K = Kingdom
P = Phylum
C
= Class
O = Order [fish and birds orders all end
in -iformes]
[Note: the single-letter codes included in the table below are
for
identification only,
they should not be given as part of the name]
S = super-
s = sub-
i
= infra-
* = extinct group
Geological periods [square brackets] of earliest appearance in the fossil record
Prokaryota
K Monera
K Protista
Eukaryota
K Fungi
K Plantae
K Animalia
Parazoa
P Porifera
Eumetazoa
Radiata
P Cnidaria
Bilateria
Accoelmata
P Platyhelminthes
Pseudocoelmata
Nematoda
Coelomata
Protostoma
P Mollusca
P Annelida
P Arthropoda
Deuterostomata
P Echinodermata
P Hemichordata
P Chordata [see next section]
P Chordata
[Vendian]
sP Urochordata
sP Cephalochordata
Craniata
O Myxiniformes [? Carboniferous]
sP Vertebrata
[Cambrian] [Website
from U Michigan]
Agnatha
*Ostracodermi [Ordovician]
O Petromyzontiformes [?]
[? -> Carboniferous]
Gnathostomata
[Silurian]
C *Placodermi
[Silurian - Carboniferous]
C Chondrichthyes
[Silurian]
O Squaliformes [Silurian / Devonian]
O Rajiformes [?]
O Chimaeriformes [Devonian]
Teleostomi / Osteichthyes [Icthylogy
Web Resource]
sC Actinopterygii [Silurian]
"Chondrostei" [Devonian]
O Polypteriformes - Polypterus,
bichir
O Acipenseriformes - Polyodon,
paddlefish
"
"
- Acipenser, sturgeon
"Holostei"
O Lepisosteiformes - Lepisosteus, gar
O
Amiaformes
- Amia, bowfin
"Teleostei" [Cretaceous]
ca. 38 "bony fish" orders
Elopomorpha, including
O Anguilliformes - eels
Clupeomorpha, including
O Clupeiformes - herring,
shad,
sardines
Euteleostei, including
Ostariophysi, including
O Cypriniformes - minnows
O Siluriformes - catfish
O Cyprinidontiformes - guppies
O Salmoniformes -
salmon,
trout, pike, smelt
O
Gadiformes
- cod
O
Perciformes
- perch & many others
sC Sarcopterygii [Devonian]
Crossopterygii
Dipnoi [Devonian]
Tetrapoda [Devonian]
sC Lissamphibia [Permian]
O Anura [Triassic]
O Caudata [Jurassic]
O Apoda [? Tertiary]
Amniota
[Carboniferous]
Anapsida
O Chelonia [Permian]
Diapsida
O Rhynchocephalia [Triassic]
SO Lepidosauria [Jurassic]
O Amphisbaenia [?]
O Lacertilia [Jurassic]
O Ophidia [Jurassic]
SO Archosauria [Triassic]
O Crocodilia [Jurassic]
Neornithes [Jurassic] = C Aves
ca. 28 "bird" orders
Synapsida [Permian]
Mammalia [Triassic] [Website
from U Michigan]
sC Prototheria [Triassic]
O Monotremata [?]
sC Theria
iC Metatheria [Jurassic]
O Marsupialia
iC Eutheria [Cretaceous]
ca. 20 "placental" orders
Primata