LIFE AND ROLE OF PRIMITIVE VERTEBRATE

The Guide Lecture:

Dr. Safrida, S. Pd., M. Si.

Arranged By :

Group 2

Gina Anggriana (1706103010026)

Riska Fitriani (1706103010003)
Szaza Aisyah Rizky Zulkarnain (170610301046)

BIOLOGY EDUCATION STUDY PROGRAM

FACULTY OF TEACHER TRAINING AND EDUCATION
SYIAH KUALA UNIVERSITY
2018/2019
 PREFACE

Praise be to God who has helped his servant finish this paper with great ease. Without
help she may not be able to complete the author well. The paper is organized in intended to
find out the life and role of primitive vertebrate. In this paper will explain history
characteristics and role of primitive vertebrate. This paper was conducted by taking references
from various source, such as books, mational journals, international journals and other
sources with the purpose that this paper can give knwledge and comprehension to all the
readers.
Authors also thank the teachers / lecturers who have helped helped in the completion
of this paper. Hopefully this paper can provide a broader insight to the reader. Although this
paper has advantages and disadvantages. Authors beg for advice and criticism. Thank you.

Author

Banda Aceh, 08 Marer 2019

 CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION

A. Issue Background

Early in the Cambrian period, some 530 million years ago, during the Cambrian
explosion, which saw the rise in organism diversity , The earliest known vertebrate is believed
to be the Myllokunmingia, Another early vertebrate is Haikouichthys ercaicunensis. The first
vertebrates were the jawless fish. The jawless fish that lived during the Ordovician period all
went extinct by the end of the Devonian period. Yet today there are some species of fish that
lack jaws (such as lampreys, and hagfish). They both have a round mouth and for this reason
are often referred to as cyclostomes. They are the most primitive of the vertebrates. By
"primitive", a biologist means that they are the least changed from the first vertebrates.
Although lacking armor and appendages, this ancient species was closely related to one of the
most successful groups of animals ever to swim, walk, slither, or fly: the vertebrates, which
derive their name from vertebrae, the series of bones that make up the vertebral column, or
backbone. For more than 150 million years, vertebrates were restricted to the oceans, but
about 365 million years ago, the evolution of limbs in one lineage of vertebrates set the stage
for these vertebrates to colonize land. There they diversified into amphibians, reptiles
(including birds), and mammals. There are approximately 52,000 species of vertebrates, a
relatively small number compared to, say, the 1 million insect species on Earth. But what
vertebrates lack in species diversity they make up for in disparity, varying enormously in
characteristics such as body mass. Vertebrates include the heaviest animals ever to walk on
land, plant-eating dinosaurs as massive as 40,000 kg (more than 13 pickup trucks). They also
include the biggest animal ever to exist on Earth, the blue whale, which can exceed a mass of
100,000 kg.
Based on the description above, the writer wants to conduct a paper that contains a
description of the characterictics, evolution history, examples of primitive vertebrates, and the
role of primitive vertebrates. This paper privide more information and comprehension about
the lives of primitive vertebrates.
B. Identification Problems

1. What is the definition of Chordates and Vertebrates ?

2. How was the evolution history of vertebrates ?
3. What is the most primitive vertebrate ?
4. What is the example of primitive vertebrates
5. What is the role of primitive vertebrates?

C. Limitation Of Problems

1. To know the definition of Chordates and Vertebrates

2. To recognise the the evolution history of vertebrates
3. To know the most primitive vertebrate
4. To know the example of primitive vertebrates
5. To know the role of primitive vertebrates
 CHAPTER II
DISCUSSION

A. Definition of Chodates and Vertebrates

What are Chordates?

Chordates refer to an animal phylum that contains a notochord, dorsal central nervous
system, pharyngeal gill slits, and a post-anal tail. Chordates are classified into three subphyla:
Urochordata, Cephalochordata, and Vertebra. Urochordata contains sea squirts and salps that
secrete a tunica to the outside of the body. Cephalochordata contains lancelets.
Chordates are deuterostomes with a bilateral body plan. They are also coelomates. The
notochord of chordates is a stiff, cartilage rod, which extends along the body. The dorsal
nerve tube connects with the peripheral nervous system and acts as the central nervous
system. The pharyngeal gill slits occur just behind the mouth. They serve as a filterfeeding
system in some chordates. The post-anal tail is a muscular tail and extends behind the anus.

