Disclaimer: this page represents my attempt to synthesize various sources of information about animal phylogeny. It is not intended to be taken as a "system" of taxonomic or phylogenetic organization, and it certainly should not be taken as the "true" phylogeny. It is merely what I am currently inclined to believe, a convenient scheme upon which to tack other pieces of information. Please let me know if I am missing anything that you feel ought to be on here, or if you find anything that you disagree with or that you know to be wrong. Thanks!
Earthly Life/Eukaryota/Mitochondriate Eukaryotes/Critters with spliceosomal introns/Eukaryote "crown"/Animals+Choanoflagellates+Fungi/Animals

Animalia

Porifera

(sponges)

Radiata

Bilateria

(Acoelomates) many, many more Platyhelminthes (flatworms) (Pseudocoelomates) Rotifera Nematoda (round worms) (Coelomates) (Protostomes) Annelida (segmented worms) Mollusca Classes Monoplacophora (Hickman, Hickman, Hickman p.251) Polyplacophora (=Amphineura; chitons) Cephalopoda Nautiloidea Coleoidea (squids, cuttlefish, octopods) Scaphopoda (tusk shells) Pelecypoda (bivavles) Gastropoda Prosobranchia (is this the same as Pulmonata?) Pulmonata (land snails (?)) Ophistobranchia shelled shell-less (nudibranchs) Arthropoda Myriapoda (Millipedes) name? (centipedes) Onychophora (velvet worms) Chelicerata Trilobites were here Xyphosura (horseshoe crabs) Arachnida Aranea (Spiders) Scopiones Pseudoscorpiones Opiliones (daddy-long-legs) Acarina (ticks and mites) Crustacea (diverged from Insecta ~550 MYR, says Nature 361:219) Cephalocarida Branchiopoda (Artemia) Cirripedia (barnacles) Copepoda Ostracoda Leptostraca Stomatopeda (mantis shrimp) Syncarida Euphausiacea (krill) Decapoda lobsters Homarus shrimp crabs Amphipoda Isopoda (sow bugs and co.) Insecta (origin ~400 MYR, radiation ~300 MYR, says ÒInsects of AustraliaÓ, p.142) Apterygota Thysanura Protura Collembola Pterygota Hemimetabolous Odonata dragon-and damsel-flies Blatteria cockroaches) Isoptera termites) Hemiptera true bugs) Orthoptera crickets,grasshoppers,mantids,walkingsticks Homoptera (probably paraphyletic, says JME 41(2):211 1995) cicadas (?) Anoplura lice Ephemerata mayflies Holometabolous Coleoptera beetles Diptera flies) Hymenoptera Lepidoptera moths,butterflies) Siphonaptera fleas) Trichoptera Caddisflies Neuroptera Dobsonflies, ant lions, lacewings Brachiopoda (do these belong here?) Inarticulata lamp shells Articulata (Dueterostomes) Echinodermata Ophiuroidea brittle-stars Asteroidea sea stars Echinoidea sea urchins Holothuroidea sea cucumbers Crinoidea sea lillies Chordata Tunicata sea squirts Cephalocordata amphioxus Vertebrata Agnatha...is this the same as Cyclostomata? (diverged from rest of vertebrata 450-500 MYA: Li&Graur p. 152) Bony (or jawed?) vertebrates (fossil record begins ~420 MYA: correlated history of earth wall chart) Chondrichthyes Holocephali (rat fishes) Euselachii (sharks and rays) Osteoichthyes Actinopterygii (info here from JME 36(5):417-428) Chondrostei (Paddlefish) Neopterygii Gars Bowfins Teleost fish Choanichthyes -- is this characterized by internal nostrils? Dipnoi (lungfishes) Latimeria Tetrapoda (amphibia-amniote split ~350 MYA) Amphibia (divergence order uncertain; Blair Hedges suggests that it is (frogs, (salamanders, caecilians)), and that the salamander/caecilian split coincided with the Pangaea split ~200 MYA: Science 276:1032 1997) Anura (frogs and toads) Urodela (salamanders) Apoda (caecillians (?!)) Amniota (diapsid/synapsid split ~250 MYR: Li&Graur p. 119; ~280 Futuyma, ch.11; anapsid/diapsid/synapsid split 310 MYA: in Hedges 1996 