Vertebrates:
Amphibians, Reptiles, Aves and
Mammals
By
Dr. Nnamdi H. AMAEZE
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Class Amphibians
• Amphibians include frogs, toads, newts,
salamanders and cecilians.
They are vertebrates which evolved in the Devonian
period (abt. 400 mya).
They are the earliest tetrapods – animals wt 4 limbs
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• They are the only taxa of living vertebrates that
show a transition from water to land in both
phylogeny and ontogeny.
The Changes they face on land include:
Oxygen Content- 20 times more abundant on
land
Density- air is 1000x less dense than water
Thermal Regulation - water temp. Is always
stable
Habitat Diversity – terres. habitat is diverse but
more hazardous
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• In order to adapt to life on land, amphibians hv.
to dev.:
• Air filled Cavity (Lungs)
• Paired Internal Nares (Nostril)
• Evolution of Paired Limbs (Tretrapedal)
• Double Circulatory System (Systemic &
Pulmunary)
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Amphibian Characteristics
• Ossified/ Bony skeleton –
• 3 chambered heart – 2 auricles & 1 ventricle
• Smooth, moist and glandular skin
• Colour producing cells- chromatophores
• Chromatophore:
– Xanthophores (red, yellow & ornage)
– Iridophores (silvery reflecting pigment)
– Melanophores ( black/brown melanin)
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Amphibian Characteristics
• Respiration:
Cutaneous
Gills
Pulmunary
Bucopharnygeal
• Ectotherms- cannot survive in polar regions & deserts
Sexes are separate
• Fertilization may be external or internal (in Sals and
Cecilians)
• Mesonephric/ Opistonephric kidney and Nitrogenous waste
is urea
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Amphibian Characteristics
• Feeding- carnivores, omnivores & herbivores
( tadpoles)
• Some have webbed hind limbs.
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Cecilians
• Elongate limbless, burrowing creatures
• Eyes are small, some are blind.
• Dermal scales
• They are viviparous and the embryo feeds on
the walls of the uterus
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Urodela/caudata
• Common in temperate regions of the world
• Lack scales
• Limbs set at approx. Right angles.
• Some exhibit paedomorphosis (larval xter in
adults)
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Anura/ Salientia
• Salientia means leaping
• Head and trunck are fused, no neck
• Have a squat posture
• No scale, toads have warty skin.
• Lack tail as adults except Ascapus sp.
• The largest anuran is the West African
Conraua goliath
• The smallest frog are Eleuthrodactyla iberia
and Psyllophyrene didactyla
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Transition to Life on land
• Chaotic and Hazardous- unstable temp,
seasonality of rainfall, drought etc.
• In order to survive on land and explore greater
resources, the earliest vertebrates needed to
develop adaptive measures to minimize
dependence on water.
• This included among others, the Amniotic egg
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Amniotic egg
• Eggs housed within 4 extra embryonic
membranes, Viz:
• Amnion- cushions the embryo & provides
aqeuous medium for growth
• Allantois - gaseoud exchange
• Chorion
• Yolk sac – contains amniotic fluid which bears
the embryo
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Class Reptilia
(Snakes, Lizards, Turtles, Tortoise,
Terrapins, Crocodiles, Alligators, Gavials)
Well adapted to life on land:
• Thick waterproof skin
• Scaly skin, Keratinized scutes in Crocodiles and
Aligators
• Amniotic eggs
• Uric acid waste ( dry crysterline)
• Efficient, well partitioned cir. system
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• Double cir. System - with 3 chambered heart
in all but Archaeosuarians ( Crocodiles) wch
have 4 chambers.
• 2 paired limbs adapted for climbing, running,
crawling or paddling
• Clawed digits
• Ectothermic
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Classification
(Based on fenestration- cranial openings)
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Order Squamata
(95% of extant reptiles)
• Sub-Order Serpentes (Snakes)
• Sub-Order Larcetilia
Family Gekonidae (Gekos)
Family Iguanidae (Iguanas)
Family Scincidae (Skinks)
Family Varanidae ( Monitor Lizards)
Family Chamelidae ( Chameleons)
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What happened about 147 mya?
• A flying ancestral bird drowned in the bottom
of a lagoon in Bavaria, Germany and was
latter covered by find silt leading to its
fossilization.
• In 1861, limestone quarry workers discovered
it.
• It had features of both Aves and Reptiles
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Archaeopteryx lithographica
(Ancient wing inscribed in stone -Gr)
Reptile Xtics Ave Xtics
Reptile skeleton ( long tail,
clawed digits, abdominal Unmistakable imprints of
ribds) feather
Beak-like jaw with small
bony teeth
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Class Aves
“Glorified Reptiles” – Sir Thomas Henry Huxley
He classified Aves among Theropod Dianosurs
Key Characteristic- Feather
o All have 4 chambered heart
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Characteristics of Aves
• Forelimbs modified as wings
• Hind limbs adapted for perching, walking or swimming
• Epidermal covering of feathers, scaly legs
• Skull with beak and no teeth
• Endothermic
• No bladder, metanephric kidney- uric acid waste (semi-
solid)
• Pneumatic/Hollow bones
• Oviparous- large yolky egg
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Feathers
• Feathers are not wings.
• Contour- for flight, outward shape of birds
• Down- soft tufts of feather for conserving heat
• Filoplume- hairlike degenerte feathers, Function?
• Powder Down – releases talcklike powder for
water proof & metallic luster.
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Wings
• Feathers cover wings and the rest of the body.
• Eliptical- to manoeuvre forests
• High aspect ratio – long distance travel
• Soaring- travel over seas, oceans, open landscape
• High lift- high lift and manoeuvrability
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Classification
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Superorder Paleognatae
(5 Orders)
• Order Struthioformes- Ostriches
• Order Rheiformes – Rheas ( S. America)
• Order Casuariformes – Cassowaries, emu (Aus.)
• Order Dinornithiformes- Kiwi
• Order Tinamiformes- timanous Newzealand
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Superorder Neognathae
(25 Orders)
• Order Anseriformes – Ducks, swans, geese
• Order Galliformes – Quail, turkeys, domestic fowl
• Order Phoenicopteriformes – Flamingos
• Order Columbiformes- Doves, pigeons
• Order Falconiformes – Eagle, hawk, falcons
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Class Mammalia
• The most distinguishing feature- Hair
• Functions of hair:
Concealment
Behavioural signaling
Waterproofing
Bouyancy
Thermal regulation
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Mammalian Characteristics
• Mammary gland – nourishing young
• Vascular placenta – feeding foetus
• 3 sets of middle ear bones
• Specialized teeth and muscular jaw for processing
food
• Glands- sweat, scent, mammary, sebaceous,
endocrine
• Endothermic
• Metanephric kidney - urea
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Classification of Mammals
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Infra Class Eutheria
• Order Insectivora – shrews
• Order Chiropetera- Bats
• Order Primates- Monkeys, Apes, Humans
• Order Largamorpha – Rabbits
• Order Rodentia- Rats, Squirrels
• Order Canivora- Cats, Dogs, Wolves
• Order Proboscidea- Elephants
• Order Cetacea - Whales
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Good Luck
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