VERTEBRATES

order lagomorpha

Rabbits, hares, pikas--e.g., eastern cottontail (sylvilagus floridanus), snowshoe hare ( lepus americanus), artic hare (lepus arcticus) american pika ( ochotona princeps)

paleoanthropology

Study of human orgins

anthropology

Study of humanity

SWIM BLADDER

a gas-filled cavity found in the body cavities of most bony fishes (gas bladder)

hominids

a taxonomic family, including four extant genera; chimpanzees, gorillas, humans, and orangutans

order pilosa

anteaters and sloths--e.g., pale-throated sloth (bradypus tridactylus), giant anteater (myrmecophaga tridactyla), aardvark (orycteropus afer)

order cingulata

armadillos--e.g., nine-banded armadillo (dasypus novemcinctus)

order primates

arthropoids; the prosimians, simians, and humans, i.e, monkeys, apes, and humans

order chiroptera

bats & flying foxes--e.g., greater mouse-eared bat (myotis myotis), Indian flying-fox(pteropus giganteus), large flying fox(pteropus vampyrus), velvety free-tailed bat (molossus molossus)

order carnivora

bears, cats, dogs, raccons, skunks, weasels, otters, badgers, wolverines and mongoose,bears,

order rodentia

beaver, capybara, squirrels, chipmunks, porcupines, gophers, rats and mice--e.g. capybara 9hydrochoerus hydrochaeris), north american beaver ( castor canadensis), common porcupine 9erethizon dorsatum), eastern gray squirrel (sciurus carolinensis), southern flying squirrel (glaucomys volans), eastern chipmunk ( tamias striatus), southern pocket gopher (geomys pinetis), black tailed prairie dog (cynomus ludovicianus), black rat ( rattus rattus), coypu or nutria ( myocastor coupus), house mouse 9 mus musculus); two front teeth, no canine teeth

OSTEICHTHYES

bony fish- have toothed jaws which are used in food gathering, often as predators

CLASS CHONDRICHTHYES

cartilaginous fish including sharks, skates and rays-e.g., great white shark (Carcharodon carcharias), great hammerhead shark (Sphyma mokarran), tiger shark (Galeocerdo cuvier), mottled skate(Raja pulchra-pointed wings), and the southern stingray (Dasyatis americana)

order artidactyla

even number of toes: deer, cattle, giraffes, pigs, camels, hippos, sheep, goat,(Herbivores), run fast,--e.g.,American bison ( bison bison), giraffe (giraffa camelopardalis), hippopotamus (hippopotamus amphibius), mountaind goat (oreamnos americanus)

ORDER ANURA

frogs and toads-e.g., bullfrog (rana catesbeiana), common frog (rana temporaria), american green tree frog (hyla cinerea), northern leopard frog (rana pipens), goliath frog (conraua golith), common toad (bufo bufo), surinam toad ( pipa pipa), common river frog (amietia angolensis)

ENDOTHERMIC

generating metabolic heat to maintain a constant internal temperature

VIVIPAROUS

giving birth to living offspring that develop within the mother's body

order charadriiformes

gulls, button-quails, plovers, sandpipers, snipe, terns, avocets, puffins, jacanas--e.g., common gull ( larus canus), little button quail (turnix velox), American golden plover (pluvialis dominica), killdeer(charadrius vociferus)

homo habilis

had a larger brain that than the australopithecines and appeared approx. 2 mill. yrs ago

order eulipotyphla

hedgehogs, moles, shrews--e.g., common mole (scalopus aquaticus), common shrew ( sorex araneus), common hedgehog (erinaceus europaeus)