Nature; arrangement should be (synapsida, (anapsida, diapsida)) by 7 of 12 genes and combination of 12: JME 42:580 1996) Anapsida Chelonia (turtles) Diapsida (=Sauropsida?) Rynchocephalia (tuatara) Squamata (split ~125 MYA: MBE 12(2): 259 1995) Serpentes (snakes; phylogeny from Chris Parkinson) "primitive" snakes -- boas, pythons, the rest elapids viperids colubrids Lacertilla (lizards) Archosauria (croc/dino split ~200 MYR: Li&Graur p.119) Crocodillia Dinosaurs Saurischia Tyranosaurus, Deinonychus and friends Aves birds Ornithischia Synapsida Therapsida Mammalia Prototheria (monotremes -- platypus, echidna) Metatheria (marsupials) Eutheria Edentata (origin ~120 MYR: Novacek 1992) (sloths,anteaters, Dasypus=armadillo) everybody else (radiation ~100 MYR: Novacek 1992) Cohort Glires (split ~70 MYR: Novacek 1992; not supported by molecular data -- e.g., Graur 1996 Nature) Lagomorpha Leporidae rabbits and hares Rodentia (radiation 35-40 MYR) Castoridae beavers Sciuridae chipmunk,squirrel,woodchuck,grndhog Cricetidae mice,lemmings,muskrats Geomyidae pocket gophers Erethizontidae New World porcupines superorder Archonta -- this may or may not be monophyletic -- bats may not belong (see discussions in Novacek 1992, Adkins 1991) Chiroptera bats Primates suborder Prosimii (lemurs, lorises, tarsiers, galago (bush baby?)) suborder Anthropoidea (radiation ~30 MYR: Marissa RyanÕs anthropology class notes) superfamily Ceboidea (new world monkeys and marmosets,17 living genera; split from old world monkeys 35-40 MYR: Li&Graur p. 147) superfamily Cercopithecoidea (old world monkeys, 11 living genera) superfamily Oreopithicidea (extinct Oreopithecus) superfamily Hominoidea (origin ~25 MYR:Andrews, 1992?) Aegyptopithecus Proconsul True Hominoidea Hylobatidae (gibbons; split 23 MYR: Andrews Nature 360:641 1992) Dryopithicinae (split 19 MYR: Andrews 1992) Dryopithecus Afropithecus Heliopithecus Ponginae (split 13 MYR: Andrews 1992; but see Sivapithecus) Pongo (orangutan) Sivapithecus (oldest fossil ~14 MYR: Simon, Science 1989) Ramapithecus Homininae (split ~5.5 MYR:Andrews 1992, Leakey Nat Geo 188:38-51 1995) Gorilla Pan troglodytes verus (perhaps trog. sub-species) paniscus Hominids Ardipithecus (4.4 MYR: Leakey 1995) Australopithecus (4-1.5 MYR: Leakey 1995, Simon 1989) Homo (origin ~2.5 MYR: Simon 1989, Leakey 1995) habilis (may not be valid: Simon 1989) erectus sapiens Scandentia Tupaia tree-shrews Dermoptera flying-squirrels and -lemurs Insectivora Soricidae shrews also moles, hedgehogs, others (Novacek 1992) Carnivora (radiation ~40 MYR; Cao 1997 MBE 14:461 suggests the existence of a carnivora+perissodactyla+paraxonia clade) Mustelidae (five toed print; Badger,weasel,otter,skunk,wolverine) Ursidae Ursus brown bears Euarctos black bears Thiarctos polar bear Felidae Lynx Felis Panthera Procyonidae ringtails,coatis,pandas,coons Canidae Canis Urocyon Vulves Hyaenidae Pinnipedia Phocidae seals Otariidae sea lions Odobenidae walrus Ungulata (radiation ~90 MYR: Novacek 1992; Cao 1997 MBE 14:461 suggests the existence of a carnivora+perissodactyla+paraxonia clade) Condylartha (extinct) Paraxonia (artiodactyla+cetacea+tubulidentata?) Artiodactyla (even-toed) Antilocapradae (Antilocapra americana -- pronghorn) Bovidae (radiation ~5 MYR...?!) Giraffidae Camelidae Hippopatamidae Cervidae deer Suidae Sus pigs Cetacea Tubulidentata aardvark Paenungulata (radiation ~80 MYR: Novacek 1992) Perissodactyla Equidae Equus (horses,asses,zebras) Rhinocerotidae (rhinos) Tapiridae (tapirs) Hyraciodea Proboscidea Elephantidae Sirenia manatees
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