Download The Animal Kingdom Cheat Sheet

The Animal Kingdom Cheat Sheet
Calcarea and Silecia (Formerly called Porifera)
The sponges. They are sessil (non-locomotive) that lack true tissues. The filter feed by drawing water through
pores in their body.
Cnidaria
Jelly fish, corals, hydra. Radial symmetry, have a gastrovascular cavity with a single opening for the mouth
and anus. They are characterized by stinging cells called cnidocytes.
Ctenophora
The Comb Jellies. Similar to cnidaria in structure, however lack cnidocytes. They have 8 rows of cilia that
help move them through the water.
Platyhelminthes
The flatworms (Think plat = flat). Tapeworms and planaria are examples. They have no body cavity
(acoelomates) and have a simple central nervous system. There are no organs for circulation.
Rotifera
Most are microscopic, yet still have simple organ systems.
Brachiopoda
Similar to mollusks, except for a stalk that attaches them to their substrates.
Nemertea
Ribbon worms. Have a proboscis which is a long extension that helps in catching prey. They have a closed
circulatory system, however lack a true body cavity.
Mollusca
Shellfish, squid, and octopi. Have a soft body, which in most species, is protected by a hard shell.
Annelida
Segmented worms (earthworms). Have segmentation unique to this phylum. There are both marine and land
species.
Nematoda
Roundworms. One of the most abundant phyla on earth. They are protected by a tough cuticle that covers the
body.
Arthropoda
Largest phylum. Includes the insects, crustaceans, and arachnids. Have a segmented exoskeleton and jointned
appendages.
Echinodermata
Sand Dollars, Sea Stars, and Sea Urchins. Bilaterally symmetrical as larvae, but radially symmetrical as
adults. They move by pumping water to different parts of their body.
Chordata
All vertebrates belong to Chordata, however there are 3 invertebrate groups including lancelents and hagfish.
Characteristics unique to chordates include the following that can occur at any point in development:
Notochord - Longitudinal flexible rod located between digestive tube and nerve chord
Dorsal Hollow Nerve Cord - Develop from ectoderm that develops into the central nervous system like the
spinal chord and the brain.
Pharyngeal Gill Slits - Grooves on the neck area to allow water to pass through to avoid the digestive system
Muscular Post-Anal Tail - A tail that extends past the anus
Most chordates are craniates, which means that they have developed a head.
Major types of Vertebrates:
Cephalochordates
Lancelets. The most primitive of the chordates
Urochordates
Tunicate or ‘Sea Squirts’. Filter feeders that have many of the chordate features in their larval stages. They
take in water through one siphon and expel it out another.
Myxini
Hagfish. Jawless fish that resemble snakes in the way they swim. Mainly bottom dwelling scavengers.
Petromyzontida
Lampreys. The oldest living lineage of true vertebrates. Jawless fish with cartilaginous skeletons.
Chondichthyes
Cartilaginous fish like sharks, rays, and skates. Have scales and typically have acute sense of smell. The
earliest signs of bone are found in these types of organisms.
Actinopterygii/Actinistia/Dipnoi
Ray-finned, and Lobe finned fish; aka - bony fish. Have an operculum that covers their gills, bony skeletons,
and a swim bladder to help control their location in the water column. Lobe finned fish have thick fins, that
were most likely pre-cursors to the earlies land dwelling animals.
Amphibia
First group of tetrapods (4 legged animals) including frogs, and salamanders. Ectothermic, and some lack
lungs and obtain oxygen through their skin.
Reptilia
Lizards, snakes, turtles, and birds. Developed amniotic eggs. Most groups (besides birds, have scales to
preven water loss. Birds evolved feathers, and hollow bones for flying.
Mammalia
All mammals. Evolved hair, and milk productions via mammary glands. Primates are the most advanced of
the mammals, developing bipedalism, and began shaping and using tools.