Palaeos:		Contents
Vertebrates		Contents

Tarbosaurus at the Naturkundemuseum (Natural History Museum), Münster, Germany. Wikimedia Commons, photo by Thomas Ihle, 2004

Vertebrates: Contents

Part 1: Alphabetical Listings

A. Glossary of terms and abbreviations.

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

B. Taxon Index: alphabetical list of taxa.

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

C. References: literature citations by author.

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Part 2: Phylogenetic Listings

A. Dendrograms ("Cladograms")

B. Descriptions

Units marked with an asterisk are placeholders and contain little material. These units will be expanded in de course.

The numbers at the left refer to the numeration used in the old Palaeos com. Some of the previous units have been subdivided, while several have been merged, and some new units for small eccentric taxa added, reflecting the phylogenetic uncertianty regarding the group in question. Note that the old numbering doesn't necessarily follow the current phylogenetic sequence. MAK111021

10: Chordata: tunicates, amphioxus, Haikouella
20: Vertebrata: the ancestors of vertebrates, the first vertebrates, primitive survivors like hagfish and and lampreys  (Craniata in the old Palaeos)
30: Conodonta: the conodonts
20: Anaspida*: not to be confused with anapsida, these were early jawless vertebrates
40: Pteraspidomorphi: the other vertebrate lineage
50: Thelodonti: theolodonts
50: Cephalaspidomorphi: galeaspids and osteostracans, the "ostracoderms" with their elaborate headshields
60: Gnathostomata: vertebrates with jaws and paired fins (or limbs in the case of land animals)
60: Placodermi*: placoderms, a diverse group of early armoured fish
90: Acanthodii*: "spiny sharks", the common ancestors of all recent fish
70: Chondrichthyes: early sharks and living holocephalians
80: Neoselachii: living sharks,skates & rays
90: Osteichthyes: bony fish
90: Actinopterygii: ancestral "ray-finned" fish; Cheirolepis, bichirs, sturgeons
100: Neopterygii: gars, Amia 
110: Teleostei*: the first "advanced" fishes
120: Euteleostei*: carp,catfish, salmon, pike, deep benthic fish
130: Acanthomorpha*: tuna, bass, flounder, cod, and cichlids, among many others
140: Sarcopterygii: lobe-finned fish
150: Tetrapoda: the transition to land, the first amphibians
160: Temnospondyli: the temnospondyls, an important group of Paleozoic and early Mesozoic amphibains
170: Lepospondyli*: small Paleozoic amphibians
180: Lissamphibia*: living amphibians 
190: Reptiliomorpha: anthracosauroids, embolomeres, seymouriamorphs, amphibians on the way to reptiles
190: Amniota: evolution invents the amniote egg; the first reptiles. Also groups like the diadectids who may or may not have beem reptiles (laid amniote eggs).
210: Eureptilia: previously known as Captorhinomorphs, these are the earliest and most primitive reptiles
200: Anapsida: bolosaurs, mesosaurs, pareiasaurs, and other exotic early types
200: Chelonii: turtles and their relatives, who may be anapsids or, according to recent theories, lepidosauromorphs or archosaurs (we've got them with the anapsids for now). 
210: Diapsida: Early diapsids, previously known as Eosuchians, an important stem group, also various oddball groups who have been placed here because we don't know where else to put them
210: Ichthyosauria: the ichthyosaurs or "fish lizards", a successful group of mesozoic marine reptiles
220: Sauropterygia: plesiosaurs and related marine reptiles
270: Choristodera*: a specialised lizard and crocodile like group, previously included with the "Eosuchians"
220: Lepidosauromorpha: the archosaurs' unassuming cousins
230: Sphenodontia (Rhynchocephalia): Sphenodon and relatives
240: Squamata: iguanas, agamids and chameleons (previously separate units 250 Scleroglossa (skinks, gekkos,varanids and other derived lizards) and 260 Pythonomorpha (mosasaurs and snakes) are now included here)
270: Archosauromorpha: rhynchosaurs, trilophosaurs, and other early types
