"of the three subdivisions of chordates, all have distinct skulls. They include the hagfish, which have no vertebrae. Michael J. Benton commented that ""craniates are characterized by their heads, just as chordates, or possibly all deuterostomes, are by their tails"". Most craniates are vertebrates, in which the notochord is replaced by the vertebral column. These consist of a series of bony or cartilaginous cylindrical vertebrae, generally with neural arches that protect the spinal cord, and with projections that link the vertebrae. However hagfish have incomplete braincases and no vertebrae, and are therefore not regarded as vertebrates, but as members of"
"Craniate A craniate is a member of the Craniata (sometimes called the Craniota), a proposed clade of chordate animals with a skull of hard bone or cartilage. Living representatives are the Myxini (hagfishes), Hyperoartia (including lampreys), and the much more numerous Gnathostomata (jawed vertebrates). The clade was conceived largely on the basis of the Hyperoartia (lampreys and kin) being more closely related to the Gnathostomata (jawed vertebrates) than the Myxini (hagfishes). This, combined with an apparent lack of vertebral elements within the Myxini, suggested that the Myxini were descended from a more ancient lineage than the vertebrates, and that the"
"(relationships) of the Lancelet, Tunicate, and Craniata clades are as reported. Craniate A craniate is a member of the Craniata (sometimes called the Craniota), a proposed clade of chordate animals with a skull of hard bone or cartilage. Living representatives are the Myxini (hagfishes), Hyperoartia (including lampreys), and the much more numerous Gnathostomata (jawed vertebrates). The clade was conceived largely on the basis of the Hyperoartia (lampreys and kin) being more closely related to the Gnathostomata (jawed vertebrates) than the Myxini (hagfishes). This, combined with an apparent lack of vertebral elements within the Myxini, suggested that the Myxini were descended"
"animals, they developed duplicate sets of many gene families that are involved in cell signaling, transcription, and morphogenesis (see homeobox). In general, craniates are much more active than tunicates and lancelets and, as a result, have greater metabolic demands, as well as several anatomical adaptations. Aquatic craniates have gill slits, which are connected to muscles and nerves that pump water through the slits, engaging in both feeding and gas exchange (as opposed to lancelets, whose pharyngeal slits are used only for suspension feeding). Muscles line the alimentary canal, moving food through the canal, allowing higher craniates such as mammals to"
"develop more complex digestive systems for optimal food processing. Craniates have cardiovascular systems that include a heart with two or more chambers, red blood cells, and oxygen transporting hemoglobin, as well as kidneys. Linnaeus (1758) used the terms ""Craniata"" and ""Vertebrata"" interchangeably to include lampreys, jawed fishes, and terrestrial vertebrates (or tetrapods). Hagfishes were classified as Vermes, possibly representing a transitional form between 'worms' and fishes. Dumeril (1806) grouped hagfishes and lampreys in the taxon ""Cyclostomi"", characterized by horny teeth borne on a tongue-like apparatus, a large notochord as adults, and pouch-shaped gills (Marspibranchii). Cyclostomes were regarded as either degenerate"
"Craniata is another name for the Craniforma, but this is avoided because of the group of chordates that bears the same name. Craniiformea Craniata (formerly Craniforma) is a class of Brachiopod originating in the Cambrian period and still extant today. They have calcitic inarticulated shells that are subcircular in outline. This subphylum of brachiopod has an unsupported lophophore and is always attached to a hard substrate in the fossil record. This hard substrate is usually another brachiopod. The plicae from the host brachiopod will then appear in the shell of the craniata. Craniata is the only class of brachiopods (lamp"
"Cranaidae The Cranaidae are a family of neotropical harvestmen within the suborder Laniatores. The name of the type genus is derived from Cranaus, the successor of Cecrops I as king of Attica in Greek mythology. Body length ranges from about six to sixteen millimeters. The color normally ranges from brown to black greenish, with the legs sometimes lighter to yellowish. Some species feature white stripes on some regions. Most species are found in northern South America, with few species found in Panama and Costa Rica. The diversity of the family is probably explained by the diversity of habitats in the"
"Carinatae Carinatae is the group of all birds and their extinct relatives to possess a keel, or ""carina"", on the underside of the breastbone used to anchor large flight muscles. Traditionally, Carinatae were defined as all birds whose sternum (breast bone) has a keel (""carina""). The keel is a strong median ridge running down the length of the sternum. This is an important area for the attachment of flight muscles. Thus, all flying birds have a pronounced keel. Ratites, all of which are flightless, lack a strong keel. Thus, living birds were divided into carinatae (keeled) and ratites (from ""ratis"","
