Laboratory 10

Most up-to-date Classification of Life

John R. Anderson

Department of Geology, Georgia Perimeter College

Dunwoody, GA 30038

 

Classification of Life

(New Classification by Lynn Margulis and Karlene V. Schwartz, 1998)

  1. Superkingdom: Prokarya (Prokaryotae)
    1. Kingdom: Bacteria (Prokaryotae, Procaryotae, Monera) - (Precam-R) Subkingdom: Archaea - Methanogens, Halophils, and Thermoacidophils

      Subkingdom: Eubacteria – true bacteria, Gram-negative walls, No walls, Gram-positive walls

      Phylum: Cyanobacteria – Blue-green algae, stromatolites
  2. Superkingdom: Eukarya (Eukaryotae)
    1. Kingdom: Protoctista (formerly Protista) - one celled organisms, eukaryotic organisms Phylum: Granuloreticulosa Class: Foraminifera (Cam-R) fusulinids, nummulites, and foraminifera Phylum: Actinopoda Class: Phaeodaria – (formerly Radiolaria) Class: Polycystina - (formerly Radiolaria) (Cam-R) opaline silica test

      Phylum: Chrysomonada (Chrysophyta) Silicoflagellates (Jur. - R)

      Phylum: Diatoms (Bacillariophora) - Diatoms - silica tests (Cret-R)

      Phylum: Haptomonada (Coccolithophora) - Coccolithophores (E.Jur-R)

      Phylum: Dinomastigota (Dinophyceae) - Dinoflagellates (Sil-R)

      Phylum: Ciliophora - paramecium and other ciliates.

      Phylum: Rhodophyta - Red algae

      Phylum: Phaeophyta - Brown algae - seaweed and kelps

      Phylum: Chlorophyta - Green algae - (Proterozoic? - R)

    2. Kingdom: Animalia - other wise noted these organisms have a calcium carbonate shell Subkingdom: Parazoa Phylum: Porifera - sponges - spongin, calcium carbonate or silicate spicules - radial symmetry, if any. (Cam-R)

      Subkingdom: Eumetazoa

      Phylum: Archaeocyatha - extinct sponge-like, conical cup shaped organisms (Cam.)

      Phylum: Cnidaria - (Coelenterata) - septum, calyx, growth lines, tabulae, corallite, corallum, and radial symmetry.

      Class: Hydrozoa - hydras
      Class: Scyphozoa - jellyfish
      Class: Anthozoa - corals & sea anemones
      Order: Tabulata - honey comb corals (Ord-Perm)
      Order: Rugosa - horn coral (Tetracoral) (Ord-Perm)
      Order: Scleractinia - modern reef coral, (Trias-R)


      "Superphylum": Lophophorates – they possess a lophophore.

      Phylum: Bryozoa - moss animals (Ord-R) always colonial, zoarium, and aperture.

      Phylum: Brachiopoda (Cam-R) - beak, hinge line, plication, growth line, fold, sulcus, bilateral symmetry, inarticulate or articulate shells, some of phosphatic composition.

      Class: Inarticulata - calcium phosphatic shell (E.Cam-R)
      Class: Articulata - teeth and sockets, thick shells (E.Cam-R)


      Phylum: Mollusca - soft-bodied organism
      Class: Bivalvia - clams, oysters (Pelecypoda) (E.Cam-R), growth line beak, pallial line, pallial sinus, muscle scar, hinge teeth bilateral symmetry parallel with hinge line.
      Class: Gastropoda - snails, conches (E.Cam-R) aperture, and whorl
      Class: Cephalopoda - octopus, squid (Cam-R), nektonic, suture, septa, chamber, planispiral coil
      Subclass: Nautiloidea (nautiloids) (Cam-R)
      Subclass: Ammonoidea (ammonites) (Dev. - Cret.)
      Subclass: Coleoidea (internal shell cephalopods)
      Order: Belemnoidea (belemnites) (E. Miss. - Eocene)
      Order: Sepiida - cuttlefish ( )
      Order: Teuthoidea (squids) (Jur. - R)
      Order: Octopoda - Octopus (Creta. - R)


      "Superphylum": Arthropoda - jointed-appendages, segmented, bilateral symmetry, chitin (Cam. -R)

      Phylum: Trilobita (Cam-Perm) - axial lobe, pleural lobe, cephalon, thorax, pygidium

      Phylum: Chelicerata (Arachnoidea, Merostomata) - horseshoe crab, spiders, scorpions, eurypterids, ticks & mites (Ord-R)

      Class: Merostomata (Ord. - R)
      Order: Eurypterida - eurypterids (M. Ord.-Perm)
      Order: Xiphosura - Horseshoe crabs (Cam-R)
      Class: Arachnida - scorpions, spiders, ticks, and mites (Sil-R)

