ZOOLOGY

BASICS
OF
ANIMAL TAXONOMY
By
DR. NEHAL D. SHAH
Assistant Professor, Depart. Of Biotechnology,
Shree Ramkrishna Inst. Of Comp. Edu. & App.
Sci., Surat
What is an Animal?
 What is Taxonomy?
• Gr. Taxis = organization, nomos = law
• Branch of biology
• The study of the classification of
animals into logical groups
• The study of the evolutionary
relationship of animals with one
another
 What is Systematics?
• Latinized Greek word systema =
systems of classification developed by
naturalists like Linnaeus
• It is the scientific study of kinds and
diversity of organisms and of any and
all relationships among them
• It includes: taxonomy, identification,
classification & nomenclature
What is New Systematics?

Incorporates the results of recent

studies in various branches of life
sciences in systematics which
modify some of the older ideas
of classical systematics
 What is phylogenesis,
phylogeny and phylogenetics?
Phylogenesis is the process,
Phylogeny is science on this process,
and Phylogenetics is phylogeny
based on analysis of biological
macromolecules like proteins.
 Molecular Phylogenetics
• It is the branch of phylogeny that
analyses hereditary molecular
differences, mainly in DNA sequences, to
gain information on an organism's
evolutionary relationships.
• The result of a molecular phylogenetic
analysis is expressed in a phylogenetic
tree
 Molecular Systematics

Molecular phylogenetics is one

aspect of molecular systematics,
a broader term that also includes
the use of molecular data in
taxonomy and biogeography
Why to do taxonomic studies?
 Need of Taxonomy
Convenience of study
Systematic study of animals
Knowledge of affinities
Knowledge of sequence of evolution
Knowledge of connecting links
Knowledge of adaptation
Knowledge of phylogeny
Modern Classification given
by Linnaeus

Entire living world divided

into two
1) Animal Kingdom
2) Plant Kingdom
Lets study important concepts
related to taxonomic study
 What are Chordates and
Vertebrates???
• Phylum Chordata: includes those
animals which possess notochord
during any period of their life
• Subphylum Vertebrata: includes those
animals in which the supporting action
of notochord is partly or wholly taken
over by a segmented vertebral column
 What is a Notochord?
• is a flexible rod-shaped tube like structure found in
embryos of all chordates.
• is composed of cells derived from the mesoderm &
defines the primitive axis of the embryo.
• In some chordates, it persists throughout life (e.g.
Amphioxus) as the main axial support of the body,
while in most vertebrates it becomes the nucleus
pulposus of the intervertebral disc.
• Notogenesis
• forms during gastrulation
 What are Non-Chordates and
Invertebrates???
• Animals lacking a notochord are
called Non-chordates
• Animals lacking a vertebral
column are called Invertebrates
 What are Protochordates?
These are all invertebrates (due to
lack of vertebral column) but they
are still chordates (due to presence
of notochord)
e.g. Hemichordata (Sea squirt),
Urochordata (Amphioxus/ Lancelet),
Cephalochordata (Branchiostoma)
1) Invertebrates
minus protochordates
are equal to ?????

2) All the non-

chordates are
_____________
whereas all the
invertebrates are not
_________________
 Symmetry
• It means arrangement of body parts
into geometrical designs.
• It refers to division of body into equal
part by lines or planes
• When a plane passing through its
centre will divide it into similar halves,
animal is symmetrical but if can’t, its
asymmetrical (sponges, amoeba)
 Spherical Symmetry
• Found in animals
whose body has
the shape of a
sphere.
• All planes passing
through the center
will cut it into
similar halves
• E.g. Volvox
 Biradial Symmetry
• It is a variant form of radial
symmetry found in Ctenophora &
most Anthozoa (e.g. anemones)
• It has only 2 planes, one through
longitudinal and sagital axis while
other through longitudinal and
transverse axis which will divide the
animal into equal parts
 Longitudinal axis
e.g. higher animals
 Coelom
• Body cavity means internal space
present inside the body
• Coelom or true body cavity means fluid
filled space lying between outer body
wall & inner digestive tube
• It arises as secondary cavity between
two layers of embryonic mesoderm &
contains most of the visceral organs
Schizocoelomate: annelida, arthropoda, mollusca,
Enterocoelomate: Echinodermate & Chordate
Diploblastic & Triploblastic
 What is archenteron ?
The primitive gut that forms
during gastrulation in the
developing embryo is known as
the archenteron or the digestive
tube. It develops into the
digestive tract of an animal.
 Body cavity of hydra is called
(JNU, 2007)
• Haemocoel
• Coelenteron
• Enterocoel
• Pseudocoel
 Which one of the following is
characterized by the absence of true
coelom?
• Phylum Mollusca
• Phylum Echinodermate
• Phylum Nematoda
• Phylum Annelida
 Levels or Grades of Organization
No. of Cells + degree of complexity
or specialized cells
1) Protoplasmic or acellular
2) Cellular
3) Cell- tissue
4) Tissue-organ
5) Organ System
 Metamerism/ Segmentation
• When segmentation in bilateral
animals involves a longitudinal
division of the body into a linear
series of similar sections/parts…..
• Each section/part is called
segment, somite or metamere
• Gr. Meta= after, meros = part
 Pseudometamerism or
Strobilization or Annulation is
seen in which organism?