"Craniidae The Craniidae are a family of brachiopods, commonly known as lamp shells. Although it belongs to a subdivision called the inarticulata which have shells where the mineral content consist of calcium phosphate, the Craniidae have shells that consist of calcium carbonate. Other special characteristics of this family are that no outgrowths are developed to form a hinge between both valves, nor is there any support for the lophophore. As adults, craniids either lived free on the ocean floor or, more commonly, were attached to a hard object with all or part of the ventral valve. All other brachiopods are"
"possess a cranium. For this reason, the vertebrate subphylum is sometimes referred to as ""Craniata"" when discussing morphology. Molecular analysis since 1992 has suggested that the hagfishes are most closely related to lampreys, and so also are vertebrates in a monophyletic sense. Others consider them a sister group of vertebrates in the common taxon of Craniata. The head or skull includes the skull roof (a set of bones covering the brain, eyes and nostrils), the snout (from the eye to the forward most point of the upper jaw), the operculum or gill cover (absent in sharks and jawless fish), and"
"Craniiformea Craniata (formerly Craniforma) is a class of Brachiopod originating in the Cambrian period and still extant today. They have calcitic inarticulated shells that are subcircular in outline. This subphylum of brachiopod has an unsupported lophophore and is always attached to a hard substrate in the fossil record. This hard substrate is usually another brachiopod. The plicae from the host brachiopod will then appear in the shell of the craniata. Craniata is the only class of brachiopods (lamp shells) from the subphylum Craniiformea. This class is further broken into three orders. One of the orders is still living (the Craniida)."
"Tunicate A tunicate is a marine invertebrate animal, a member of the subphylum Tunicata, which is part of the Chordata, a phylum which includes all animals with dorsal nerve cords and notochords. The subphylum was at one time called Urochordata, and the term urochordates is still sometimes used for these animals. They are the only chordates that have lost their myomeric segmentation, with the possible exception of the seriation of the gill slits. Some tunicates live as solitary individuals, but others replicate by budding and become colonies, each unit being known as a zooid. They are marine filter feeders with"
"skull developed before the vertebral column. The clade was thus composed of the Myxini and the vertebrates, and any extinct chordates with skulls. However recent studies using molecular phylogenetics has contradicted this view, with evidence that the Cyclostomata (Hyperoartia and Myxini) is monophyletic; this suggests that the Myxini are degenerate vertebrates, and therefore the vertebrates and craniates are cladistically equivalent, at least for the living representatives. The placement of the Myxini within the vertebrates has been further strengthened by recent anatomical analysis, with vestiges of a vertebral column being discovered in the Myxini. In the simplest sense, craniates are chordates"
"fenestrations. The group Squamata includes snakes, lizards, and amphisbaenians. Squamata can be characterized by the reduction or loss of limbs. Snakes, some lizards, and most amphisbaenians have evolved the complete loss of their limbs. The skin of all squamates is covered in scales. The upper jaw of Squamates is movable on the cranium, a configuration called kinesis. This is made possible by a loose connection between the quadrate and its neighboring bones. Without this, snakes would not be able consume prey that are much larger than themselves. However, the tuatara does not share this characteristic with the other Lepidosauria. Amphisbaenians"
"Cranial kinesis Cranial kinesis is the term for significant movement of skull bones relative to each other in addition to movement at the joint between the upper and lower jaw. It is usually taken to mean relative movement between the upper jaw and the braincase. Most vertebrates have some form of kinetic skull. Cranial kinesis, or lack thereof, is usually linked to feeding. Animals which must exert powerful bite forces, such as crocodiles, often have rigid skulls with little or no kinesis, for maximum strength. Animals which swallow large prey whole (snakes), which grip awkwardly shaped food items (parrots eating"
"Cranes of Great Britain Cranes are large, long-legged and long-necked birds of the order Gruiformes. Two species occur as wild birds in Britain: the common crane (""Grus grus""), a scarce migrant and very localised breeding resident currently being reintroduced to the country, and the sandhill crane (""Antigone canadensis""), an extreme vagrant from North America. A third species, the demoiselle crane (""Grus virgo""), has been recorded on a number of occasions, but these birds have not generally been accepted as being of wild origin. A number of other species are kept in captivity, resulting in the possibility of escapees being seen."