What are Vertebrates?

Vertebrates refer to a large group of animals which consist of a backbone, surrounding
the nerve cord. The central nervous system of vertebrates develops a brain, which is lodged in
a brain case called the skull. Vertebrates also contain a notochord on the dorsal side of the gut.
The pharyngeal gill slits connect to the pharynx. Vertebrates also possess a hollow, dorsal
nerve cord. The nerve cord ismenclosed by the vertebral column. Vertebrates contain a closed
circulatory system. The appendages of vertebrates occur in two pairs. Vertebrates contain an
endoskeleton, which is made up of bones or cartilages. The four classes of vertebrates are
Chondrichthyes, Osteichthyes, Amphibia, Reptilia, Aves, and Mammalia. Chondrichthyes
contains marine fish with a cartilaginous endoskeleton. Osteichthyes contains both freshwater
and marine fish with a bony endoskeleton. Amphibians live in both aquatic and terrestrial
habitats. Their respiration occurs through the skin. Reptilia contains animals that are more
adapted to the terrestrial environments. The reptile body is covered with a dry skin. Aves
contains birds with feathers. Most of the birds fly. Wings are a modification of forelimbs. The
most characteristic feature of mammals is the production of milk for the nourishment of
young members. The skin of mammals is covered with hairs.

Similarities Between Chordates and Vertebrates

 Both chordates and vertebrates are deuterostomes.
 Both chordates and vertebrates are bilaterally symmetric coelomates.
 Both chordates and vertebrates consist of a notochord, nerve cord, pharyngeal gill
slits, and a post-anal tail.
 Both chordates and vertebrates consist of a central nervous system.

Difference Between Chordates and Vertebrates

Differentiator Chordates vertebrates

Definition Refer to an animal phylum that Refer to a large group of animals,
contains a notochord and a which concist of a backbone
dorsally situated central
nervous system
Type of chordates Chordates consist of both Vertebrates consist of advanced
primitive and advanced chordates
 chordates
Notochord Possess a notochord at some Possess a notochord as well as a
point of their life brain case
Vertebral column Invertebrate chordates don’t Vertebrates have a vertebral
have a vertebral column column surrounding the nerve
cord.

Skeleton Invertebrate chordates lack a Vertebrates contain a

cartilaginous or bony skeleton. cartilaginous or bony skeleton.

B. Evolution History Of Vertebrates

The Paleozoic era, Early in the Cambrian periode, some 530 million years ago, during
the Cambrian explosion, which saw the rise in organism diversity , The earliest known
vertebrate is believed to be the Myllokunmingia, Another early vertebrate is Haikouichthys
ercaicunensis. these groups had the basic vertebrate body plan: are small, tapered, streamlined
animals showing eyes, a brain, pharyngeal arches a notochord, rudimentary vertebrae, and a
well-defined head and tail. All of these early vertebrates lacked jaws in the common sense and
relied on filter feeding close to the seabed,

The first vertebrates were the jawless fish. These fish-like animals had hard bony
plates that covered their bodies and as their name implies, they did not have jaws.
Additionally, these early fish did not have paired fins. The jawless fish are thought to have
relied on filter feeding to capture their food, and most likely would have sucked water and
debris from the seafloor into their mouth, releasing water and waste out of their gills.

The jawless fish that lived during the Ordovician period all went extinct by the end of
the Devonian period. Yet today there are some species of fish that lack jaws (such as
lampreys, and hagfish). Lampreys and hagfishes are the only jawless vertebrates to survive
today. They both have a round mouth and for this reason are often referred to as cyclostomes.
They are the most primitive of the vertebrates. By "primitive", a biologist means that they are
the least changed from the first vertebrates. Lampreys and hagfish. They diverged early in
vertebrate evolution, before the origin of the hinged jaws that are characteristic of
gnathostome (jawed) vertebrates and before the evolution of paired appendages

About 450 million years ago during the Silurian periode the armored fish evolved
(placodermi). Like their predecessors, they too lacked jaw bones but possessed paired fins.
The armored fish diversified during the Devonian period but declined and fell into extinction
by the end of the Permian period. Available material suggests that ancestors of the sharks and
jawed fish were present along with various lineages of armored jawless fish.

