Comparative Vertebrate Anatomy

Tunicates are usually sessile and attach on the corals as their

substrate. they usually have INCURRENT SIPHON for water
entrance and OUTCURRENT SIPHON for water exit

I. Introduction to CVA
COMPARATIVE VERTEBRATE ANATOMY- is the study of vertebrate anatomy and morphology in
order to understand the changes by means of adaptation to the environment

Subphylum Cephalochordata

1.0. PHYLUM CHORDATA

1.1. Chordate Characteristics

AMPHIOXUS
Presence of notochord
dorsal, hollow nervous system
pharyngeal gill slits
'circulatory' system - vertebrate pattern with 'pumping vessels' (but
no heart)

-DORSAL HOLLOW NERVE CHORD -fated as central nervous system, controls all
metabolic and physiologic function of a chordates
-NOTOCHORD -fated as axial skeleton, located at the dorsal portion of a chordate body
and usually protect the dorsal hollow nerve chord
Subphylum Vertebrata
-POST ANAL TAIL-fated as lower/hind limbs, for motility of a chordates
-Vertebrates Origins
-PHARYNGEAL SLITS -Fated as mouth, lungs in tetrapods and gills in pisces- function
o -Extinction of Dinosaurs
as respiratory system
o -Moving ? of the plate (plate tectonics)
1.2. Chordate Origins
-Vertebrates possessed vertebral column for support and protection of internal
organs
CAMBRIAN EXPLOSION

Diversification of animal phyla particularly the chordate

leading to the discovery of oldest chordates that linked to the vertebrates =
OSTRACODERMS
OSTRACODERMS -had bony plates and scales and it is called jawless armoured fish

Superclass Pisces- Fishes and fish like organism

Class Agnatha Jaw less fish

1.3. PHYLOGENETIC TREE OF PHYLUM CHORDATA

Kingdom Animalia

Phylum Chordata

. Chordates have Dorsal hollow nerve chord, notochord, pharyngeal slits and post anal
tail and cells that secrete TYROXINE
Only Subphylum Vertebrata have back bone compared to the other subphyla
Subphylum Urochordata

-TUNICATES
-Chordate ancestors of vertebrates
-tunicate larva- also called SEA SQUIRTS
o they are motile due to the presence of POST ANAL TAIL
o notochord is confined to the tail and is loss during
metamorphosis to become SESSILE or NON-MOTILE
o possess PHARYNGEAL SLITS

Ostracoderms, lampreys and Hagfishes

o Ostracoderms is an extinct jawless fish with an external
skeleton of bone ('bony armor') one of the oldest known
vertebrates
Cyclostomes (Petromyzontia and Myxinodea)
o Lampreys - parasitic with horny, rasping teeth
(see drawing at right)
o Hagfishes - primarily scavengers

Gnastostomata - vertebrates that have jaw also related to the modern bony fishes
Class Chondrichtyes- Cartilaginous fishes

ancestors had bony skeletons so cartilaginous skeleton is

specialized
pelvic fins of males are modified as clasper
placoid scales -Placoid scales are structurally homologous with
vertebrate teeth ("denticle" translates to "small tooth"), having a
central pulp cavity supplied with blood vessels, surrounded by a
conical layer of dentine, all of which sits on top of a rectangular
basal plate that rests on the dermis. The outermost layer is

composed of vitrodentine, a largely inorganic enamel-like

substance. Placoid scales cannot grow in size, but rather more
scales are added as the fish increases in size.
numerous today but more abundant in the past

Subclass Archaeornithes
Genera: Archaeopteryx & Archaeornis
Characteristics:

Class Osteichytes
o
o
o
o
o
o

o
o

Bony fishes
skeleton is partly or chiefly bony
gill slits are covered by a bony operculum
skin has scales with, typically, little bone
most have a swim bladder
ray-finned or lobe-finned

solid bones
weakly developed keel &, probably, weakly developed flight
muscles
Superorder Paleognathae

o
o

ratites (Flightless birds)

small wings but powerful leg muscles

Subclass Tetrapoda
Class Amphibia
o
o
o
o
o
o

Oldest known = subclass Labyrinthodontia

Fish-like features
small bony scales in the skin
fin-rays in the tail (for swimming)
a skull similar to that of some Crossopterygians
a sensory canal system (like the lateral line system) that indicates a
primarily aquatic existence
Subclass Lissamphibia - modern amphibians
o . Anura - frogs & toads
o . Urodela - tailed amphibians
o Gymnophiona (apodans) - wormlike, burrowing amphibians
Modern amphibian characteristics
o aquatic larval stage with external gill
o middle ear cavity with ear ossicle (columella)
o no bony scales (except apodans)

Class Reptilia
Anapsida
Lepidosauria
Archosaura
Class Aves

may have arisen from an archosaurian reptile, perhaps a small bipedal dinosaur
rlost several dinosaur characteristics (e.g., long tail & teeth) but retained others
(e.g., claws, scales, diapsid skull, single occipital condyle &, perhaps, feathers)
(see AMNH website & ABC News website)

Class Mammalia
Characteristics:
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o

hair
mammary glands
middle ear bones
muscular diaphragm
sweat glands
marrow within bones
sets of teeth
biconcave, enucleate red blood cells
well-developed cerebral cortex
Subclass Prototheria - egg-laying mammals
o
o
o
o
o

Monotremata - platypus + 2 spiny anteaters

lay eggs
-testes within the abdominal cavity
no pinna no corpus callosum
less stable body temperature

Subclass Theria
Infraclass Metatheria

O. Marsupialia - pouched mammals; young born alive, but

at a very immature stage
Infraclass Eutheria - placental mammals

II. The Integumentary System

o
o

The integument covers all external surfaces of the body

compose of SKIN as primary organ and HYPODERMIS

Layers of SKIN

Epidermis
o Outermost layer of the skin
o protects the skin surfaces
o compose of pigment MELANIN for UV- RAY protection. usually
secreated by MELANOCYTES
o KERATIN is made up of protein as protection for water dessication
(waterproof) and abrasion
Dermis
o Deepest layer of the epidermis
o usually found 2 secretory accesory glands as SEBACEOUS and
SUDORIFEROUS glands

Hypodermis- deepest layer of the intergument

- serves to protect the intergument to underlying structure such as

muscle

Function of the intergument

-PROTECTION - Primary funtion of intergument
-Protection against pathogens, endoparasites and uv-rays
(by presence of melanin)
-keratination of skin prevents from dehydration

-EXTEROCEPTION -Sensory structures allowing vertebrates to monitor in their

environment

-RESPIRATION- Exchange of oxygen and excretion of carbon dioxide into the skin of
amphibians
- these species lack keratination to promte water diffusion