OPERCULUM

in bony fish it is the hard bony flap covering and protecting the gills

INVERTEBRATE CHORDATES

include tunicates and lancelets

ORDER SQUAMATA

lizards, snakes, and worm lizards ( rhineura floridana)- e.g., komodo dragon ( varanus komodoensis), gila monster ( heloderma suspectum), jackon's chameleon (chamaeleo jacksonii), green iguana ( iguana iguana), rainbow lizard(agama agama), tokay gecko (gecko gecko), sandfish skink ( scincus scincus), boa constrictor ( boa constrictor), burmese python ( python molurus), eastern diamond back (crotalus adamanteus), timber rattlesnake ( crotalus horridus), king cobra (ophiophagus Hannah), indian cobra(naja naja), Egyptian cobra(naja haje), grass(water) cobra( natrix natrix ), green anaconda ( eunectes murinus), desert horned viper (cerastes cerastes)

order gaviiformes

loons--e.g., common loon (gavia immer)

order caprimulgiformes

nighthawks & nightjars--e.g., common nighthawk (chordeiles minor), common pauraque ( nyctidromus albicollis), scissor-tailed nightjar( hydropsalis torquata)

order perissodactyla

odd-toed ungulates. horses, zebras, tapirs, rhinos--e.g., horse ( equus ferus caballus), grevy's zebra (equus grevyi), indian rhinoceros (rhinoceros unicornis), black rhiniceros ( diceros bicornis), brazilian tapir (tapirus terrestris)

CHORDATES

organisms that exhibit four characteristics at some stage within their life history: a notochord, a dorsal tubular nerve cord, pharyngeal pouches, and a tail.

Order strigiformes

owls--e.g., barn owl (tyto alba), great horned owl (bobo virginianus), long-eared owl ( asio otus), western screech-owl ( megascops kennicottii), Eurasian eagle-owl ( bubo bubo)

order cetacean

phylum chordata, class mammilia. whales, dolphins, porpoises--e.g., blue whale (balaenoptera musculus), sperm whale ( physeter macrocephalus), killer whale (orcinus orca), beluga (delphinapterus leucas), common bottle-nosed dolphin ( tursiops truncatus), short-beaked common dolphin (delphinus delphis), harbour porpoise (phocoena phocoena)

cro magnons

the first homo sapiens

order afrosoricida

the golden moles of southern africa and the tenrecs of Madagascar and africa-- the common or tail less tenrec (tenrec ecaudatus) and the giant golden mole (chrysospalax trevelyani)

CLASS SARCOPTERYGII

the lobe-finned bony fishes-have fleshly fins and most used lungs for respiration. The South American lungfish (Lepidosiren paradoxa) is one of only five existing species of lungfish.

ICHTHYOLOGY

the study of fish

HERPETOLOGY

the study of reptiles and amphibians

BLACK MARLIN

(Istiompax indica)- One of the largest marlins and bony fish. This marlin is one of the fastest fish, reaching speeds up to 80 mph (130 km/h)

African bush elephant

(Loxodonta africana)- the largest living terrestrial animals, being up to 3.96 m (13.0 ft) tall at the shoulders. The most characteristic features of african elephants are their very large ears, which they use to radiate excess heat, and their trunk, an extension of the upper lip and nose with two opposing extensions at its end, different from Asian elephant, which only has one

brown-throated sloth 3- toed

(bradypus variegatus)- grows on its furry coat. the slowest mammal on earth, due to its lack of muscle tissue. It so sedentary that algae grows on its furry coat. All sloths are built for life in the treetops.

southern elephant seal

(mirounga leonina)- the largest carnivore as well as the largest pinniped, attaining sizes up to 5000 kg (11000 lb) in weight and 6.9 m (22.5 ft ) in length

Asiatic reticulated python

(phyton reticulatus)- a species of python that can grow to 6.95 m(22.8 ft ) in length but normally grow to an average of 3-6 m(10-20 ft). They are the worlds longest snakes and longest reptile, but are not the most heavily built.

polar bear

(ursus maritimus)- the largest living land carnivore

Komodo dragon

(varanus komodoensis)- the largest living species of lizard, growing to a maximum length of 3 m(10ft) in rare cases and weighing up to approximately 70 kg(150lbs)

order pelecaniformes

- Pelicans, herons, ibises, egrets--e.g., american white pelican ( pelecanus erythrorhynchos), brown pelican ( pelicanus occidentalis), great egret (ardea alba), scarlet ibis ( eudocimus ruber), great blue heron (ardea herodias)

order phaethontiformes

tropical pelagic seabirds,e.g., tropicbirds--red-billed tropicbird (phethon aethereus)