      Phylum: Crustacea (Cam-R) - ostracods, lobsters, crabs, barnacles
      Class: Cirripedia - barnacles (Sil-R)
      Class: Ostracoda - ostracods (Cam-R)
      Class: Malacostraca - Lobsters, shrimp, crabs
      Order: Decapoda - Shrimp, Lobsters, and crabs, crayfish (Perm. - R)
      Order: Isopoda - Sow Bugs (Trias. - R)

      Phylum: Mandibulata (Uniramia) (Sil - R)
      Class: Myriapoda
      Order: Chilopoda - centipedes (Carb. - R)
      Order: Diplopoda - millipedes (Sil - R)
      Class: Hexapoda (Insecta) - fly, beetle, butterfly, dragonfly, crickets, grasshoppers, etc (E.Dev. - R)


      Phylum: Echinodermata - 5-fold radial/bilateral symmetry
      Subphylum: Asterozoa (Eleutherozoa) – lack stem or stalk.
      Class: Asteroidea - starfish (Ord-R) mobile, predacious
      Class: Ophiuroidea – brittle stars
      Class: Echinoidea - sand dollar, sea urchin (Ord-R) ambulacral area, and interambulacral area
      Subphylum: Crinozoa – stemmed or stalked forms
      Class: Crinoidea - sea lilies (Ord-R) attached, stem, calyx, arms, and columnals
      Class: Blastoidea (Ord-Perm) attached, calyx, plate, ambulacral area

      Phylum: Hemichordata – acorn worms, graptolites
      Class: Graptolithina - graptolites (Camb-Penn)

      Phylum: Conodontophora (Conodonta) - calcium phosphate, conodonts. (Cam - Late Tria.)


      "Superphylum": Acraniate Chordates

      Phylum: Urochordata – tunicates, sea squirts

      Phylum: Cephalochordata – amphioxus, lancelets


      Phylum: Craniata - bilateral symmetry, bone and/or cartilage
      Subphylum: Vertebrata – now only subphylum in Craniata
      Superclass: Agnatha - jawless fish (Cam-R)
      Class: Cyclostomata – lampreys, hagfish
      Class: Ostracoderms – bony skin fish
      Superclass: Gnathostomata – jawed animals
      Class: Acanthodii - primitive jawed, spiny fish (Dev - Perm)
      Class: Placodermi - archaic jawed fish (Sil-Perm)
      Class: Chondrichthyes - shark, skate, ray (Dev-R) cartilaginous fish
      Class: Osteichthyes - bony fish, crossopterygians (Sil-R)
      Class: Choanichthyes – Lungfish,

      "Tetrapods" – four footed gnathostomes
      Class: Amphibia - frogs, salamanders, labyrinthodonta (Dev-R)
      Class: Reptilia - turtle, snake, lizard, and alligator, dinosaur (Penn-R)
      Class: Aves – (feathered reptiles?) birds, Archaeopteryx - (Jur) (Trias-R)
      Class: Mammalia - (Trias-R)
      Subclass: Prototheria - duck-billed platypus, spiny anteater
      Subclass: Theria – marsupials - opossum, placentals - dog, opossum, man, horse

    3. Kingdom: Plantae - plants soft tissue (Precam-R)

      "Superphylum": Bryata – nonvascular plants

      Phylum: Bryophyta - mosses (Dev. - R)

      Phylum: Hepatophyta – liverworts

      "Superphylum": Tracheata – vascular plants

      Phylum: Psilophyta - leafless vascular plant (M. Paleozoic – R.)

      Phylum: Lycophyta - club mosses, Lycopsids (Sil. - R)

      Phylum: Sphenophyta (Arthrophyta) - horsetails and sphenopsids, (Dev. - R)

      Phylum: Filicinophyta (Polypodiophyta, Pterophytes) - true ferns, Pteropsids (Dev. - R)


      "Phylum-Group": Gymnosperms – naked-seed plants

      Phylum: Lyginopteriodopsida - seed ferns, (Dev. - Jur.)

      Phylum: Cycadophyta - cycads, (Trias. - R)

      Phylum: Ginkgophyta - maidenhair tree, ginkgo (Penn. - R)

      Phylum: Coniferophyta - conifers, (Dev.? - R)

      Phylum: Gnetophyta - (Perm. - R)


      Phylum: Anthophyta (Magnoliophyta, Angiospermophyta) - flowering plants, angiosperms (Cret.-R)
      Subphylum: Monocotyledones (Liliopsida) - monocotyledonous plants - bananas, cattails, coconut palm, grasses, maize, crocus (Cret. - R)
      Subphylum: Dicotyledones (Magnoliopsida) - dicotyledonous plants - roses, sunflowers, maples, pumpkins, grapes, peas, and other flowering plants (Cret. - R)

    4. Kingdom: Fungi - mushrooms, fungus, soft tissue (? -R)

      Phylum: Zygomycota - Molds

      Phylum: Basidiomycota - Mushrooms, Smuts, Rusts, and Jelly fungi

      Phylum: Ascomycota – Blue-green molds, Yeast, and Lichens


The taxonomic catagories with apostrophes (" ") are not official taxonomic catagories.
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This page last revised November 29, 2004