"Cratera (genus) Cratera is a genus of land planarians from South America. The genus ""Cratera"" is characterized by having a leaf-shaped body. Most species are between 3 and 7 cm long. The hundreds of eyes distributed along the body are monolobulated, i.e., simple and circular. The copulatory apparatus has a permanent conical penis occupying the entire male cavity. The final portion of the ejaculatory duct, the channel that guides sperm through the penis, has an expanded cavity that resembles a volcanic crater. It is very similar to the related genus ""Obama"", the main difference being the presence of trilobulated eyes"
"Craniella Craniella is a genus of marine demosponges in the family Tetillidae. ""Craniella abracadabra"" - ""Craniella arb"" - ""Craniella atropurpurea"" - ""Craniella australiensis"" - ""Craniella australis"" - ""Craniella azorica"" - ""Craniella carteri"" - ""Craniella coactifera"" - ""Craniella corticata"" - ""Craniella coxi"" - ""Craniella craniana"" - ""Craniella cranium"" - ""Craniella crassispicula"" - ""Craniella disigma"" - ""Craniella elegans"" - ""Craniella ellipsoida"" - ""Craniella globosa"" - ""Craniella gravida"" - ""Craniella insidiosa"" - ""Craniella laminaris"" - ""Craniella lens"" - ""Craniella lentiformis"" - ""Craniella lentisimilis"" - ""Craniella leptoderma"" - ""Craniella longipilis"" - ""Craniella metaclada"" - ""Craniella monodi"" - ""Craniella neocaledoniae"" - ""Craniella oxeata"" - ""Craniella"
"secondarily lost vertebrae; before this event was inferred from molecular and developmental data, the group Craniata was created by Linnaeus (and is still sometimes used as a strictly morphological descriptor) to reference hagfish plus vertebrates. In addition to the absence of jaws, modern agnathans are characterised by absence of paired fins; the presence of a notochord both in larvae and adults; and seven or more paired gill pouches. Lampreys have a light sensitive pineal eye (homologous to the pineal gland in mammals). All living and most extinct Agnatha do not have an identifiable stomach or any appendages. Fertilization and development"
"Crane (bird) Cranes are a family, the Gruidae, of large, long-legged, and long-necked birds in the group Gruiformes. The 15 species of cranes are placed in four genera. Unlike the similar-looking but unrelated herons, cranes fly with necks outstretched, not pulled back. Cranes live on all continents except Antarctica and South America. They are opportunistic feeders that change their diets according to the season and their own nutrient requirements. They eat a range of items from suitably sized small rodents, fish, amphibians, and insects to grain and berries. Cranes construct platform nests in shallow water, and typically lay two eggs"
"another unique feature of echinoderms, a water vascular system of canals that also functions as a ""lung"" and surrounded by muscles that act as pumps. Crinoids look rather like flowers, and use their feather-like arms to filter food particles out of the water; most live anchored to rocks, but a few can move very slowly. Other echinoderms are mobile and take a variety of body shapes, for example starfish, sea urchins and sea cucumbers. Chordate A chordate () is an animal belonging to the phylum Chordata; chordates possess a notochord, a hollow dorsal nerve cord, pharyngeal slits, an endostyle, and"
"Vertebrata would return to its old content (Gnathostomata + Cyclostomata) and the name Craniata, being superfluous, would become a junior synonym. The new evidence removes support for the hypothesis for the evolutionary sequence by which (from among tunicate-like chordates) first the hard cranium arose as it is exhibited by the hagfishes, then the backbone as exhibited by the lampreys, and then finally the hinged jaw that is now ubiquitous. In 2010, Philippe Janvier stated: Phylogenetic tree of the Chordate phylum. Lines show probable evolutionary relationships, including extinct taxa, which are denoted with a dagger, †. Some are invertebrates. The positions"
"Balearica The bird genus Balearica (also called the crowned cranes) contains two extant species in the crane family Gruidae: the black crowned crane (""B. pavonina"") and the grey crowned crane (""B. regulorum""). The species today occur only in Africa, south of the Sahara Desert, and are the only cranes that can nest in trees. This habitat is one reason the relatively small ""Balearica"" cranes are believed to closely resemble the ancestral members of the Gruidae. Like all cranes, they eat insects, reptiles, and small mammals. The genus ""Balearica"" was erected by the French zoologist Mathurin Jacques Brisson in 1760. The"
"the sister clade to the Craniata. A comparison of the genomes of the Lancelet ""Branchiostoma floridae"", a fish, the chicken ""Gallus gallus"", and humans ""Homo sapiens"" revealed extensive macro-synteny with little or no micro-synteny. That is, across the Chordate clade the same genes are found clustered near each other although the order of the genes within the clusters has been shuffled. There are 135 identifiable segments in the human genome which retain synteny with the ancestral chordate karyotype. Synteny analysis indicates that there were 17 chromosomes in the last common ancestor to the Chordates. Multiple lines of experimental evidence strongly"