270: Archosauria: poposurs, rauisuchids, phytosaurs, and friends, the "thecodonts"
290: Crocodylomorpha: crocodiles and their ancestors
300: Pterosauria*: pterodactyls
310: Dinosauromorpha*: the ancestors of the dinosaurs
310: Dinosauria*: the first dinosaurs (for other dinosaurs see the following units)
320: Ornithischia: stegosaurs, ankylosaurs, hadrosaurs and Triceratops, a very specialised group that are only included first because their cousins the more generalised or primitive theropods evolved into birds.
330: Sauropodomorpha: sauropods, diplodocii, brachiosauri, and co, the giants among giants
340: Theropoda: carnivorous dinosaurs, from little Coelophysis to mighty T. rex
340: Maniraptora*: agile, mostly small, carnivorous dinosaurs with feathers and grasping forelimbs, ground dwellers, tree-climbers, gliders and fliers, include the first birds
350: Aves: early birds
350: Palaeognathae: flightless ratites and their ancestors
360: Galloanserae: chickens, ducks (possible parent of charadriomorphs)
365: Charadriomorpha: cranes, vultures, flamingos and shore birds (this and the following unit needs revising in the light of the Neoaves hypothesis)
370 Gruimorpha: grebes, hawks, owls & coockoos
380: Passeriformes*: song birds
390: Synapsida: the pelycosaurs, e.g. Dimetrodon
400: Therapsida: the mamal-like reptiles: Biarmosuchids, Dinocephalians, Dicynodonts, Gorgonopsians & Therocephalians
410: Cynodontia: cynognaths, tritylodonts, tritylodonts and other furry things that weren't mammals but were on the road to them
420: Mammaliformes: Morganucodon, Hadrocodium, and kuehneotheriids, also multituberculates (which are like rodents but much more primitive)
430: Mammalia: Monotremes and Mesozoic mammals
440: Metatheria*: marsupials
450: Eutheria: basal placental mammals
450: Xenarthra*: sloths, anteaters, armadillos, and glyptodonts
460: Insectivora: shrews, hedgehogs, tenerecs, etc.
530: Afrotheria*: a diverse group who originated in Africa
530: Proboscidea:*: elephants and their prehistoric relatives the mastodons and mammoths
510: Meridiungulata: the South American ungulates, who may or may not constitute a natural group
510: Boreoeutheria: another major mammal group, included here are a number of oddball groups of uncertain relationship. Also, uintatheres, zhelestids, mesonychians (formerly under Ungulatomorpha)
490: Chiroptera*: bats, previously included with the archonta but in the light of molecular phylogeny now considered a separate group
520: Cetartiodactyla: camels, pigs, deer, and other "even-toed" ungulates. And whales, who just happen to be related.
530: Perissodactyla: horses, tapirs, rhinos, titanotheres and chalicotheres; the "odd-toes" ungulates
500: Ferae*: cats, bears, dogs, seals
470: Anagaloidea: a group of obscure extinct forms of uncertain relationships, may be related to rabbits and rodents
470: Lagomorpha*: rabbits and their ancestors
475: Rodentia*: rodents, the most speciose and succesful group of mammals
480: Archonta: cousins of the primates: tree shrews, plesiadapiformes, colugos, etc
480: Primates*: lemurs, tarsiers, monkeys, apes and hominids (or homina, depending on your preferred terminology)

Part 3: Bones

Bones

The Braincase (Neurocranium)
  The Ethmoid Region
    Ethmoid
  The Occiput
    for paroccipital process, see Opisthotic
  The Otic Region   
    Dermosphenotic
    Mastoid
    Opisthotic
    Prootic
  The Sphenoid Region
    Basisphenoid
    Pleurosphenoid
    Sphenethmoid

The Dermal Bones (Dermatocranium)
  Facial Series
    Internasal
    Premaxilla
    Septomaxilla
  Mandibular Series
    Dentary
    Gular
    Infradentaries (see Surangular)
    Surangular
  Opercular Series
    Opercular
  Orbital Series
    Jugals
  Palatal Series
    Palatines

The Ear
    Incus

Gill Arch Derivatives (Splanchnocranium)
    Epibranchials
    Incus (see Ear: Incus)
    Hypohyal
    Meckel's Cartilage

Teeth   
   Canines
   Molars
   Tooth Implantation

Quick Links to Key Taxa