Classification of Animal Kingdom
“The animal kingdom is classified to understand similarities, differences, and relationships among various species.”
Basis of Classification
- Levels of organization (cellular, tissue, organ, system)
- Body symmetry (asymmetrical, radial, bilateral)
- Coelom (acoelomate, pseudocoelomate, coelomate)
- Germ layers (diploblastic, triploblastic)
- Presence/absence of notochord
Major Phyla of Animal Kingdom
- 1. Porifera: Simple animals, body with pores, e.g., Sponges
- 2. Coelenterata (Cnidaria): Diploblastic, radial symmetry, e.g., Hydra, Jellyfish
- 3. Platyhelminthes: Flatworms, bilateral symmetry, e.g., Tapeworm
- 4. Nematoda: Roundworms, pseudocoelomate, e.g., Ascaris
- 5. Annelida: Segmented worms, true coelom, e.g., Earthworm
- 6. Arthropoda: Jointed legs, exoskeleton, e.g., Insects, Spiders
- 7. Mollusca: Soft-bodied, shell, e.g., Snail, Octopus
- 8. Echinodermata: Radial symmetry in adults, e.g., Starfish
- 9. Chordata: Presence of notochord, includes vertebrates
Vertebrates (Subphylum Vertebrata)
- 1. Pisces: Fishes (bony and cartilaginous)
- 2. Amphibia: Live both on land and water, e.g., Frog
- 3. Reptilia: Dry-scaled skin, cold-blooded, e.g., Lizard, Snake
- 4. Aves: Birds, feathers, warm-blooded, e.g., Pigeon, Crow
- 5. Mammalia: Hair, mammary glands, e.g., Human, Cow