Animal Phylogeny

Phylum Porifera

The phylum that includes sponges, characterized by lack of tissues and no adult symmetry.

Phylum Cnidaria

The phylum that includes jellyfish, corals, and anemones, known for being diploblastic and having radial symmetry.

Dipoblastic

Having two primary germ layers in the embryo.

Radial symmetry

A body plan in which body parts are arranged around a central axis.

Class Hydrozoa

A class within Phylum Cnidaria characterized by a dominant polyp stage.

Class Scyphozoa

A class within Phylum Cnidaria characterized by a dominant medusa stage.

Class Anthozoa

A class within Phylum Cnidaria that exists only in the polyp form.

Subclass Hexacorallia

Subclass within Anthozoa that includes anemones and stony corals.

Subclass Octocorallia

Subclass within Anthozoa that includes soft corals.

Phylum Platyhelminthes

The phylum that includes flatworms, characterized by a schizocoel.

Phylum Mollusca

The phylum that includes chitons, snails, clams, squid, and octopi, characterized by a schizocoel.

Class Polyplacophora

Class within Mollusca that includes chitons.

Class Gastropoda

Class within Mollusca that includes snails.

Class Bivalvia

Class within Mollusca that includes clams.

Class Cephalopoda

Class within Mollusca that includes octopi and squid.

Phylum Annelida

The phylum that includes earthworms, polychaetes, and leeches, characterized by a schizocoel.

Class Oligochaeta

Class within Annelida that includes earthworms.

Class Polychaeta

Class within Annelida that includes bristle worms.

Class Hirudinoidea

Class within Annelida that includes leeches.

Phylum Nematoda

The phylum that includes roundworms, characterized by a pseudocoel.

Phylum Arthropoda

The phylum that includes jointed animals with a chitinous exoskeleton.

Jointed exoskeleton

A skeleton that is made of chitin and is segmented, typical of arthropods.

Subphylum Chelicerata

Subphylum of Arthropoda that includes animals with no antennae.

Class Merostomata

Class within Chelicerata that includes the horseshoe crab.

Class Arachnida

Class within Chelicerata that includes spiders, scorpions, and ticks.

Subphylum Crustacea

Subphylum within Arthropoda that includes crabs, shrimp, and barnacles.

Class Malacostraca

Class within Crustacea that includes crabs, shrimp, and lobsters.

Class Maxillopoda

Class within Crustacea that includes barnacles and copepods.

Subphylum Uniramia

Subphylum within Arthropoda that includes myriapods and insects.

Superclass Myriapoda

Superclass within Uniramia that includes centipedes and millipedes.

Class Chilopoda

Class within Myriapoda that includes centipedes.

Class Diplopoda

Class within Myriapoda that includes millipedes.

Superclass Insecta

Superclass within Uniramia that includes all insects.

Order Odonata

Order of insects that includes dragonflies and damselflies.

Order Orthoptera

Order of insects that includes cockroaches, walking sticks, praying mantids, grasshoppers, and crickets.

Order Hemiptera

Order of insects commonly known as bugs.

Order Homoptera

Order of insects that includes cicadas.

Order Coleoptera

Order of insects that includes beetles.

Order Diptera

Order of insects that includes flies.

Order Hymenoptera

Order of insects that includes wasps, bees, and ants.

Order Lepidoptera

Order of insects that includes butterflies and moths.