George R. McGhee - Convergent Evolution on Earth: Lessons for the Search for Extraterrestrial Life

Table A.1

A phylogenetic classification of life forms discussed in this book

Eubacteria (prokaryote cells with ester-bonded lipid membranes)

Cyanobacteria (aerobic photosynthesizing bacteria)

Archaea (prokaryote cells with ether-bonded lipid membranes)

Eukarya (eukaryote cells)

Bikonta (biflagellate eukaryotes)

Excavobionta

Rhizaria

Actinopoda (radiolarians and kin)

Foraminifera (foraminifera)

Chromoalveolata

Alveolata

Ciliophora

Dinophyta (dinoflagellates)

Apicomplexa

Cryptophyta

Haptophyta (coccoliths)

Stamenopiles

Phaeophyceae (brown algae)

Bacillariophyceae (diatoms)

Crysophyceae (golden algae)

Xanthophyceae (yellow-green algae)

Green eukaryotes

Glaucophyta (unicellular green eukaryotes)

Metabionta (unicellular to multicellular green eukaryotes)

Rhodobionta (unicellular to multicellular red algae)

Chlorobiota (unicellular to multicellular green algae, the plants)

Ulvophyta

Prasinophyta

Streptophyta

Chlorokybophyta

Klebsormidiophyta

Phragmoplastophyta

Zygnematophyta

Plasmodesmophyta

Chaetosphaeridiophyta

Charophyta

Parenchymophyta

Coleochaetophyta

Embryophyta > Land plants; table A.5

Unikonta (uniflagellate eukaryotes)

Amoebozoa

Rhizopoda

Mycetozoa (unicellular to multicellular slime molds)

Opisthokonta

Fungi (unicellular to multicellular fungi)

Eumycetes (yeast, mushrooms, and kin)

Microsporidia

Choanozoa

Choanoflagellata (unicellular choanozoa)

Ediacarans (vendobionts)

Radiata

Unipolara

Bipolara

Metazoa (multicellular choanozoa, the animals)

Ctenophora (sea walnuts, sea gooseberries, and kin)

Archaeocyatha

Porifera

Hexactinellida (glass sponges)

Demospongiae

Calcarea (calcareous sponges)

Parahoxozoa

Placozoa

Eumetazoa

Cnidaria (corals, jellyfish and kin)

Psammocorallia (sand corals)

Anthozoa (flower animals)

Hexacorallia

Rugosa (horn corals)

Tabulata (honeycomb corals)

Actiniaria (sea anemones)

Antipatharia

Ceriantharia

Zoanthidea

Scleractinia

Octocorallia

Alcyonacea

Helioporacea

Pennatulacea (sea feathers, sea ferns)

Medusozoa

Cubozoa (sea wasps and box jellyfishes)

Hydrozoa

Scyphozoa

Staurozoa

Bilateria (animals with bilateral symmetry)

Unnamed clade

Xenoturbellida

Acoelomorpha

Nemertodermatida

Acoela

Nephrozoa (bilaterians with an excretory system)

Deuterostomia (bilaterians with deuterostomous development)

Ambulacraria

Echinodermata

Homalozoa

Blastozoa

Crinozoa (sea lilies and kin)

Asterozoa (starfish, brittle stars and kin)

Echinozoa (sea cucumbers, sand dollars and kin)

Hemichordata

Pterobranchia (sea angels)

Rhabdopleurida

Graptolithina

Cephalodiscida

Enteropneusta (acorn worms)

Chordata (animals with spinal cords)

Cephalochordata (lancelets or headless fish)

Olfactores

Urochordata (sea squirts, salps and kin)

Vertebrata (animals with crania and vertebrae)

Myllokunmingiida

Unnamed clade

Cyclostomata

Myxinoidea (hagfishes)

Petromyzontida (lampreys)

Unnamed clade

Conodonta

Unnamed clade

Pteraspidomorphi

Unnamed clade

Anaspida

Unnamed clade

Thelodonti

Unnamed clade

Galeaspida

Unnamed clade

Pituriaspida

Osteostraci

Gnathostomata (jawed vertebrates)

Placodermi (armored fishes)

Unnamed clade

Acanthodii (spine-fin fishes)

Chondrichthyes (cartilaginous fishes)

Holocephali (ratfishes, chimaeras)

Elasmobranchii

Selachii (sharks)

Batoidea (rays, skates)

Osteichthyes (bony fish and descendants)

Actinopterygii (ray-fin fishes)

Cheirolepididae

Polypteridae (birchirs, reed fishes)

Actinopteri

Basal actinopterians

Chondrostei (sturgeons)

Neopterygii

Basal neopterygians

Ginglymodi (gars)

Halecostomi

Halecomorphi (bowfins)

Dapediidae

Philodophoridae

Leptolepidae

Teleostei > Teleost fishes; table A.2

Sarcopterygii (lobe-fin fishes and descendants)

Actinistia (coelocanths)

Dipnomorpha

Dipnoi (lungfishes)

Tetrapodomorpha

Tetrapoda > Land vertebrates; table A.4

Protostomia (bilaterians with protostomous development)

Spiralia

Gnathifera

Rotifera