The Devonian periode is sometimes called the "Age of Fishes" where 408 million
years ago, early cartilaginous fish and bony fish were diversifying. Cartilaginous fish, which
include sharks, skates, and rays, evolved during the Devonian period. Cartilaginous fish have
skeletons composed of cartilage, not bone. They also differ from other fish in that they lack
swim bladders and lungs. the cartilaginous fish, are reported to be polymorphic. Although, in
contrast to the bony fish, the cartilaginous fish do not exhibit acute allograft rejection.

About 400 million years ago, the first bony fish appeared during the late Devonian
periode. A bony skeleton could support a larger body. Bony fish diverged into two groups,
one that evolved into modern fish, the other that evolved into lungfish, lobe-finned fish, and
fleshy-finned fish. The fleshy-finned fish gave rise to the amphibians.

The late Devonian also marked the first tetrapods -- vertebrates with true legs that
could walk on land. By about 360 million years ago, in the Mississippian, several groups of
land-dwelling amphibians had appeared. Amphibians were the first vertebrates to venture out
onto land. During the Carboniferous period, amphibians diversified. but they had to return to
water to reproduce. This meant they had to live near bodies of water, producing fish-like eggs
that lacked a hard protective coating and requiring moist environments to keep their skin
damp, amphibians underwent larval phases that were entirely aquatic and only the adult
animals were able to tackle land habitats.

The oldest known amniotes -- close to the ancestry of all reptiles, birds, and mammals
-- appeared in the early Pennsylvanian, about 320 million years ago. Land amniotes continued
to diversify, and by the middle Pennsylvanian had split into several taxa, two of which would
go on to dominate the Mesozoic and Cenozoic: the diapsids and the synapsids.

The first reptiles evolved from an amphibian ancestor at least 300 million years ago.
They laid amniotic eggs and had internal fertilization. They were the first vertebrates that no
longer had to return to water to reproduce. They could live just about anywhere. Reptiles
arose during the Carboniferous periode and quickly took over as the dominant vertebrate of
the land. Reptiles freed themselves from aquatic habitats where amphibians had not. Reptiles
developed hard-shelled eggs that could be laid on dry land. They had dry skin made of scales
that served as protection and helped retain moisture. Reptiles developed larger and more
powerful legs than those of amphibians. The placement of the reptilian legs beneath the body
(instead of at the side as in amphibians) enabled them greater mobility.

The Mesozoic era about 252 to 65 million years ago are the age of reptile, dinosaurus
and also marked the first mammals and birds. Early in the Triassic periode about 250 million
years ago the first dinosaurus appeared, and being high diversified in Jurassic periode,
jurassic periode also known as the “age of dinosaurus” because dinosaurus were the
dominany species for much of this periode. But in the cretaceous periode about 145 million
years ago is the Extinction era of Dinosaurus due to extreme climate changes, and triggered
by giant meteor, volcano activity, and othe various reason.

The demise of the non-avian dinosaurs (that later evolved to be birds) at the end of the
Cretaceous allowed for the expansion of mammals, which had evolved from the therapsids, a
group of synapsid amniotes, during the late Triassic Period. Mammals and birds both evolved
from reptile-like ancestors. The first mammals appeared about 200 million years ago and the
earliest birds about 150 million years ago. Sometime during the early Jurassic, two groups of
reptiles gained the ability to fly and one of these groups later gave rise to the birds. Birds
developed a range of adaptations that enabled flight such as feathers, hollow bones, and
warm-bloodedness. Mammals, like birds, evolved from a reptilian ancestor. Mammals
developed a four-chambered heart, hair covering, and most do not lay eggs and instead give
birth to live young (the exception is the monotremes).

The evolution of paired appendages All living gnathostomes (excluding lineages in

which secondary loss has occurred, such as snakes and eels) have paired pelvic and pectoral
appendages. These form fins in cartilaginous and bony fish, and are modified into limbs in
tetrapods.