ORDER TESTUDINES OR CHELONII

turtles and tortoises- e.g., eastern box turtle (terrapene carolina), loggerhead sea turtle (caretta caretta), Galapagos giant tortoise (geochelone nigra) and terrapins

GNATHOSTOMES

vertebrates with jaws

order pinnipedia

walrus, seal and sea lions--e.g., walrus (odobenus rosmarus), california sea lion (zalophus californianus), harbor seal (phoca Vitulina), northern fur sela ( callorhinus ursinus),

Order galliformes

wildfowl--e.g., turkey, grouse, chicken, quail, partridge, pheasant, ptarmigan and cracids--wild turkey(meleagris gallopavo), ruffedgrouse( bonasa umbrellus), chicken( gallus gallus domesticus), quail (coturix corturix), partridge or rock ptarmigan( lagopus muta), common pheasant(phasianus colchicus), white-crested guan(penelope pileata)

ORDER GYMNOPHIONA OR APODA

Ceacilians-e.g., Mexican caeilian ( dermophis mexicanus), common caecilian (caecilian gracilis)

order coliiformes

Mousebirds--speckled mousebird (colius striatus)

order apodiformes

Swifts and Hummingbirds--e.g., common swift (apus apus), chimney swift( chaetura pelagica), ruby-throated hummingbird ( archilochus colubris) amazilia humming bird ( amazilia amazilia)

eutheria

a taxonomic group to which all mammals belong except monotremes and marsupials

CLASS AMPHIBIA

animals such as frogs, toads, newts, salamanders, and caecilians, which are ectothermic (cold-blooded) animals. The young generally undergo metamorphosis from larva with gills to an adult air-breathing form with lungs. Amphibians use their skin as a secondary respiratory surface and some small terrestrial salamanders and frogs lack lungs and rely entirely upon skin

Order falconiformes

birds of prey; falcons, eagles, hawks, osprey, kites, harriers, secretary birds--e.g., peregrine falcon ( falco peregrines), golden eagle ( Aquila chrysaetos), bald eagle (haliaeetus leucocephalus), red tailed hawk (buteo jamaicensis), sea hawk or osprey ( pandion haliaetus), common kestrel ( falco tinnunculus), Eurasian buzzard( buteo buteo), northern harrier (circus cyaneus), Mississippi kite ( icctinia mississippiensis)

order columbiformes

doves and pigeons--e.g., mourning dove (zenaida macroura), rock pigeon ( columba livia)

CLASS REPTILIA

ectothermic ( cold- blooded) animals characterized by breathing air, laying shelled eggs, and having skin covered in scales, e.g., turtles, alligators, snakes, and lizards

placental mammals

eutherians; have extraembryonic membranes which protect and provide nutrients to the internally developed fetus

birds

feathered, winged, bipedal, endothermic ( warm blooded), egg-laying, vertebrate animals

ORDER SPHENODONTIA

tuataras (sphenodan punctatus) from new Zealand

order cathartiformes

vultures and condors--e.g., griffon vulture (gyps fulvus), andean condor(vultur gryphus), california condor(gymnogyps californianus)

order piciformes

wood peckers, toucans, toucanets, barbets, colies, kingfishes, aracaris, hornbills, and jacamars.--e.g., red-headed woodpecker (melanerpes erythrocephalus), yellow-bellied sapsucker ( sphyrapicus varius), sulphur-breasted toucan (ramphastos sulfuratus), chestneut-eared aracari (pteroglossus castanotis), green-tailed jacamar (galbula galbula)

WHALE SHARK

(Rhincodon typus) the world's largest fish and the largest living non- mammalian vertebrate. Individuals over 14 meters (46 ft) long and weighing at least 30 metric tons (66,000 lb) are not common

order opisthocomiformes

Hoatzin--e.g., hoatzin (opisthocomus hoazin)