"""Vertebrate Palaeontology"". The invertebrate chordate classes are from Fishes of the World. While it is structured so as to reflect evolutionary relationships (similar to a cladogram), it also retains the traditional ranks used in Linnaean taxonomy. Phylogenetic tree of the Chordate phylum. Lines show probable evolutionary relationships, including extinct taxa, which are denoted with a dagger, †. Some are invertebrates. The positions (relationships) of the Lancelet, Tunicate, and Craniata clades are as reported Hemichordates (""half chordates"") have some features similar to those of chordates: branchial openings that open into the pharynx and look rather like gill slits; stomochords, similar in"
"Crab Crabs are decapod crustaceans of the infraorder Brachyura, which typically have a very short projecting ""tail"" (abdomen) ( = short, / = tail), usually entirely hidden under the thorax. They live in all the world's oceans, in fresh water, and on land, are generally covered with a thick exoskeleton and have a single pair of claws. Many other animals with similar names – such as hermit crabs, king crabs, porcelain crabs, horseshoe crabs, and crab lice – are not true crabs. Crabs are generally covered with a thick exoskeleton, composed primarily of highly mineralized chitin, and armed with a"
"birds are not uncommon. These cranes are omnivores, eating plants, seeds, grain, insects, frogs, worms, snakes, small fish and the eggs of aquatic animals. Stamping their feet as they walk, they flush out insects which are quickly caught and eaten. The birds also associate with grazing herbivores, benefiting from the ability to grab prey items disturbed by antelopes and gazelles. They spend their entire day looking for food. At night, the crowned crane spends its time in the trees sleeping and resting. Grey crowned cranes time their breeding season around the rains, although the effect varies geographically. In East Africa"
"Crinoid Crinoids are marine animals that make up the class Crinoidea of the echinoderms (phylum Echinodermata). The name comes from the Greek word ""krinon"", ""a lily"", and ""eidos"", ""form"". They live in both shallow water and in depths as great as . Those crinoids which in their adult form are attached to the sea bottom by a stalk are commonly called sea lilies. The unstalked forms are called feather stars or comatulids. Crinoids are characterised by a mouth on the top surface that is surrounded by feeding arms. They have a U-shaped gut, and their anus is located next to"
"Chordate A chordate () is an animal belonging to the phylum Chordata; chordates possess a notochord, a hollow dorsal nerve cord, pharyngeal slits, an endostyle, and a post-anal tail, for at least some period of their life cycle. Chordates are deuterostomes, as during the embryo development stage the anus forms before the mouth. They are also bilaterally symmetric coelomates with metameric segmentation and a circulatory system. In the case of vertebrate chordates, the notochord is usually replaced by a vertebral column during development. Taxonomically, the phylum includes the following subphyla: the Vertebrata, which consists of fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and"
"Claw A claw is a curved, pointed appendage, found at the end of a toe or finger in most amniotes (mammals, reptiles, birds). Some invertebrates such as beetles and spiders have somewhat similar fine hooked structures at the end of the leg or tarsus for gripping a surface as the creature walks. Crabs', lobsters' and scorpions' pincers, or more formally, their chelae, are sometimes called claws. A true claw is made of hard protein called keratin. Claws are used to catch and hold prey in carnivorous mammals such as cats and dogs, but may also be used for such purposes"
"mammals; the Tunicata, which includes salps and sea squirts; and lastly the Cephalochordata, which includes the lancelets. There are also additional extinct taxa such as the Vetulicolia. The Vertebrata are sometimes considered as a subgroup of the clade Craniata, which is consisting of chordates with a already formed skull; the Craniata and Tunicata compose the clade Olfactores. Of the more than 65,000 living species of chordates, about half are bony fish that are members of the superclass Osteichthyes. The world's largest and fastest animals, the blue whale and peregrine falcon respectively, are chordates, as are humans. Fossil chordates are known"
"sourced from: Information on demoiselle crane was sourced from: Information on egg laid in Southern Europe since 400 years Cranes of Great Britain Cranes are large, long-legged and long-necked birds of the order Gruiformes. Two species occur as wild birds in Britain: the common crane (""Grus grus""), a scarce migrant and very localised breeding resident currently being reintroduced to the country, and the sandhill crane (""Antigone canadensis""), an extreme vagrant from North America. A third species, the demoiselle crane (""Grus virgo""), has been recorded on a number of occasions, but these birds have not generally been accepted as being of"
"Trichoceridae Trichoceridae, or winter crane flies, of the order Diptera are long, thin, delicate insects superficially similar in appearance to the Tipulidae, Tanyderidae, and Ptychopteridae. The presence of ocelli distinguishes the Trichoceridae from these other families. There are approximately 160 known species. The adults can be found flying in the fall and the spring and some are active even in the winter, hence their common name. They form dancing, loose swarms of mostly males. Adults can also be found resting inside caves and hollow logs. Larvae occur in moist habitats where they feed on decaying vegetable matter. They are of"