After mesozoic era, The Cenozoic era, world has seen great diversification of bony
fishes, amphibian, reptile, birds and mammals. Over half of all living vertebrate species
(about 32,000 species) are fish (non-tetrapod craniates), a diverse set of lineages that inhabit
all the world's aquatic ecosystems, from snow minnows (Cypriniformes) in Himalayan lakes
at elevations over 4,600 metres (15,100 feet) to flatfishes (order Pleuronectiformes) in the
Challenger Deep, the deepest ocean trench at about 11,000 metres (36,000 feet). Fishes of
myriad varieties are the main predators in most of the world's water bodies, both freshwater
and marine. The rest of the vertebrate species are tetrapods, a single lineage that includes
amphibians (with roughly 7,000 species); mammals (with approximately 5,500 species); and
reptiles and birds (with about 20,000 species divided evenly between the two classes).
Tetrapods comprise the dominant megafauna of most terrestrial environments and also
include many partially or fully aquatic groups (e.g., sea snakes, penguins, cetaceans).

Image 1. Vertebrate evolution during Earth era

image 2. Development of vertebrates

Other ways of classifying the vertebrates have been devised, particularly with
emphasis on the phylogeny of early amphibians and reptiles. An example based on Janvier
(1981, 1997), Shu et 2003), and Benton (2004)[32] is given here:

 Subphylum Vertebrata
 Palaeospondylus
 Superclass Agnatha or Cephalaspidomorphi (lampreys and other jawless fishes)
 Infraphylum Gnathostomata (vertebrates with jaws)
 Class †Placodermi (extinct armoured fishes)
 Class Chondrichthyes (cartilaginous fishes)
 Class †Acanthodii (extinct spiny "sharks")
 Superclass Osteichthyes (bony vertebrates)
 Class Actinopterygii (ray-finned bony fishes)
 Class Sarcopterygii (lobe-finned fishes, including the tetrapods)
 Class Amphibia (amphibians, some ancestral to the amniotes)- now a
paraphyletic group
 Class Synapsida (mammals and the extinct mammal-like reptiles)
 Class Sauropsida (reptiles and birds)
C. Most Primitive Vertebrates : Agnatha
Agnatha comes from the word a = no, gnatho = jaw. As the name implies, agnatha
does not have a jaw. The agnatha member fishes are not jawed and there are no pairs of fins.
Among the most primitive vertebrates in evolutionary history are the agnathans, which
include the living hagfish and lampreys. the oldest fossils of the hagfish was found in
pennsylvania and dates back to around 300 My, however, agnathans are believed to have
evolved over 450 My. living agnathans lack defining characteristics seen in other vertebrates,
such as the absence of a calcified jaw as well as only a partly calcified skull with a
cartilaginous vertebral column.
living agnathans have a circulatory system which consist of the main 'systemic (or
brachial)' heart and three accessory hearts. the 'portal' heart is used to pump blood from the
head to the intestines to the liver, the 'cardinal' hearts pumps blood from the head to the body
and 'caudal' heart pumps blood from the trunk and kidneys to the rest of the body. The
circulatory system is similar to that of a worm and shares with it both open and closed blood
vessels. In comparison with other vertebrates, agnathans also have a different sinus venosus
(SV), which makes studying the agnathan circulatory system essential

Image 1. Agnatha
Characteristics of agnathans
1. Does not have a jaw.
2. Has a notokorda with a framework consisting of cartilage.
3. Has gill slits.
4. They are the most primitive fish.
5. It has a pair of eyes, its body extends in a cylindrical shape, its tail is flat, the skin is
slippery without scales and is equipped with mucous glands (mucus).
6. The dorsal middle fins are supported by cartilaginous fin bones.
7. The ventral mouth is anterior and is a sucking mouth that has a tentacle on the edge.
8. The nose bag is in the middle of the top and the number is only one.
9. Head skull and gill arch (Viceral) consist of cartilage and notocord still found / equipped by
Archus neuralis which is not perfect.
10. The heart consists of 2 spaces (foyer & cubicle).
11. Having red blood that is round and nucleated and has white blood grains.
12. The gills consist of 6-14 pairs on the side of the pocket-shaped Pharynx.
13. A pair of kidneys empties into Papilurogenitalis.
14. Non-fixed body temperature (Poililermerm).
15. Fertilization occurs outside the body, fertilized eggs hatch into larvae and some become
direct animals (children).
16. The brain develops well, with 8 or 10 Cranial nerve pairs, having a hearing aid with 1 or 2
semicircular channels.
17. Has a smell Indra

Classification of Agnatha
Agnatha's classification is divided into two living groups, namely Myxine (Hagfish) and
Petromyzone (Lamprey).