NOTOCHORD

a dorsal supporting rod

peregrine falcon ( falco peregrinus)

renowned for its speed, reaching over 322 km/h (200 mph) during its characteristic hunting stoop ( high speed dive), making it the fastest member of the animal kingdom

ORDER CAUDATA OR URODELA

salamanders and newts-e.g.,fire salamander (salmandra salmandra), common newt (lissotriton vulgaris), California newt ( taricha toros), common mudpuppy ( necturus maculosus), Alabama waterdog (necturus alabamensis)

order pteroclidiformes

sandgrouse--e.g., painted sandgrouse (pterocles indicus) and (pterocles coronatus)

ORDER PETROMYZONTIDA

sea lampreys (Petromuzan marinus)

AUTOTOMY

self amputation; the behavior whereby an animal severs one or more of its own appendages, usually as a self-defense mechanism to elude a predators grasp or to distract the predator and thereby allow escape. The lost body part may be regenerated later

ostrich (struthio camelus)

the largest living species of bird and lays the largest eggs of any living bird. it can run up to 70 km/h (43 mph), the fastest land speed of any bird

Gala'pagos giant tortoise

the largest living species of tortoise and 13th-heaviest living reptile, reaching weights of over 400 kg(880 lbs) and lengths of over 1.8 meters(5.9 ft). With life spans in the wild of over 100 years, it is one of the longest lived vertebrates. A captive individual lived at least 170 years.

CHORION

the outermost of the extraembryonic membranes of land vertebrates, contributing to the formation of the placenta in the placental mammals

CLOACA

the posterior opening that serves as the only opening for the intestinal, reproductive, and urinary tracts

CLASS ACTINOPTERYGII

the ray-finned bony fish- have paired fins and air bladders. They include ocean sunfish(Mola Mola), Atlantic sturgeon (Acipenser oxyrhinchus), electric eel (Electrophorus electricus) Atlantic herring (Clupea harengus), rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss), Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar), seahorse (Hipocampus erectus), Atlantic cod (Gadus Morhua), Northern bluefin tuna ( Thunnus Thynnus), Atlantic mackerel (Scomber scombrus), California flying fish (Cypselurus californicus), striped bass (Morone saxatilis) and yellow perch (Perch flavescens)

bee hummingbird (mellisuga helenae)

the smallest bird in the world, it is no larger than a big insect and as it name suggests, is scarcely larger than a bee. Like all himmingbirds, it is a swift, strong flier. It also can hover in one spot like a helicopter. The hummingbird beats its wings an estimated 80 times per second- so fast that wings look like a blur to human eyes.

cheetah

(Acinonyx jubatus)- can run faster than any other land animal- as fast as 112 to 120 km/h (70 to 75 mph) in short bursts covering distances up to 500 m (1600 ft), and has the ability to accelerate from 0 to 100 km (62 mph) in 3 seconds

blue whale

(Balaenoptera musculus)-believed to be the largest ever have lived. The max. recorded weight was 190 tons for a specimen measuring 30 meters (98 ft ), while longer ones, up to 33.4 meters (110 ft), have been recorded but not weighed.

giraffe

(Giraffa Camelopardalis)- an African even-toed ungulate mammal, the tallest living terrestrial animal and the largest ruminant. Its chief distinguishing characteristics are its extremely long neck and legs, its horn-like ossicones and its distinctive coat patterns. It stands 5-6 m (16-20 ft ) tall

OCEAN FISH

(Mola Mola) the heaviest known bony fish in the world. It has an average adult weight of 1000 kg (2,000 lb)

homo erectus

(walked upright)-Neanderthals; lived in Europe and Asia

order suliformes

Cormorants, boobies, frigate birds,gannets, shags and darters-e.g., blue footed booby (sula nebouxii), great frigatebird ( fregata minor), american darter ( anhinga anhinga), cape gannet ( morus capensis), shag (phalacrocorax aristotelis), great cormorant (phalacrocorax carbo)

order proboscidea

Elephants--e.g., african elephant (loxodonta africana) and the asian elephant ( elephas maximus)

