Classifying Animals
3.1
Learning Targets

I can state how living things are classified

I can identify the features of different groups
of vertebrates

I can identify the features of different groups
of invertebrates

I can compare and contrast vertebrates and
invertebrates and list examples of each
Taxonomy
Living things
Animals
Vertebrates
Invertebrates
Did you know?

Biologists have identified more than one
million different kinds of animals in the
world!

More and more animals are being added
to the list every day.
Classifying based on similarities
Biologists classify living things based on their
similarities
 Example: Falcons, sparrows, and geese are all
classified as BIRDS because they have
FEATHERS
 Birds are then further classified by what is
different about them;

◦ Falcons have sharp claws (for catching prey)
◦ Sparrows have toes that can grip (for perching)
◦ Geese have webbed feet (for swimming)
7 levels of Taxonomy
Kingdoms represent the highest level
 More organisms are included in the
kingdom than in any other level
 Each kingdom is then divided into groups
called phyla, the second highest level
 The lowest level of taxonomy is species
 Each species represents a single type of
organism

Taxonomy
KINGDOM
PHYLUM
CLASS
ORDER
FAMILY
GENUS
SPECIES
Scientific Names
Every organism is given a scientific name
 The scientific name consists of two words

◦ The first word is the organisms’ GENUS
◦ The second word is the organisms’ SPECIES
Each organism has a unique and different
scientific name
 Scientific names are in Latin, so biologists
can recognize them around the world


Ex. Felis concolor (Mountain Lion)
Vocabulary
Classify
 Scientific Name

Read pgs. 46-51
 Self-Check questions pg. 51 #1-5
 USE COMLETE SENTENCES!!!

What are Vertebrates?
3.2
Features of Vertebrates

3 Features set vertebrates apart:
◦ Internal skeleton
 Inside the body, made of bone or cartilage
◦ Backbone
 Made up of many small pieces known as vertebra
◦ Skull
 Surrounds and protects the brain
Classes of Vertebrates

Vertebrates are divided into 7 classes
◦
◦
◦
◦
◦
◦
◦
Fish (Type 1)
Fish (Type II)
Fish (Type III)
Amphibians
Reptiles
Birds
Mammals
Fish
Biologists have identified about 24,000
different species of fish
 There are more species of fish than any
other kind of vertebrate
 The fish group is broken up into 3
different types:

◦ Type I
◦ Type II
◦ Type III
Type I: Bony Fish
All fish live in water and breathe with
structures called gills
 Bony fish have scales that overlap (like roof

shingles)
Many bony fish have an organ called a
swim bladder that is filled with gas
 This allows the fish to move up and down
 Examples: Trout, bass, salmon, and tuna

Type II – Cartilage Fish
These fish have skeletons made of hard,
rubber-like material known as cartilage
 They do not have any bones
 They have tiny, tooth-like scales that feel
like sandpaper
 These fish have powerful jaws and rows of
sharp teeth
 Examples: Sharks, rays, and skates

Type III – Jawless Fish
These fish have no jaws or scales
 They also have a skeleton made of
cartilage
 Examples: Lampreys and hagfish

Amphibians
Comes from two Greek words meaning
“double life”
 Spend part of their life in water and part
on land
 Includes about 4,000 species of frogs,
toads, and salamanders
 Go through metamorphosis – a major
change in form (Ex. tadpole to frog)

Amphibians (cont.)
Adult amphibians breathe with lungs or
through their skin
 Their skin is thin and moist
 To keep from drying out, amphibians must
stay near water or damp places
 Amphibian eggs do not have shells, so
they must be laid in water or where the
ground is wet

Reptiles
About 7,000 species of snakes, lizards,
turtles, alligators and crocodiles
 Some live on land, others in water
 Their skin is scaly and watertight
 Most lay soft-shell eggs on land
 All reptiles breathe with lungs
 Dinosaurs were reptiles

Birds
Almost 9,000 species; Most can fly
 Feathers make flight possible by providing
lift and streamlining the body
 Feathers also keep heat in
 Birds also have hollow bones which make
them lightweight
 All birds breathe with lungs, have a horn
shaped beak and lay eggs

Mammals
About 4,400 species that have mammary
glands (bears, elephants, mice, humans)
 About 300 species have young that
develop in a pouch (kangaroo, opossum)
 Two species of mammals lay eggs (duckbilled platypus and the spiny anteater)
 Mammals have hair for warmth, most live
on land and all breathe with lungs

Vocabulary
Vertebrate
 Gill
 Amphibian
 Reptile
 Mammary Gland
 Metamorphosis

Read pgs. 53-56 Self Check Ques #1-5
 USE COMPLETE SENTENCES!!!

What are Invertebrates?
3.3
Invertebrates

Any animal that does not have a backbone

Invertebrates make up about 97% of ALL
animals species
◦
◦
◦
◦
◦
Sponges
Cnidarians
Flatworms
Roundworms
Segmented Worms
Mollusks
Arthropods
Echinoderms
Insects
Sponges
The simplest of all animals
 Their bodies consist of two layers of cells,
without any tissues or organs
 10,000 species; all live in water
 Sponges use pores to strain food particles
out of water passing thru them
 If you use a natural bath sponge, you are
using the skeleton of a dead sponge

Cnidarians
Include jellyfish, sea anemones and corals
 10,000 species; all live in water
 Their bodies have radial symmetry – body
parts are arranged like spokes on a wheel
 They have arm-like tentacles with stinging
cells
 The tentacles capture small prey and push
them into the body to be digested

Flatworms
Flat and thin
 Have bilateral symmetry – where the
right and left halves are the same
 18,000 species
 Most are parasites (live on or in another animal)
 The tapeworm is an example of a
flatworm

Roundworms
Long, round bodies that come to a point
 Bilateral symmetry
 80,000 species; most are not parasites
 May live in soil or water
 About 150 species are parasites and live
in humans (ex. Hookworms)
 Have teeth that attach
to tissue

Segmented Worms
Have a body with many sections
 Can live in soil, freshwater, or ocean
 15,000 species
 Earthworm and leech are examples

Mollusks
More than 112,000 species
 Group 1

◦ Snails and Slugs (Snails have coiled shells)

Group II
◦ Clams, scallops, oysters (Hinged shells)

Group III
◦ Squid and octopuses (Tentacles)
Arthropods
Largest group of invertebrates
 Crustaceans, arachnids, centipedes,
millipedes, and insects
 Bodies are segmented with jointed legs
 Most have antennae (feel, taste, smell)
 External skeletons (supports/protects tissues

inside)

Must shed skeleton – Molting is the
process of shedding the external skeleton
Echinoderms
7,000 species of sea stars, sea urchins,
sand dollars and sea cucumbers
 Radial symmetry
 Use tube feet to move

Vocabulary
Invertebrate
 Radial Symmetry
 Bilateral Symmetry
 Molting

Read pgs. 57-62 Self check ques. Pg. 62
 USE COMPLETE SENTENCES!!