A. Hagfish
Hagfish "circular mouth animal" is a cold-blooded animal with a circular mouth, teeth of
horny substance, has a tongue and skin is not scaly. Food digestion in the form of a straight
pipe, has an anus, without cloaca.
Hagfish has the following characteristics:
1. About 20 known species.
2. Modern hagfish all live in the sea, live on the bottom of the water and usually dig holes.
3. Similar to eels or worms, do not have paired fins, only have a kind of tail fin.
4. Don't have scales.
5. The maximum length is around 2.6 ft.
6. Having horn teeth on his tongue that are useful for gripping his prey.
7. Hagfish eats dead fish or carcasses.
8. Hagfish can enter its prey and eat its prey from the inside.
9. The glands in the hagfish produce a lot of mucus to defend themselves from enemy attacks.
10. There are tentacles around the mouth.
11. The eggs hatch directly resemble an adult animal
12. For example: Myxin glutinosa

Although usually classified in Vertebrate subfilum, hagfish technically do not have

vertebrae, they are sometimes classified in more inclusive groups called craniata instead. The
reproduction of hagfish is still very little known. Not yet known when breeding occurs.
Females produce 20-30 eggs, have yolk, have hooks so they can stick to something on the
seabed or attach to one another.

Image 2. Hagfish
B. Lamprey
Lamprey is one of the primitive fish species, appeared in Devon era 400 million years
ago. This fish does not have a jawbone, has seven pairs of gill holes and the mouth is
equipped with suctorial. Lamprey can attack larger fish, because the lamprey is parasitic to its
prey by attaching and shredding the fish's body, its saliva contains chemicals that are anti-
coagulant substances which keep the wound in the host's body open, so they can continue to
suck the host's blood. Lemprey is found in marine and freshwater environments.
Lamprey has the following characteristics:
1. About 30 known species.
2. Found in marine and freshwater environments.
3. Lamprey only has two dorsal fins.
4. Lamprey breeds in lakes and rivers.
5. Lamprey eats invertebrates or sucks the blood of other fish.
6. The lamprey spit contains an anti-coagulant which keeps the wound in the host's body open
so that they can continue to suck the host's blood.
7. The body can be distinguished from caput (head), truncus (torso) and cauda (tail).
8. Form a cylinder with a flat tail.
9. His body is not covered by scales.
10. There is a bowl in the ventral direction of the head called a buccal funnel whose edges are
equipped with soft papils and inside are horned teeth. The soft papils as a feeling tool.
With the tooth, it allows Lamprey to attach and grind other fish bodies.
11. The gills are inside the muscle pockets, which open out through a series of slits consisting
of 7 small internal clefts associated with a channel that empties into the mouth.
12. A pair of large eyes is on the lateral side.
13. The whole body is covered (wrapped) ephitel with mucous glands.

Sea lamprey spend 1–2 years in the ocean parasitizing marine vertebrates before
migrating into freshwaters during the spring to spawn. There they construct nests, spawn, then
die shortly afterwards. Larvae hatch, bury into fine sediments and reside in streams for
generally 6–8 years, but up to 14. Larvae then undergo metamorphosis, a non-feeding period
characterized by a series of physical and physiological changes. The juveniles
(macropthalmia) then migrate to the ocean to begin the parasitic juvenile phase.

Image 3. Lamprey

Hagfish and lamprey (cyclostomes), referred to as agnathans or jawless fish, lack a

hinged jaw, and their skeleton is not mineralized. They are the sole survivors of the agnathan
stage in vertebrate evolution and are the closest extant outgroups to all jawed vertebrates
(gnathostomes). Their immediate nonvertebrate relatives are the Urochrodata (tunicates) and
Cephalochordata (amphioxus). The last common ancestor of hagfish and jawed vertebrates
(cartilaginous fish [chondrichthyes] and the bony fishes [osteichthyes], amphibians, reptiles,
birds, and mammals) was also the last common ancestor of all extant vertebrates. Features
that are shared between hagfish and gnathostomes can be inferred to have already been
present in this ancestral vertebrate.
Freitas et al (2006) took the approach of trying to define the origin of the
molecular circuitry controlling the development of paired appendages. They showed that
features of paired and median fin development, including Hox and Tbx expression, are shared
in the catshark. Lampreys also develop a continuous medial fin, and Freitas et al. (Freitas et
al., 2006) showed that the development of this fin was also marked by Hox and Tbx gene
expression. This suggests that aspects of paired appendage developmental control were co-
opted from the medial fin, which is a primitive feature of chordates.

