1. KEY CONCEPT All vertebrates share common characteristics.

2. The phylum Chordata contains all vertebrates and some invertebrates.
Chordates share four features at some stage of development.
notochord
hollow nerve cord
pharyngeal slits
tail
hollow nerve cord
tail
notochord
pharyngeal slits

3. Most chordates lose some or all of these characteristics in adulthood.
hollow nerve cord
tail
notochord
pharyngeal slits

4. All vertebrates share common features.
An endoskeleton allows vertebrates to grow to large sizes.
internal
made of bone or cartilage

5. An endoskeleton can be divided into four parts.
braincase (cranium)
braincase
vertebrae
bones
gill arches (in fish and some amphibians)
vertebrae
bones

6. There are seven classes of vertebrates.
Agnatha are jawless fish.
Cartilaginous and bony fish are characterized by the presence of jaws.
Amphibians are characterized by the presence of four limbs.
Reptiles, birds, and mammals are characterized by the presence of an amnion.
Birds are characterized by the presence of feathers.
Mammals are characterized by the presence of hair.

7. Agnatha
Chondrichthyes
Osteichthyes
Amphibia
Aves
Mammalia
JAWS
Jaws helped vertebrates to become successful predators.
VERTEBRAE
Vertebrates have a segmented backbone.
FOUR LIMBS
Four limbs let animals move from the water to life on land.
FEATHERS
Feathers insulate birds from the cold and allow for flight.
HAIR
Hair helps mammals to maintain constant body temperatures by roviding insulation from the cold.
lamprey
cartilaginous fish
bony fish
amphibians
birds
mammals

8. Fossil evidence sheds light on the origins of vertebrates.
Tunicates may be the closest relatives to vertebrates.
The first recognizable vertebrates were jawless fish.
Two groups of jawless fish still exist today.
lampreys
hagfish

9. KEY CONCEPT 25.2 The dominant aquatic vertebrates are fish.

10. Fish are vertebrates with gills and paired fins.
Fish use specialized organs called gills to breathe underwater.
sheets of thick, frilly tissue filled with capillaries
take in dissolved oxygen from water, release carbon dioxide
water
flow

11. Countercurrent flow is the opposite movement of water against the flow of blood in the fish’s gills.

12. Fins are surfaces that project from a fish’s body. keep fish stable
redirect water around fish as it swims
help fish maneuver in water
dorsal fin
caudal fin
anal fin
pectoral fin
pelvic fin

13. Jaws evolved from gill supports.
Jaws developed from gill arches located around the pharynx.
cranium
mouth
gill arches
Jaws gave vertebrates a huge advantage as predators.

14. Only two groups of jawed fish still exist.
Cartilaginous fish and bony fish are still in existence.
Cartilaginous fish have skeletons made of cartilage.

15. Cartilaginous fish include the Holocephali and Elasmobranchs.
Holocephali include ratfish, a small group of deep-sea fish.
Elasmobranchs include sharks, rays, and skates.

16. All fish have a lateral line system. sensory system
sensitive to small changes in water movement
lateral line

17. Bony fish have skeletons made of bone.
operculum protects a bony fish’s gills
movements of operculum help bony fish move water over gills

18. KEY CONCEPT 25.3 Bony fish include ray-finned and lobe-finned fish.

19. Ray-finned fish have a fan of bones in their fins.
Ray-finned fish have fins supported by a fan-shaped array of bones.
embedded in a thin layer of skin and connective tissue
light, collapsible, and easy to move

20. Ray-finned fish have a variety of body plans.
long torpedo-shaped bodies (barracuda)

21. Ray-finned fish have a variety of body plans.
flattened bodies (plaice)

22. Ray-finned fish have a variety of body plans.
elaborate camouflage (sea dragon)

23. A swim bladder helps a fish float higher or lower in the water.

24. Some ray-finned fish have both lungs and gills.
can breathe air and survive out of water for several hours at a time
example: bichir found in West Africa

25. Lobe-finned fish have paired rounded fins supported by a single bone.
Lobe-fins are paired pectoral and pelvic fins that are round in shape.
not as maneuverable as ray-fins
able to support weight
lobe fin

26. Only seven species of lobe-finned fish exist today.
coelacanths
lungfish

27. KEY CONCEPT 25.4 Amphibians evolved from lobe-finned fish.

28. Amphibians were the first animals with four limbs.
Tetrapods are vertebrates that have four limbs.
The fossilized remains of Tiktaalik roseae indicate it was a transitional species between fish and tetrapods.

29. Vertebrates that lack four limbs evolved from limbed ancestors.
Amphibians are animals that can live both on land and in water.

30. A number of adaptations allow amphibians to live on land.
large shoulder and hip bones
mobile, muscular tongue
middle ear
breathe through skin or with gills or lungs

31. Amphibians return to the water to reproduce.
Amphibians use many strategies to keep their eggs wet.
lay eggs directly in water
lay eggs on moist ground
wrap eggs in leaves
brood eggs in pockets on the female’s back

32. Tadpoles are aquatic larvae of frogs.
During metamorphosis, tadpoles develop into their adult form.
adult frog
young frog
tadpoles
fertilized eggs
Not all amphibians undergo metamorphosis.

33. Modern amphibians can be divided into three groups.
Salamanders have a long body, four walking limbs, and a tail.
There are over 300 species of salamanders.

34. Frogs are the largest amphibian group and include toads.
There are over 3000 species of frogs.
Glands in the skin of frogs and toads contain poisons that help to protect them from predators.

35. Caecilians are legless, burrowing, tropical amphibians.
There are 160 species of caecilians.

36. KEY CONCEPT 25.5 Reptiles, birds, and mammals are adapted for life on land.

37. Amniotes can retain moisture.
An amniote develops inside a thin, tough, membranous sac as an embryo or fetus.
Amnion Protects and surrounds the embryo

38. Several characteristics help amniotes prevent water loss.
keratin forms a hydrophobic layer
larger size of kidneys and intestines increases water absorption

39. Amniotes do not need to return to water to reproduce.
The amniotic egg is an almost completely waterproof container.
prevents embryo from drying out as it develops
each egg represents a large investment of energy

40. Not all amniotes lay eggs.
reptiles such as garter snakes retain their eggs
most mammals develop inside the mother’s reproductive tract

41. lines the uterine wall and partially envelops the fetus
The placenta is a membranous organ that develops in female mammals during pregnancy.
lines the uterine wall and partially envelops the fetus
carries nutrients from mother to embryo and removes wastes
placenta
umbilical cord
uterus
amniotic sac