Ancestor of Life
(DNA & Ester Bonds)
Peptidoglycan
Bacteria
Histones
Ether Bonds
Archaea
Nucleus
&
Organelles
Eukarya
Primary Plastids
Archaeplastida
Red coloration
Rhodophyta
Green coloration
Viridiplantae
Chlorophyta
Straptophyta
Zygotic Cycle
Charophyta
Braun's stonewort (Chara braunii)
Ancestral Green Alga
&
Origin of Plants
Plantae
Embryophta
Sporic Cycle, Dom-Gametophyte-Gen, Desiccation-resistant, Apical meristems,
Gametangia & Sporangia, Circ. via Diffusion/Osmosis
Bryophyta
(Nonvasculars)
Liverworts
Common Liverwort (Marchantia polymorpha)
Mosses
Woolly Feather Moss (Tomentypnum nitens)
Fan clubmoss (Diphasiastrum digitatum)
Hornworts
Field hornwort (Anthoceros agrestis)
Dom-Sporophyte-Gen, Ligin, Xylem/Phloem, Thick waxy Cuticle & Stomata
Tracheophyta
(Vasculars)
Seedless
Aspermatophyta
Lycophylls
Lycophyta
Megaphylls
Monilophyta
Eastern Marsh Fern (Thelypteris palustris)
Seeded, Pollen, Heterospory,
Wood, Ovules
Spermatophyta
Gymnosperms
Pinophyta
Scots Pine (Pinus sylvestris)
Bald Cypress (Taxodium distichum)
Ginkgophyta
Cycadophyta
Gnetophyta
Fruit, Flowers,
Endosperm, Ovaries
Angiosperms
Southern Magnolia
(Magnolia grandiflora)
White Water Lily (Nymphaea alba)
Secondary Plastids
Feeding Grove
Excavata
Diplomonads
Parabasalids
Euglenozoans
(Euglenoids)
SAR
Common Ancestor
Tripartite flagellar hair
Stramenopiles
Diatoms
Brown Algae
Oomycetes
Membranous vesicles on
cell membrane
&
Tertiary Plastids
Alveolates
Ride-Tide Causing
Dinoflagellates
Apicomplexans
Ciliates
No Plastids
&
Filose Pseudopodia
Rhizarians
Silica Shells
Radiolarians
Calcareous Shells
Forams
Cercozoans
No Plastids
Unikonta
Movement with Pseudopodia
Amoebozoans
Tubulinids
Slime Molds
Entamoebas
Single posterior flagellum
on swimming cells
Opisthokonta
Nuclearlids
Nucleariid
(Nuclearia thermophila)
Multicellularity, Absorptive heterotrophy,
Chitin cell wall, Zygotic Life Cycle
Fungi
Fly Agaric
(Amanita muscaria)
Black Bread Mold
(Rhizopus stolonifer)
Ancestral Protist
Collared
Choanoflagellates
Choanoflagellates
(Desmarella moniliformis)
Multicellularity, Mobility,
Gametic Life Cycle
Animalia
Metazoa
Asym.