D. Other Primitive Vertebrate

Primitive Amphibians

1. Salamander
Amphibians (Class Amphibia, Superclass Tetrapoda) evolved significantly during the
Carboniferous period around 350 Mya (Bridgewater, 2012) and show many similarities in
heart structure with lungfish. In a more primitive amphibian such as the lungless salamander
(e.g. Family Plethodontidae, Order Caudata) the atrium is partially separated;
Terrestrial salamander populations are believed to be largely subterranean, with only a
small proportion of the population near the surface and available for capture on a given
sampling occasio. Salamander long-lived, slow to mature, and have relatively low fecundity
(Petranka 1998). They also show susceptibility to a variety of natural and anthroprogenic
perturbations.

Primitive Reptile

1. Dinosaurs

Dinosaurs or in Greek "deinosauros" are vertebrate animals that were dominant in

terrestrial ecosystems for more than 160 million years, from the Old Triassic period (around 230
 million years ago) to the end of the Cretaceous period (around 65 million years ago), when many
of them became extinct in the event of the Tertiary-Cretaceous extinction.

Type spsecies : Marasuchus lilloensis

Small archoucsaur with anterodorsally projected cervical neural spines, marked fossa
ventral to the transverse process in the lat cervical vertebrate and the first doesals, mid caudal
vertebrate twice the length of the anterior caudalis, and broad scapular blade.

Type species :Lewisuchus admixtus romer

Small archosaur with elongated cervical vertebrata, long and narrow spacular blade, small
oval dermal scules on the cervical, and dorsal neural spines.

Primitive Birds

The Early Bird

Birds evolved from theropod dinosaurs during the Jurassic (around 165–150 million years
ago) and their classic small, lightweight, feathered, and winged body plan was pieced together
gradually over tens of millions of years of evolution rather than in one burst of innovation. Early birds
diversified throughout the Jurassic and Cretaceous, becoming capable fliers with supercharged growth
rates, but were decimated at the end-Cretaceous extinction alongside their close dinosaurian relatives.
After the mass extinction, modern birds (members of the avian crown group) explosively diversified,
culminating in more than 10,000 species distributed worldwide today.
 Figure 1. Summary phylogeny (genealogical tree) of birds

What did birds evolve from and where do they fit into the family tree of life? For much of the
19th and 20th centuries these questions were hotly debated. The first hint that birds evolved from
reptiles appeared in 1861, only a few years after Darwin published On the Origin of Species, with the
discovery of an exquisite skeleton of a Late Jurassic (ca. 150 million year old) bird from Germany.
Named Archaeopteryx by British anatomist Richard Owen, this fossil possessed a curious mixture of
classic bird features, such as feathers and wings, but also retained sharp claws on the hands, a long
bony tail, and other reptilian characteristics. Over the next two decades, Thomas Henry Huxley —
Owen’s great rival and Darwin’s most vociferous early supporter — argued that Archaeopteryx bore
remarkable similarities to small dinosaurs like Compsognathus, supporting an evolutionary link
between the groups 8, 9. This idea gained some acceptance, but fell out of favor during the early 20th
century, largely as a result of an influential book by Danish anatomist Gerhard Heilmann. Up until the
1960s most scientists held that birds originated from a nebulous ancestral stock of reptiles called
‘thecodonts’.
 Archaeornithes

The earliest known trace of bird life is the imprint of a single tail feather, discovered in the
Jurassic slate quarries of Bavaria. This unmistakable fragment dates back to the middle of the long
Age of Reptiles, eons before mammals had arisen to become a power upon the earth. In splitting up
the fine-grained lithographic stone of the Solenhofen deposit in Bavaria from which this priceless
feather came, there were found also at different times later two entire skeletons, crushed flat and
embedded in the slate, of the same land of birds that doubtless produced this famous tail feather. From
these slight but convincing remains, the species of this oldest of all known birds, was named
Archaeopteryx lithographica (Figs. 47 and 48). It was about as large as a crow, had lizard-like teeth set
in sockets in the elongate jaws, a long uncentralized bony tail bearing two oblique rows of feathers, a
flat sternum, three fingers with claws terminating each wing instead of one clawless finger as modern
birds have, and feathers. They resembled the small dinosaurs so closely that only the presence of
feathers has prevented them from being placed among the reptiles.

