Vertebrate

style="background:#Template:Taxobox colour;"|Vertebrates
Fossil range: Early Cambrian \- Recent

Blotched Blue-tongued Lizard, Tiliqua nigrolutea

style="background:#Template:Taxobox colour;" | Scientific classification
| Kingdom:  | Animalia

|

Phylum:  | Chordata

Template:Taxobox norank entry

Subphylum:  | Vertebrata
Cuvier, 1812
Classes and Clades

See below

## Contents

* 1 Overview
* 2 Anatomy and morphology
* 3 Evolutionary history
* 4 Fossil record
* 5 Taxonomy and classification
* 6 Etymology
* 7 References
* 8 Bibliography
* 9 See also
* 10 External links

## Overview

[edit | edit source]

Vertebrates are members of the subphylum Vertebrata, chordates with backbones or spinal columns. The grouping sometimes includes the hagfish, which have no vertebrae, but are genetically quite closely related to lampreys, which do have vertebrae.[1] For this reason, the sub-phylum is sometimes referred to as "Craniata", as all members do possess a cranium. About 58,000 species of vertebrates have been described.[2] Vertebrata is the largest subphylum of chordates, and contains many familiar groups of large land animals. Vertebrates comprise cyclostomes, bony fish, sharks and rays, amphibians, reptiles, mammals, and birds. Extant vertebrates range in size from the carp species Paedocypris, at as little as 7.9 mm (0.3 inch), to the Blue Whale, at up to 33 m (110 ft).

## Anatomy and morphology

[edit | edit source]

One characteristic of the subphylum are that all members have muscular systems that mostly consist of paired masses, as well as a central nervous system which is partly located inside the backbone (if one is present). The defining characteristic of a vertebrate is considered the backbone or spinal cord, a brain case, and an internal skeleton, but the latter do not hold true for lampreys, and the former is arguably present in some other chordates. Rather, all vertebrates are most easily distinguished from all other chordates by having a clearly identifiable head, that is, sensory organs \- especially eyes are concentrated at the fore end of the body and there is pronounced cephalization. Compare the lancelets which have a mouth but not a well-developed head, and have light-sensitive areas along their entire back.[3]

## Evolutionary history

[edit | edit source]

Vertebrates originated about 500 million years ago during the Cambrian explosion, which is part of the Cambrian period. The earliest known vertebrate is Myllokunmingia.[4] According to recent molecular analysis Myxini (hagfish) also belong to Vertebrates. Others consider them a sister group of Vertebrates in the common taxon of Craniata.[1]

## Fossil record

[edit | edit source]

The earliest known fossil records of vertebrates are Myllokunmingia fengjiaoa and Haikouichthys ercaicunensis, dating somewhere between 513-542mya during the Early Cambrian. The fossils were discovered in Yunnan, China[1].

## Taxonomy and classification

[edit | edit source]

Classification after Janvier (1981, 1997), Shu et al. (2003), and Benton (2004).[5]

* Subphylum Vertebrata
* (Unranked group) Hyperoartia (lampreys)
* Class †Conodonta
* Subclass †Pteraspidomorphi
* Class †Thelodonti
* Class †Anaspida
* Class †Galeaspida
* Class †Pituriaspida
* Class †Osteostraci
* Infraphylum Gnathostomata (jawed vertebrates)

* Class †Placodermi (Paleozoic armoured forms)
* Class Chondrichthyes (cartilaginous fish)
* Class †Acanthodii (Paleozoic "spiny sharks")

* Superclass Osteichthyes (bony fish)

* Class Actinopterygii (ray-finned fish)
* Class Sarcopterygii (lobe-finned fish)

* Subclass Coelacanthimorpha (coelacanths)
* Subclass Dipnoi (lungfish)
* Subclass Tetrapodomorpha (ancestral to tetrapods)

* Superclass Tetrapoda (four-limbed vertebrates)

* Class Amphibia (amphibians)

* Series Amniota (amniotic embryo)

* Class Sauropsida (reptiles and birds)

* Class Aves (birds)

* Class Synapsida (mammal-like reptiles)

* Class Mammalia (mammals)

## Etymology

[edit | edit source]

The word vertebrate derives from Latin vertebrātus (Pliny), meaning having joints. It is closely related to the word vertebra, which refers to any of the bones or segments of the spinal column.[6]

## References

[edit | edit source]

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Kuraku; et al. (December 1445 B.C.). "Monophyly of Lampreys and Hagfishes Supported by Nuclear DNA–Coded Genes". Journal of Molecular Evolution doi:10.1007/PL00006595. 49: 729. Check date values in: `|date=` (help); External link in `|journal=` (help)CS1 maint: Explicit use of et al. (link)
2. ↑ Jonathan E.M. Baillie; et al. (2004). "A Global Species Assessment". World Conservation Union.CS1 maint: Explicit use of et al. (link)
3. ↑ Richard Fox (2004). "Branchiostoma".
4. ↑ Shu; et al. (November 4 1999). "Lower Cambrian vertebrates from south China". Nature. 402: 42–46. doi:10.1038/46965. Check date values in: `|date=` (help)CS1 maint: Explicit use of et al. (link)
5. ↑ Benton, Michael J. (2004-11-01). Vertebrate Palaeontology (Third Edition ed.). Blackwell Publishing. pp. 455 pp. ISBN 0632056371/978-0632056378 Check `|isbn=` value: invalid character (help).CS1 maint: Extra text (link)
6. ↑ Douglas Harper, Historian. "vertebra". Online Etymology Dictionary. Dictionary.com.

## Bibliography

[edit | edit source]

* Kardong, Kenneth V. (1998). Vertebrates: Comparative Anatomy, Function, Evolution (second edition ed.). USA: McGraw-Hill. pp. 747 pp. ISBN 0-07-115356-X/0-697-28654-1 Check `|isbn=` value: invalid character (help).CS1 maint: Extra text (link)
* Template:ITIS

## See also

[edit | edit source]

* Invertebrate
* Marine vertebrates

## External links

[edit | edit source]

* Tree of Life
* Tunicates and not cephalochordates are the closest living relatives of vertebrates

ang:Hweorfdēor ar:فقاريات zh-min-nan:Chek-chui tōng-bu̍t bs:Kičmenjaci br:Vertebrata bg:Гръбначни ca:Vertebrat cs:Obratlovci cy:Fertebrat da:Hvirveldyr de:Wirbeltiere et:Selgroogsed eo:Vertebruloj eu:Ornodun fa:مهره‌داران fy:Wringedier ga:Veirteabrach gl:Vertebrata ko:척추동물 hr:Kralježnjaci id:Vertebrata ia:Vertebrato is:Hryggdýr it:Vertebrata he:בעלי חוליות jv:Vertebrata ka:ხერხემლიანები ku:Movikdar la:Vertebrata lv:Mugurkaulnieki lt:Stuburiniai li:Gewervelde diere ln:Nyama ya mikúwa hu:Gerincesek mk:‘Рбетници mr:पृष्ठवंशी प्राणी ms:Vertebrat nl:Gewervelden no:Virveldyr nn:Virveldyr oc:Vertebrata qu:Tulluyuq scn:Vertebrata simple:Vertebrate sk:Stavovce sl:Vretenčarji szl:Kryngowce sr:Кичмењаци su:Vertebrata fi:Selkärankaiset sv:Ryggradsdjur tl:Vertebrata ta:முதுகெலும்பிகள் te:సకశేరుకాలు th:สัตว์มีกระดูกสันหลัง uk:Хребетні wa:Cronzoxhî yi:ווערטייברעיטס bat-smg:Stoborėnē

Template:Jb1 Template:WH Template:WS