Vertebrates are animals that have a backbone, while invertebrates do not. Vertebrates are classified as chordates and include fish, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, and birds. Fish are categorized into cartilaginous, ray-finned, and lobe-finned. Mammals include monotremes, marsupials, and placental mammals. Reptiles are ectothermic and include snakes, lizards, crocodiles, alligators, and turtles. Amphibians transform from aquatic larvae to terrestrial adults. Birds are covered in feathers and can fly. Invertebrates lack backbones and include sponges, cnidarians, flatworms

1. Vertebrates vs Invertebrates By Brian Roby

2. Getting the obvious out there… The major difference between vertebrates and invertebrates is that vertebrates have a backbone and invertebrates do not.

3. Categories of Animals All vertebrates are under the classification “Chordates” This is the only group that includes vertebrates Humans are classified under this group

4. Different Types of Vertebrates Vertebrates are broken down into 5 different types

5. Fish Fish are categorized into 3 different types: Cartilginous(Including sharks and rays), Ray-finned(Salmon all the way to goldfish), and Lobe-finned(Lungfish and coelacanths)

6. Mammals Mammals are grouped into 3 different categories: Monotremes (Platypuses), Marsupials (Kangaroos, koalas, wallabies, and possums), and Placental Mammals (Primates and Humans!)

7. Reptiles The reptile group is very diverse and differs greatly from most of vertebrates because it is a ectothermal animal meaning that it must get it’s body heat from the sun and shade The Reptile group includes animals such as snakes, lizards, crocodiles, alligators, and turtles.

8. Amphibians Amphibians live a very odd life. They actually change they’re form as they develop. They start as eggs and then transform into a fish life creature only to end up as a tetra pod (4 footed animal) Amphibians include animals such as frogs, toads, and salamanders

9. Birds Birds are covered in feathers which enable them to fly making them one of the few vertebrates to be able to fly Birds have over 9,700 species!!!!

10. Different Types of Invertebrates Invertebrates are broken down into 8 different categories Again, invertebrates are any animal without a backbone

11. Sponges Sponges have no tissues or organs in their body They’re filter feeders, meaning that they pump water through their pores to feed There are 5,000 species of sponges!

12. Cnidarians Cnidarians are a very diverse group, this group includes jellyfish, sea anemones and coral. These animals are incredibly dangerous to humans sometimes. Some cnidarians, such as the Box Jellyfish, can kill a human with one simple sting.

13. Flatworms Flatworms include parasites which can harm humans and sometimes kill them Flatworms include Tapeworms and Flukes

14. Roundworms Roundworms are found all over earth, including salt and fresh water! There are over 90,000 species of roundworms, though the number is believed to be much higher The most known species is of course the earthworm, which can be found anywhere dirt is

15. Molluscs Molluscs have three different types, Gastropods (Snails and slugs), Bivalve molluscus( Clams, scallops, and oysters) and Cephalopods(Octopuses and squids). Most molluscs spend their lives living in a shell There are over 43,700 species of molluscs

16. Arthropods Arthropods have 4 different groups that include Insects (Bee’s and flies), Arachnids (Spiders), Crustaceans (Crabs and Lobster), and Millipedes and centipedes The lack of a backbone for this animal does not affect it at all because of the tough exoskeleton that is around all Arthropods

17. Echinoderms This class includes Sea Stars, Sea Urchins, and Sea cucumbers This group is the closest related to Humans because of every member of the Echinoderms has radial symmetry just like humans do!!

18. Works Cited Bennett, Katie, and Laurel Hiebert. "Complex Life Cycles of Common Marine Invertebrates." Science Activities 46.4 (2010): 18-25. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 22 Mar. 2011. Hamner, William, and Michael, Dawson. "A review and synthesis on the systematics and evolution of jellyfish blooms: advantageous aggregations and adaptive assemblages." Hydrobiologia 616.1 (2008): 161-191. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 22 Mar. 2011. Hatchwell, Ben J. "Cryptic Kin Selection: Kin Structure in Vertebrate Populations and Opportunities for Kin-Directed Cooperation." Ethology 116.3 (2010): 203-216. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 22 Mar. 2011. IKEDA, YUZURU. "A perspective on the study of cognition and sociality of cephalopod mollusks, a group of intelligent marine invertebrates." Japanese Psychological Research 51.3 (2009): 146-153. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 22 Mar. 2011. Meinertzhagen, Ian A. "The organisation of invertebrate brains: cells, synapses and circuits." ActaZoologica 91.1 (2010): 64-71. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 22 Mar. 2011. Prokop, Pavol, MatejProkop, and Sue D. Tunnicliffe. "Effects of Keeping Animals as Pets on Children's Concepts of Vertebrates and Invertebrates." International Journal of Science Education 30.4 (2008): 431-449. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 22 Mar. 2011.