The Archaeornithes, classically Archaeornithes, is an extinct group of the first primitive,

reptile-like birds. It is an evolutionary grade of transitional fossils, the primitive birds halfway between
non avian dinosaur ancestors and the derived modern birds (avian dinosaur).
Fossils of early birds were poorly known until the late 20th century. Of those known, all fell
into either the relatively modernly built birds with fused ribcage and the breastbone extended into a
keel, or the "Urvogels" of the Solnhofen Plattenkalk of late Jurassic age. As the physiological and
anatomical difference between the two was so great, the subclass Archaeornithes was erected for the
latter.
With the unearthing of several well preserved early bird fossils in the last decades of the 20th
century and early 21st century, our knowledge of the evolution of birds has increased dramatically.
The evolution of the modern avian traits such as the compact body, clawless wing and the alula are
now known to appear over successive stages. Today the Archaeornithes are classified into a series of
nested monophyletic groups, and the name is rarely used in modern literature.
According to Romer, the Archaeornithes are characterised by having clawed wings, a reptilian
style ribcage without a large carina and the presence of a long, bony tail. The known members of the
group by the time of its erection were Archaeopteryx and Archaeornis. The two are now thought to
represent a single species, Archaeopteryx lithographica, the Archaeornis being the Berlin specimen of
Archaeopteryx. The Confuciusornithidae and Enantiornithes were found a century after Gradow's
organization of birds into two subclasses. They fall between Romer's description of Archaeornithes
and Neornithes, in that they have clawed wings, but reduced tails with a rod-like pygostyle (as
opposed to the ploughshare-shaped one in modern birds) and the presence of a small carina.
Primitive Mammals

1. Platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus)

The Duck-billed platypus (Ornithorhynchus anatinus) is a semiaquatic egg-

laying mammal endemic to eastern Australia, including Tasmania, this small mammal
belong to order of Monotremata. It lives in eastern Australia. It lives in rivers and on
river banks. Together with the four species of echidna, it is one of the five extant
species of monotremes, the only mammals that lay eggs instead of giving birth to live
young. The other is the Echidna, which has four species. The platypus was first
described in detail in the early 19th century. These mammals are called monotremes
because they have a common rear opening known as the cloaca. Through this opening
faeces and urine are voided (put out), and sexual activity takes place.
This is a primitive ('basal') feature of tetrapods, which monotremes, birds and
reptiles have today. The more 'advanced' ('derived') mammals have the system where
the rear has two openings. The unusual appearance of this egg-laying, duck-billed,
beaver-tailed, otter-footed mammal baffled European naturalists when they first
encountered it, with some considering it an elaborate hoax. It is one of the few species
of venomous mammals: the male platypus has a spur on the hind foot that delivers a
venom capable of causing severe pain to humans. The oldest discovered fossil of the
modern platypus dates back to about 100,000 years ago, during the Quaternary period.
The extinct monotremes Teinolophos and Steropodon were once thought to be closely
related to the modern platypus, Steropodon was the ancestor of modern platypus, live
in mesozoic era. The fossil is thought to be about 110 million years old, making it the
oldest mammal fossil found in Australia.

Image. Platypus Image. Platypus

Image. Model of Steropodon

2. Echidnas (Tachyglossus aculeatus)

Echidnas sometimes known as spiny anteaters, belong to the family

Tachyglossidae in the monotreme order Echidnas are medium-sized, solitary
mammals covered with coarse hair and spines and egg-laying mammals. The four
extant species, together with the platypus, are the only surviving members of the order
Monotremata, and are the only living mammals that lay eggs. The diet of some species
consists of ants and termites, but they are not closely related to the true anteaters of the
Americas. Echidnas live in Australia and New Guinea. Echidnas evolved between 20
and 50 million years ago, descending from a platypus-like monotreme. This ancestor
was aquatic, but echidnas adapted to life on land.

