Name: Edralin, Rio Geline A.

Section: BI6A
AZO 3204 – Comparative Anatomy of Vertebrates - Laboratory
LABORATORY ACTIVITY: Chordate Classification
1. Create a cladogram using the following hypothetical taxa (each drawing represents a
taxon). The following are the evolutionary characters: (20 pts)

A = elongation of the head

B = blue eyes
C = presence of hair
D = wide mouth
E = presence of nose
F = presence of ear

B&C C&F

D&E

2. What are the five kingdoms distinguished by Whitakker? What are conflicts of this 5-
kingdom classification in recent systematics? (10 pts)

The five kingdoms distinguished by Whittaker are Monera, Protista, Fungi,

Plantae, and Animalia. However, the five-kingdom system of classification for living
organism is complicated by the discovery of archaebacteria. Lipids of archaebacteria cell
membranes differ considerably from those of both eukaryotic and prokaryotic cells as
well as the composition of their cell walls and sequence of their ribosomal RNA subunits.
Aside from these, recent studies have shown that RNA polymerases of archaebacteria
resemble those of eukaryotic enzymes and not the eubacterial RNA polymerase. Hence,
the rise of the six kingdoms wherein kingdom Monera is divided into Archaebacteria and
Eubacteria.

Reference:

Chapter 2 Biological Classification. (2015). Retrieved from:

https://ncert.nic.in/ncerts/l/kebo102.pdf

3. Given your knowledge of human anatomy, what characters unique to the chordates
present in humans? How have they been modified? (10 pts)

In chordates, four common features appear at some point during development: a

notochord, a dorsal hollow nerve cord, pharyngeal slits, and a post-anal tail. The
notochord, however, is replaced by the vertebral column (spine) in most adult
 vertebrates. In adult humans, the remnants of the notochord form the central region
(nucleus pulposus) of the intervertebral disks between our vertebrae. Dorsal hollow
nereve cord the neural tube develops into the brain and spinal cord, which together
comprise the central nervous system (CNS). In humans, pharyngeal slits with their
accompanying tissues are important in the organization of blood vessels, cartilages,
glands, and bones in the mouth, throat, and upper chest regions. In humans and other
great apes, the post-anal tail is reduced to a vestigial coccyx/ tail bone that aids in balance
during sitting.
Reference:
Boundless. (2020). Characteristics of Chordata. Biology LibreText. Retrieved from:
https://bio.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Introductory_and_General_Biology/Book%3A_
General_Biology_(Boundless)/29%3A_Vertebrates/29.1%3A_Chordates/29.1A%3A_Ch
aracteristics_of_Chordata
4. With so many anatomical features in common, why are the hagfish and the lamprey
placed in such distant taxa? (10 pts)

In the past, hagfishes and lampreys were sometimes recognized as separate

clades within the Agnatha, primarily because lampreys were regarded as true
vertebrates, whereas hagfishes were not. The class Petromyzontida includes
approximately 40 species of lampreys, which are superficially similar to hagfishes in size
and shape. However, lampreys possess extrinsic eye muscles, at least two semicircular
canals, and a true cerebellum, as well as simple vertebral elements. Recent molecular
data, both from rRNA and mtDNA, as well as embryological data, provide strong support
for the hypothesis that living agnathans—previously called cyclostomes—are
monophyletic, and thus share recent common ancestry. Analysis of microRNA sequences,
reexamination of morphological datasets, and recent morphological analyses of hagfish
suggest that hagfish and lampreys are sister groups.

References:

Fishes. (2007). Jawless Fish: Superclass Agnatha. Retrieved from:

https://louis.oercommons.org/courseware/module/747/student/?task=2

Jawless Fishes. Lumen Learning. Retrieved from:

https://courses.lumenlearning.com/wm-biology2/chapter/jawless-fishes/