Turtles, Mammals & Birds. Vertebrate Ancestry Revisited

Turtles, Mammals & Birds

Vertebrate Ancestry Revisited

Tetrapoda

Class Amphibia Quadrupedal Controversy surrounding ancestor

Lungfish?

Lobe-finned Rhipidistian?

Coelocanth?

Amphibian Characteristics

Webbed feet

No claws

Moist skin

Metamorphosis

Amphibian Taxonomy

Class AmphibiaOrder Gymnophiona

• Caecilians

Order Caudata• Salamanders and Newts

Order Anura• Toads and Frogs

Amniotes

Amniotes

Chorion Gas exchange and

blood vessels Amnion

Sac enclosing embryo Allantois

Gas diffusion and waste excretion

Yolk sac Food

Classification of Amniotes

Temporal fenestrae

Class Reptilia Order Crocodilia

Crocodiles, caimans and alligators

Order Rhynchocephalia Tuataras

Order SquamataLizards, snakes and

amphisbaenids Order Testudines

Turtles

Reptilian Characteristics

Ectothermic

Scales

Oviparous

3-chambered heart

Sexual Reproduction

Turtle History

Triassic deposits Oldest fossils

210 MYMarine: 120 MY

ArchelonLargest turtleCheyenne River, SD

Archelon

Order Testudines

Characteristics

Turtle Taxonomy

Class ReptiliaSubclass Anapsida

• Order Testudines

• Family Cheloniidae

• Marine Turtles

• Family Dermochelyidae

• Leatherback Turtle