order phoenicopteriformes

Flamingos--e.g., American flamingo (phoenicopterus ruber), greater flaming ( phoenicopterus roseus)

order podicipediformes

Grebes--e.g., great grebe (podiceps major)

homo sapiens

Humans- had cultural characteristics such as a tool making, cooperative hunting and art

order pholidota

Pangolins--e.g., giant pangolin ( manis gigantea), tree pangolin (manis tricuspis)

order monotremata

Prototheria: the egg-laying mammals, e.g., spiny anteaters, also called echidnas, and the duckbill platypus (orinthorhynchus anatinus). The short-beaked echidna ( tachyglossus aculeatus) is one species of echidna

order ciconiiformes

Storks-e.g., white stork ( ciconia ciconia), marabou stork (leptoptilos crumeniferus)

ornithology

The study of birds

mammalogy

The study of mammals; also theriology

wandering albatross (diomedea exulans)

also know as the snowy albatross, has the largest wingspan of any bird (over 11 feet)

ECTOTHERMIC

body temperature matches that of the external environment

ORDER ACTINISTIA

coelacanths, e.g., Latimeria menadoensis

order gruiformes

cranes, crakes, rails--e.g., eurasian or common crane (grus grus), whooping crane( grus americana), grey crowned crane(balearica regulorum), king rail ( rallus elegans), corn crake (crex crex), eurasian or common coot (fulica atra), prurple swamphen (porphyrion porphyrion), common moorhen ( gallinula chloropus)

ORDER CROCODILIA

crocodiles, gavials, caimans, and alligators--e.g., nile crocodile (crocodylus niloticus), saltwater crocodile (crocodylus porosus), gharial (gavialis gangeticus), spectacled caiman( caiman crocodilus), American alligator ( alligator mississippiensis)

order cuculiformes

cuckoos and turacos--e.g., common cuckoo (cuculus canorus), black-billed cuckoo(coccyzus erythropthalmus), green turaco ( tauraco persa), great blue turaco( corythaeola cristata)

australopithecines

evolved in Africa 4 mill. yrs. ago

ORDER MYXINI

hagfish (Myxine glutinosa)

CLASS AGNATHA

jawless fish- sea lampreys and hagfish.

CEPHALOCHORDATA

lancelets or amphioxus (Branchiostoma lanceolatum)

order sirenia

manatees, dugongs, sea cow--e.g., dugong (dugong dugon), west Indian manatee ( trichechus manatus)

order of marsupialia

methatheria; mammals characterized by giving premature births with newborns further developing in pouches, e.g., koaloas (phascolarctos cinereus), wombats (vombatus ursinus), tasmanian devil (sarcophilus harrisii), common spotted cuscus (spilocuscus maculatus), Virginia opossums( didelphis virginiana), and red kangaroos (macropus rufus)

AMNIOTA

the reptiles, birds, and mammals, characterized by having an amnion during the embryonic stage

Order anseriformes

waterfowl: ducks, geese, and swan--e.g., mallard ducks( anas platyrhynchos), canvasback (aythya valisineria), wood duck( aix sponsa), graylag goose ( anser anser), canada goose ( branta canadensis), mute swan ( cygnus olor), whooper swan(cygnus cygnus)

Chinese giant salamander

(Andriaas davidianus)- the largest salamander and largest amphibian in the world, reaching a length of 180 cm (6ft)

green anaconda

(Eunectes murinus)- the worlds heaviest and one of the worlds longest snakes, reaching more than 6.6 m (22ft) long

Australian saltwater crocodile

(crocodylus porosus)- the largest of all living reptiles, as well as the largest terrestrial and riparian predator in the world. The males of this species can reach sizes of up to 7 m (23ft) and weigh as much as 2000 kg (4400 lb).

