Learning Objectives
By the end of this section, you will be able to:
- Describe the difference between jawless and jawed fishes
- Explain the main characteristics of amphibians, reptiles, and birds
- Describe the derived characteristics in birds that facilitate flight
- Name and describe the distinguishing features of the three main groups of mammals
- Describe the derived features that distinguish primates from other animals
Vertebrates are among the most recognizable organisms of the animal kingdom (Figure 15.36). More than 62,000 vertebrate species have been identified. The vertebrate species now living represent only a small portion of the vertebrates that have existed. The best-known extinct vertebrates are the dinosaurs, a unique group of reptiles, reaching sizes not seen before or since in terrestrial animals. They were the dominant terrestrial animals for 150 million years, until they died out near the end of the Cretaceous period in a mass extinction. A great deal is known about the anatomy of the dinosaurs, given the preservation of their skeletal elements in the fossil record.
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