25.

1 Vertebrate Origins
KEY CONCEPT
All vertebrates share common characteristics.
25.1 Vertebrate Origins
The phylum Chordata contains all vertebrates and some
invertebrates.
• Chordates share four features at some stage of
development.
– notochord
– hollow nerve cord
tail
– pharyngeal slits hollow nerve cord
– tail notochord

pharyngeal slits
25.1 Vertebrate Origins

• Most chordates lose some or all of these characteristics in

adulthood.

tail
hollow nerve cord

notochord

pharyngeal slits
25.1 Vertebrate Origins
All vertebrates share common features.
• An endoskeleton allows vertebrates to grow to large sizes.
– internal
– made of bone or cartilage
25.1 Vertebrate Origins

• An endoskeleton can be divided into four parts.

– braincase (cranium) braincase

– vertebrae
– bones
– gill arches (in fish and
some amphibians)
vertebrae

bones
25.1 Vertebrate Origins

• 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.
25.1 Vertebrate Origins

Agnatha Chondrichthyes Osteichthyes Amphibia Aves Mammalia

cartilaginous fish

amphibians
bony fish
lamprey

mammals
birds
FOUR LIMBS
Four limbs let animals
move from the water to
life on land.

FEATHERS
Feathers insulate birds
JAWS from the cold and allow
Jaws helped vertebrates for flight.
to become successful
predators.
HAIR
Hair helps mammals
VERTEBRAE to maintain constant
Vertebrates have a body temperatures by
segmented backbone. roviding insulation
from the cold.
25.1 Vertebrate Origins
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
25.2 Fish Diversity
KEY CONCEPT
The dominant aquatic vertebrates are fish.
25.2 Fish Diversity
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
25.2 Fish Diversity

• Countercurrent flow is the opposite movement of water

against the flow of blood in the fish’s gills.
25.2 Fish Diversity

• 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

pectoral fin pelvic fin

anal fin
25.2 Fish Diversity
Jaws evolved from gill supports.
• Jaws developed from gill arches located around the
pharynx.

cranium cranium
cranium

mouth gill arches mouth

mouth

• Jaws gave vertebrates a huge advantage as predators.

25.2 Fish Diversity
Only two groups of jawed fish still exist.
• Cartilaginous fish and bony fish are still in existence.

• Cartilaginous fish have skeletons made of cartilage.

25.2 Fish Diversity

• Cartilaginous fish include the Holocephali and

Elasmobranchs.
– Holocephali include ratfish, a small group of deep-sea
fish.
– Elasmobranchs include sharks, rays, and skates.
25.2 Fish Diversity

• All fish have a lateral line system.

– sensory system
– sensitive to small changes in water movement

lateral line
25.2 Fish Diversity

• Bony fish have skeletons made of bone.

– operculum protects a bony fish’s gills
– movements of operculum help bony fish move water
over gills
25.3 A Closer Look at Bony Fish
KEY CONCEPT
Bony fish include ray-finned and lobe-finned fish.
25.3 A Closer Look at Bony Fish
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
25.3 A Closer Look at Bony Fish

• Ray-finned fish have a variety of body plans.

– long torpedo-shaped bodies (barracuda)
25.3 A Closer Look at Bony Fish

• Ray-finned fish have a variety of body plans.

– flattened bodies (plaice)
25.3 A Closer Look at Bony Fish

• Ray-finned fish have a variety of body plans.

– elaborate camouflage (sea dragon)
25.3 A Closer Look at Bony Fish

• A swim bladder helps a fish float higher or lower in the

water.

swim bladder
25.3 A Closer Look at Bony Fish

• 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
25.3 A Closer Look at Bony Fish
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
25.3 A Closer Look at Bony Fish

• Only seven species of lobe-finned fish exist today.

– coelacanths

– lungfish
25.4 Amphibians
KEY CONCEPT
Amphibians evolved from lobe-finned fish.
25.4 Amphibians
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.
25.4 Amphibians

• Vertebrates that lack four limbs evolved from limbed

ancestors.

• Amphibians are animals that can live both on land and in

water.
25.4 Amphibians

• 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
25.4 Amphibians
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
25.4 Amphibians

• Tadpoles are aquatic larvae of frogs.

• During metamorphosis, tadpoles develop into their adult
form.

adult frog

fertilized eggs young frog

tadpoles

• Not all amphibians undergo metamorphosis.

25.4 Amphibians
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.
25.4 Amphibians

• 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.
25.4 Amphibians

• Caecilians are legless, burrowing, tropical amphibians.

• There are 160 species of caecilians.
25.5 Vertebrates on Land
KEY CONCEPT
Reptiles, birds, and mammals are adapted for life on
land.
25.5 Vertebrates on Land
Amniotes can retain moisture.
• An amniote develops inside a thin, tough, membranous sac
as an embryo or fetus.

Amnion Protects
and surrounds
the embryo
25.5 Vertebrates on Land

• Several characteristics help amniotes prevent water loss.

– keratin forms a hydrophobic layer

– larger size of kidneys and intestines increases water

absorption
25.5 Vertebrates on Land
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
25.5 Vertebrates on Land

• Not all amniotes lay eggs.

– reptiles such as garter snakes retain their eggs
– most mammals develop inside the mother’s reproductive
tract
25.5 Vertebrates on Land

• 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