Porifera
Giant Barrel Sponge (Xestospongia muta)
True Tissues
Eumetazoa
Bilateral Symmetry,
Triploblasty, Cephalization
Bilateria
Radial, Diploblasty, Cnidocytes,
Gastrovascular Cavity, Gas Exchange via Diffusion
Cnidaria
Dominant Medusa, Motile
Medusozoa
Alt. btw. Polyp & Medusa
Hydrozoa
Pennaria disticha
Jellies
Cup-Shaped
Scyphozoa
Moon Jelly (Aurelia aurita)
Cubed
Cubaozoa
Dominant Polyp, Sessile
Anthozoa
Elkhorn coral (Acropora palmata)
Radial & Indeterminate
Embryotic Cleavage,
Blastropore into Anus
Deuterostomia
Pentaradial Sym.,
Spiny Skin,
Water Vascular System
Echinodermata
Star-Shaped,
Arms radiating from central disk,
Tubed feet
Asteroidea
Giant Sea Star (Pisaster giganteus)
Giant Sea Star (Pisaster giganteus)
Long-Star-Shaped,
Distinct Central Disk,
Lanky arms, Reduced Tubed feet,
Serpentine arm movement
Ophiuroidea
Serpent Star (Ophiura ophiura)
Elongated, w/o spines nor arms,
Highly reduced Exoskeleton,
Can be filter/deposit feeders
Holothuroidea
California sea cucumber (Apostichopus californicus)
No arms,
Well-developed tubed feet & spines, Breath via Tube Feet
Echinoidea
Purple Sea Urchin (Strongylocentrotus purpuratus)
Notochord,
Hollow Dorsal Nerve Cord,
Pharyngeal Slits,
Post-Anal Tail, Nil Chambers,
Single Blood Circulation
Chordata
Cephalochordata
(Lancelets)
Branchiostoma lanceolatum
Urochordata
(Tunicates)
Sea Squirt
(Polycarpa aurata)
Vertebrae, Cranium,
Cartilaginous Skeleton,
2 Chambers
Vertebrates
Agnathans
Myxini
(Hagfishes)
Pacific hagfish
(Eptatretus stoutii)
Petromyzontida
(Lampreys)
Jaws, Mineralized Skeleton
Gnathostomae
Chondrichthyes
(Sharks, Rays, Chimaeras)
Great White Shark
(Carcharodon carcharias)
Lungs or Derivatives,
Bony Skeleton
Osteichthyans
Actinopterygi
(Ray-Finned Fishes)
Blue Tang
(Paracanthurus hepatus)
Lobed Fins
Lobe-Fins
Actinistia
(Coelacanths)
Coelacanth
(Latimeria chalumnae)
Dipnoi
(Lungfishes)
Leopard lungfish
(Protopterus aethiopicus)
Limbs w/ Digits, 3 Chambers,
Double Blood Circulation
Tetrapods
Amphibia
Red Eyed Tree Frog
(Agalychnis callidryas)
Amniotic Egg
Amniotes
3 or 4 Chambers
Reptilia
Lepidosaurs
Green anole
(Anolis carolinensis)
Testudines
(Turtles)
Green Sea Turtle
(Chelonia mydas)
Crocodilia
(Crocs & Allis)
American alligator
(Alligator mississippiensis)
Endothermy
Aves
(Birds)
Roseate spoonbill
(Platalea ajaja)
Milk, Hair, 4 Chambers, Endothermy
Mammalia
American Black Bear
(Ursus americanus)
Spiral & Determinate
Embryonic Cleavage,
Blastropore into Mouth
Protostomia
Lophophore &/or
Trocophore Larvae
Lophotrochozoa
Free-living & Parasites,
Gastrovascular Cavity
Platyhelminthes
Free-living, Scavengers/Predators
Rhabditophora
Parasites,
Complx life-cycle w/ many hosts,
Hooks, No Mouth nor Gastrovascular Cavity
Trematoda
Pork Tapeworm (Taenia solium)
Sheep Liver Fluke (Fasciola hepatica)
Pseudobiceros sp
Shelled, Foot
Mollusca
Hinged Shell,
Filter-Feeders w/ reduced head,
Gills used in Feeding & Gas Exchange
Bivalvia
Soft Shell Clam (Mya arenaria)
Conical/Coiled/No Shell, Glide Foot
Radula
Gastropoda
Golden Apple Snail (Pomacea canaliculata)
Internal or Absent Shell,
Complx Brain w/ well-developed sensory organs,
Closed Circulatory System,
Fast predators via Siphon Jet,
Beaked
Cephalopoda
Humboldt squid (Dosidicus gigas)
Segmented,
Closed Circulatory System
Annelida
Long Setae, Motile Predators
Errantia
Small Setae, Sessile or Reduced Motility
Sedentaria
Common Earthworm (Lumbricus terrestris)
Ecdysis
Ecdysozoa
Pseudocoelom, Mouth & Anus,
Collagen Cuticle
Nematoda
Roundworm (Caenorhabditis elegans)
Hinged Chitinous Exoskeleton
Arthropoda
4 Pairs of Walking Legs,
Chelicera & Pedipalps,
Cephalothrox & Abdomen,
Book Lungs,
No Atennae
Chelicerata
Southern Black Widow (Latrodectus mactans)
6 Legs, Winged,
Diverse Mouths,
3 Body Segments,
Mainly Terrestial,
Gas Exchange via Tracheae
Hexapoda
Monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus)
Antennae, Huge Cephalothorax,
Appendages on Abdomen, Gills
Crustacea
Chesapeake Blue Crab (Callinectes sapidus)