YOLK SAC

A membranous sac attached to an embryo, providing early nourishment in the form of yolk in bony fishes, sharks, reptiles, birds and primitive mammals

Order sphenisciformes

Penguins--e.g., emperor penguin(aptenodytes forsteri), adelie penguin ( pygoscelis adeliae)

simians

a grouping of mammals that include the higher primates; monkeys, apes, and human;e.g., man (homo sapiens), western gorilla ( gorilla gorilla), chimpanzee (pan troglodytes), guinea baboons (papio papio), orangutan (pongo pygmaeus), rhesus monkey ( macaca mulatta), mandrill( mandrillus sphinx)

prosimians

a grouping of mammals that include the lower primates; lemurs, bush babies, and tarsiers and lorises; e.g., ring-tailed lemur (lemur catta), spectral tarsier (tarsius tarsier) and the red slender loris (loris tardigradus)

AMNION

a membrane building the amniotic sac that surrounds and protects an embryo.

ALLANTOIS

a membrane found in mammal, reptile, and bird embryos that helps them survive by removing waste

LATERAL LINE SYSTEM

a sense organ fish use to detect movement and vibration in the surrounding water

paedophryne amanuensis

a species of frog is the worlds smallest vertebrae and smallest amphibian. it can sit on the face of a dime with plenty of room to spare

TETRAPODA

a superclass of animals that includes all limbed vertebrates (backboned animals) with four feet, legs or leg like appendages

metatheria

a taxonomic group to which the marsupialia belongs

protheria

a taxonomic group to which the order monotremata belongs

order procellariiformes

albatrosses, petrels,shearwaters--e.g., snowy albatross (diomedea exulans), short-tailed albatross (phoebastria albatrus), southern giant petrel (macronectes giganteus)

AMNIOTIC EGG

an egg of a reptile that contains fluid inside. This fluid helps sustain the embryo on dry land while it to continues to grow

VERTEBRATE CHORDATES

have either cartilaginous or bony vertebra surrounding their nerve cord

order coraciiformes

kingfishers, toddies, rollers, bea-eaters, motmot, hoopies, hornbills.--e.g., common kingfisher(alcedo atthis), giant kingfisher (megaceryle maxima), great hornbill (buceros bicornis), european bee-eater( merops apiaster), hoopoe (upupa epops), dollar roller or oriental dollar bird (eurystomus orientalis)

Order struthionformes

ostriches, emus and kiwis--e.g., ostriches (struthio camelus), emus ( dromaius novaehollandiae) & kiwis (apteryx australis)

Order psittaciformes

parrots, amazons, cockatoos, lorikeets lories, macaws, parakeets.--e.g., sulphur- created cockatoo (cacatua galerita), major Mitchell's cockatoo or pink cockatoo ( lophochroa leadbeateri) , white cockatoo (cacatua alba), plain parakeet (brotogogeris tirica), common pet parakeet or budgerigar ( melopsittacus undulatus), golden parakeet or golden conure ( guaruba guaruba), blue-and-yellow macaw( Ara aranauna), scarlet macaw ( ara macao)

order Passeriformes

passerines, the songbirds or perching birds, e.g., larks, swallow, jays, crows, wren, thrushes, cardinals, finches,sparrow, and blackbirds..--marsh wren (cistothyrus palustris), Carolina wren ( thryothorus ludovicianus), barn swallow (hirundo rustica), purple martin ( progne subis), san martin (riparia riparia), skylark ( alauda arvensis), eastern meadowlark ( sturnella magna), redbird or common cardinal ( cardinalis cardinalis), American crow ( corvus brachyrhynchos), raven( corvus corax), blue jay (cyanocitta cristata), green jay( cyanocorax yncas), common bullfinch ( pyrrhula pyrrhula)

OVOVIVIPAROUS

refers to animals that produce eggs but retain them inside the female body until hatching occurs, so that "live" offspring are born without placental attachment

andean condor (vultur gryphus)

the largest flying bird in the world is also one of the worlds longest living birds, with a lifespan of up to 100 years

order trogoniformes

trogons--e.g., red-headed trogon (harpactes erthrocephalus), blue-crowned trogon (trogon curucui), resplendent quetzal (pharomachrus mocinno)

UROCHORDATA

tunicates (Halocynthia roretzi)

order mammalia

vertebrate animals characterized by the possession of hair, three middle ear bones, and mammary glands functional in mothers with young