisonous snakes – Naja (Cobra), Bangarus (Krait), Vipera (Viper).
Class – Aves

•They have a four-chambered heart. They breathe through lungs. All birds fall in this category.
•The characteristic features of Aves (birds) are the presence of feathers and most of them can
fly except flightless birds (e.g., Ostrich). The forelimbs are modified into wings.
•The hind limbs generally have scales and are modified for walking, swimming or clasping the
tree branches.
•Skin is dry without glands except the oil gland at the base of the tail.
•Endoskeleton is fully ossified (bony) and the long bones are hollow with air cavities
(pneumatic).
•The digestive tract of birds has additional chambers, the crop and gizzard.
•They are warm-blooded (homoiothermous) animals, i.e., they are able to maintain a
constant body temperature.
•Respiration is by lungs. Air sacs connected to lungs supplement respiration.
•Sexes are separate. Fertilisation is internal. They are oviparous and development is direct.
•Examples : Crow, Pigeon, Ostrich), Neophron (Vulture) etc..
Class – Mammalia
•Most mammals familiar to us produce live young ones. However, a few of them, like
the Platypus and the Echidna lay eggs, and some, like kangaroos give birth to very poorly
developed young ones.
•They are found in a variety of habitats – polar ice caps, deserts, mountains, forests, grasslands
and dark caves. Some of them have adapted to fly or live in water.
•The most unique mammalian characteristic is the presence of milk producing glands (mammary
glands) by which the young ones are nourished.
•They have two pairs of limbs, adapted for walking, running, climbing, burrowing, swimming or
flying.
•The skin of mammals is unique in possessing hair. External ears or pinnae are present. Different
types of teeth are present in the jaw.
•Heart is four-chambered. They are homoiothermous [warm-blooded]. Respiration is by lungs.
•Mammals are warm-blooded animals with four-chambered hearts.
•Sexes are separate and fertilisation is internal.
•They are viviparous with few exceptions and development is direct.
•Examples: Oviparous – Platypus; Viviparous – Kangaroo, Flying fox), Delphinus (Common
dolphin), Balaenoptera (Blue whale), etc.