. Image. Echidnas
3. Mamooth

A mammoth is any species of the extinct genus Mammuthus, one of the many
genera that make up the order of trunked mammals called proboscideans. The various
species of mammoth were commonly equipped with long, curved tusks and, in
northern species, a covering of long hair. They lived from the Pliocene epoch (from
around 5 million years ago) into the Holocene at about 4,000 years ago, and various
species existed in Africa, Europe, Asia, and North America. They were members of
the family Elephantidae, which also contains the two genera of modern elephants and
their ancestors.
The oldest representative of Mammuthus, the South African mammoth (M.
subplanifrons), appeared around 5 million years ago during the early Pliocene in what
 is now southern and eastern Africa. Descendant species of these mammoths moved
north and continued to propagate into numerous subsequent species, eventually
covering most of Eurasia before extending into the Americas at least 600,000 years
ago.

(Image of models Mamooth)

3. Ground sloths

Ground sloths are a diverse group of extinct sloths, in the mammalian

superorder Xenarthra. The term is used as a reference for all extinct sloths because of
the large size of the earliest forms discovered, as opposed to existing tree sloths. The
Pilosans of the Caribbean, the most recent survivors, lived in the Antilles, possibly
until 1550 BC. However, radiocarbon dating suggests an age of between 2819 and
2660 BC for the last occurrence of Megalocnus in Cuba. Ground sloths had been
extinct on the mainland of North and South America for 10,000 years or more. Their
later survival in the Caribbean correlates with the later colonization of this area by
humans. Some island populations persisted 5,000–6,000 years longer than their
continental relatives.
 The megatheriid ground sloths are relatives of the megalonychids; these two
families, along with the family Nothrotheriidae, form the infraorder Megatheria.
Megatheriids appeared later in the Oligocene, some 30 million years ago, also in
South America. The group includes the heavily built Megatherium (given its name
'great beast' by Georges Cuvierand Eremotherium. The skeletal structure of these
ground sloths indicates that the animals were massive. Their thick bones and even
thicker joints (especially those on the hind legs) gave their appendages tremendous
power that, combined with their size and fearsome claws, provided a formidable
defense against predators.

Image. Model of Megatheriid

Image. Megatheriid Fosil

E. The Role Of Primitive Vertebrates

1. Studies of cyclostome development can thus help us to understand when,
and how, key aspects of the vertebrate body evolved
2. Studies of cyclostomes have provided important insight into the evolution
of fins, jaws, skeleton and neural crest.
3. Comparisons of model vertebrates and cartilaginous fish have helped to
reveal the likely ground plan for gnathostome appendage development.
 4. Lampreys are not only pivotal species for studying the origin and
evolution of vertebrates, but also the best model for investigating
vertebrate embryonic development and organ differentiation.

CHAPTER III
CLOSING

A. Conclusion

Vertebrates refer to a large group of animals which consist of a backbone, surrounding

the nerve cord. Vertebrates also contain a notochord, the pharyngeal gill slits. The earliest
known vertebrate is believed to be the Myllokunmingia, Another early vertebrate is
Haikouichthys ercaicunensis. The first vertebrates were the jawless fish . They are the most
primitive of the vertebrates. By "primitive", a biologist means that they are the least changed
from the first vertebrates. Although lacking armor and appendages, this ancient species was
closely related to one of the most successful groups of animals ever to swim, walk, slither, or
fly: the vertebrates, which derive their name from vertebrae, the series of bones that make up
the vertebral column, or backbone. The evolution of paired appendages All living
gnathostomes (excluding lineages in which secondary loss has occurred, such as snakes and
eels) have paired pelvic and pectoral appendages. These form fins in cartilaginous and bony
fish, and are modified into limbs in tetrapods. For more than 150 million years, vertebrates
were restricted to the oceans, but about 365 million years ago, the evolution of limbs in one
lineage of vertebrates set the stage for these vertebrates to colonize land. There they
diversified into amphibians, reptiles (including birds), and mammals.
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