Wildlife Feature

Animal (Vertebrate) Evolution (Phylogenetic tree) - Animals in the Fossil sites, and Biodiversity

Classified animal picture guide. Clicking the Organism name shows the images, and pointing the Organism name shows the tooltip with three links at the left-top corner.
Fishes were born in the Ordovician. Amphibians from fishes in the Devonian. Reptiles from amphibians in the Carboniferous. Mammals from reptiles in the Triassic. Birds from reptiles in the Jurassic. The explanation in brackets is the ages they lived in extinct species. Note that Mya is million years ago. For example, "48.6～40.4 Mya" shows a range between 48.6 and 40.4 million years ago. The time range is shown in the Geological Time Table. The followings are a part of the Evolutionary Tree.
  • Kingdom Animalia
    • Phylum Chordata ⇒ Class Fish
      Primitive chordata Haikouella   (542～513 Mya), Pikaia   (513～501 Mya), Promissum (449～443.7 Mya), Palaeospondylus   (397～385 Mya)
      • Subphylum Vertebra
        • Superclass Agnatha (Oldest fishes, Hagfish, Lamprey) Jawless fish
          • Class Myxini (Hagfish)
            Primitive vertebrata Haikouichthys   (535～520 Mya), Myllokunmingia   (542～516 Mya)
            Jawless fish Arandaspis   (479～460.5 Mya; Oldest fishes), Thelodus   (443.7～409.1 Mya), Drepanaspis   (409.1～391.9 Mya)
        • Infraphylum Gnathostomata (Jawed vertebrates)
          • Class Placodermi (Armoured fish)
            Armoured fish Pterichthyodes   (392～386 Mya), Dunkleosteus   (380–360 Mya; １０m), Bothriolepis   (376.1～359.2 Mya)
          • Class Chondrichthyes (Ray, Shark)
            Cartilaginous fish Cladoselache   (376.1～359.2), Orodus   (302～290 Mya), Edestus   (318.1 to 260.5 Mya), Hybodus   (268.0 to 65.5 Mya; GDying③④)
          • Class Acanthodii (Spiny sharks)
            Spiny shark Climatius   (418.7～412.3 Mya), Ischnacanthus   (421.3～409.1 Mya), Cheiracanthus   (390～380 Mya)
          • Class Sarcopterygii (Four-limbed vertebrate, Coelacanth, Lungfish)
            • Subclass Tetrapodomorpha (Four-limbed vertebrate) ⇒ Class Amphibia
              Lobe-finned fish Osteolepis   (400～380 Mya), Panderichthys   (383.7～376.1 Mya; Amphibia like), Tiktaalik   (383.7～376.1 Mya; Transition fossil), Ventastega   (385.3～374.5 Mya; Amphibia like), Eusthenopteron   (385.3～374.5 Mya)
            • Subclass Coelacnathimorpha (Coelacanth)
              Coelacanth Comorese coelacanth   (410 Mya～; Great Dying②③④⑤), Rhabdoderma   (362～290 Mya; Great Dying②)
            • Subclass Dipnoi (Lungfish)
              Lungfish Dipnorhynchus   (409.1～391.9 Mya), Queensland lungfish   (100 Mya～; Great Dying⑤), South American lungfish   (70.6 Mya～; Great Dying⑤), (African lungfish)   (99.6 Mya～; Great Dying⑤)
          • Class Actinopterygii (Most living fishes)
            Ray-finned fish Cheirolepis   (380.8～367 Mya), Saurichthys   (258～164.7 Mya; Great Dying④), Leedsichthys   (164.7～155.7 Mya; ２８m)
          • Class Amphibia
            Primitive amphibia Elginerpeton   (385.3～374.5 Mya; Primitive tetrapoda), Ichthyostega   (374～359 Mya), Acanthostega   (365 Mya), Tulerpeton   (365 Mya), Pederpes   (353.8～349.5 Mya; Missing-link), Eucritta (345.3～328.3 Mya), Westlothiana   (336～332.9 Mya; Primitive amniotes), Archegosaurus   (297.5～258 Mya)
