Tree of Life

Bacteria “stick” (single cell; no nucleus)

Cellular organisms without cell nuclei are
Prokaryotes (”before kernel”)
Prokaryotes
Archaea “old” (single cell; no nucleus)

dinoflagellates “terrible whip” [protozoa]

First
Life-form ciliates [protozoa]
Chromalveolates
brown algae, kelp (Phaeophyceae)

diatoms “cut in two” [algae; plankton]

radiolarians “small sunbeam” [protozoa]

Rhizaria
foraminiferans “hole bearers” [plankton]

green algae (Chlorophyta)

Green mosses (Bryophyta)
Plants
Bryophytes
liverworts (Marchantiophyta)

ferns (Filicophyta)
Embryophytes
cycads (Cycadophyta) [seeds]

Cell Nucleus and conifers (Coniferae) [cones]

Mitochondria Vascular
(Eukarya) rosids
Plants

Plants
“good kernel” (xylem) asterids [most flowers]
Seeds Eudicots
(Spermatophytes) cacti (Cactaceae)

Dicots poppies (Papaveraceae)

Plants
laurels (Lauraceae)

magnolias (Magnolia)
Enclosed Seeds
Angiosperms lilies (Lilium)
“receptacle-seed”
orchids, irises (Asparagales)
Monocots
palms (Palmae)

grasses (Graminae)

red algae (Rhodophyta) [some seaweeds]

amoeba (Amoebazoa)

slime molds (Mycetozoa)

Unikonta fungi [yeasts, molds, mushrooms]

comb jellies (Ctenophora “comb bearer”)

sponges (Hexactinellid, Calcarea)

Opisthokonta
corals, anenomes (Anthozoa)
Cnidaria(radial symmetry)
jellyfish (Scyphozoa)

Animalia spiders (Araneae)

(Metazoa ”beyond Arachnids
animals”) (8 legs) mites, ticks (Acarina)
Eat other organisms
scorpions (Scorpiones)

horseshoe crabs (Xiphosura)

Trilobites (extinct) “three lobed”
External barnacles (Cirripedia “curl footed”)
Skeleton
copepods, krill
Crustaceans
crabs, lobster, shrimp (Decapods “ten footed”)

millipedes, centipedes (Myriapoda “many feet”)

Organs

Arthropods
(Eumetazoa “good dragonflies (Odonata)
animals”)
cockroaches (Blattodea)
Insects
Arthropods (6 legs)
termites (Isoptera “equal wing”)
(”joint-foot”)
grasshoppers (Orthoptera “straight wing”)

true bugs, cicada, aphid (Hemiptera “half wing”)

beetles (Coleoptera “sheath wing”)

ants, bees, wasps (Hymenoptera “membrane wing”)

First opening
fleas (Siphonaptera)
in cell cluster
becomes mouth
flies (Diptera “two wing”)
(Protostomes)
butterflies, moths (Lepidoptera “scale wing”)

roundworms (Nematoda “thread like”)

flatworms (Platyhelminthies ”flat-worm”)

earthworms, leeches (Annelids “little ring”)

clams (Bivalvia “two door”)

Molluscs
Bilateral symetry squid, octopus (Cephalopods “head foot”)
(not radial)
snails (Gastropods “stomach foot”)

sea cucumbers (Holothurians)

sea urchins (Echinoids “spiny”)

Echinoderms “spiny skin”
starfish (Asteroidea “star-like”)
Second opening
in cell cluster sea squirts; tunicates (Urochordates)
becomes mouth
(Deuterostomes) lancelets (Cephalochordata)

Gill slits and hagfish ( Myxinoids)

notochord
(Chordata) lampreys (Petromyzontids)
Vertebrates sharks, rays (Chondrichthyes “cartilage fish”)

perches, silversides (Percomorphs)

Fish

salmon, smelts (Protacanthopterygii)

Jaws
minnows, catfish (Ostariophysans)
(Gnathostomes)
Ray-Finned Fish (Actinopterygii)
eels, morays (Elopomorphs)

coelacanths
Bony
Skeleton lungfish (Dipnoi “two breath”)

frogs (Anura ”no tail”)

Amphibians
.
salamanders, newts (Urodela ”tail visible”)
Lungs turtles, tortises (Testudines)

snakes (Serpentes)
Reptilia
and Birds
Reptiles

Four-legged lizards (Lacertilia)

(Tetrapods)
Sauria iguanas, chameleons (Iguania)

crocodiles, alligators (Crocodilia)

Aves chickens, ducks (Galloanserae)

Amniotic
Egg Dinosauria birds, penguins
Egg-laying
platypus, echidna (Monotremata “single hole”)

Meta- kangaroos, opossums (Marsupials “pouch”)

theria
Mammals

Synapsida rats, mice, hamsters (Rodentia)

Mammalia
humans, apes, gorillas (Primates “first”)

bats (Chiroptera “hand wing”)

Theria
whales, dolphins (Cetacea “whale”)
Eutheria
(Placenta) pigs, cows, goats, sheep (even-toed Ungulates)

horses, rhinoceros, tapirs (odd-toed Ungulates)

dogs, cats, seals (Carnivora “flesh devour”)

Carboniferous

Cretaceous
Proterozoic

Ordovician

This diagram is a cladogram, a tree-like picture showing how organisms are related. Each sub-tree in a cladogram is called
Cambrian

Devonian

Cenozoic
Archean

Permian

Jurassic
Hadean

Triassic

a clade, such as mammals, animals, amphibians. Most branches in a cladogram should split into two sub-trees, but for
Silurian

simplicity this picture has some branches that split into three. Extinct species are represented as dead-end branches. This
cladogram is a high-level overview and does not show individual species. Each clade is defined by a distinguishing V3.8
characteristic that sets it apart from neighboring clades. For example, tetrapods have 4 legs. Sometimes that characteristic copyright
4.6 3.8 2.5 542 488 443 416 359 299 251 199 145 65 disappears in later organisms, for example: snakes are in the tetrapod clade, but no longer have legs. Some well-known Neal Olander
groups of organisms are not clades - including reptiles, protists, fish, invertebrates, sponges, and prokaryotes - because they tellapallet.com
BYA BYA BYA MYA MYA MYA MYA MYA MYA MYA MYA MYA MYA do not include all descendents of the most recent common ancestor.