            • Superorder Reptiliomorpha (Reptile-like amphibia) ⇒ Class Reptile
              Primitive amniota Westlothiana   (336～332.9 Mya; Primitive amniotes), Casineria   (339.4～336 Mya; Primitive amniotes)
          • Class Synapsida (Mammal-like reptiles)
            Mammal-like reptile Archaeothyris   (307.1～305 Mya; Earliest mammal-like reptile), Biarmosuchus   (255 Mya)
            • Division Mammaliaformes (Mammal-shaped) ⇒ Class Mammalia
              Primitive mammal Adelobasileus   (228～216.5 Mya; Earliest mammals), Morganucodon   (203.6～189.6 Mya; Great Dying④), Megazostrodon   (199.6～189.6 Mya; Earliest mammals)
          • Class Sauropsida (Non mammal-like reptiles)
            • Subclass Anapsida (No arch near the temples)
              Primitive reptile Hylonomus   (318.1～313.4 Mya; Earlist reptiles), Mesosaurus   (284～279.5 Mya; Earlist reptiles)
            • Subclass Diapsida (Two arches near the temples)
              • Infraclass Archosauromorpha (Crocodiles, Pterosaurs, Dinosaurs)
                • Clade Crurotarsi (Crocodiles and the relatives)
                  • Order Crocodyliformes (Crocodile's relative)
                    Primitive crocodile Gracilisuchus   (237～228 Mya; Ancestors of crocodiles), Protosuchus   (199.6～196.5 Mya; First crocodile), Sarcosuchus   (145.5～93.5 Mya; １２m)
                • Clade Ornithodira (Pterosaurs, Dinosaurs)
                  • Order Ornithischia (Herbivorous dinosaurs)
                    Primitive dino Eoraptor   (228～216.5 Mya), Pisanosaurus   (216.5～203.6 Mya; Primtive dino), Lesothosaurus   (199.6～189.6 Mya)
                  • Order Saurischia (Dinosaurs) ⇒ Class Aves
                    Predatory dino Protoavis   (216.5～203.6 Mya; Bird's relative), Epidendrosaurus   (167.7～150.8 Mya; Bird's relative)
                    Feathered dino Sinornithosaurus   (125～112 Mya; Bird's relative), Microraptor   (125～112 Mya; Bird's relative), Unenlagia   (89.3～85.8 Mya; Bird's relative), Velociraptor   (85.8～70.6 Mya; Bird's relative)
          • Class Aves
            • Subclass Archaeornithes (Most primitive birds)
              Primitive bird Archaeopteryx   (150.8～145.5 Mya; Transition fossil), Changchengornis (145.5～125 Mya), Eoconfuciusornis (136.4～125 Mya), Confuciusornis   (125～112 Mya)
          • Class Mammalia
            • Subclass Prototheria (First wild animal)
              Monotreme Steropodon   (112～99.6 Mya), Platypus   (5.33 Mya～)
            • Subclass Theria (Wild animal)
              • Infraclass Metatheria (Marsupials)
                Primitive marsupial Sinodelphys   (130～125 Mya), Yalkaparidon (23～16 Mya)
              • Infraclass Eutheria (Placentals; all mammals included except for the above)
                Primitive mammal Eomaia   (130～125 Mya), Cimolestes   (83.5～63.3 Mya), Leptictidium   (48.6～40.4 Mya)
                • Clade Atlantogenata
                  • Group I Afrotheria (Tenrec, Hyrax, Elephant, Sea-cow)
                  • Group II Xenarthra (Armadillo, Anteater, Sloth, Groud sloth)
                • Clade Boreoeutheria
                  • Group III Euarchontoglires (Primate, Rabbit, Rodent)
                  • Group IV Laurasiatheria (Whale, Even-toed ungulate, Odd-toed ungulate, Bat, Carnivora)