Classification of Kingdom Animalia

Classification of Kingdom Animalia

Animal kingdom is divided into two sub-kingdoms, the Parazoa and Eumetazoa based on their organisation.

1. Parazoa: These include the multicellular sponges and their cells are loosely aggregated and do not form tissues or organs.

2.  Eumetazoa: These include multicellular animals with well defined tissues, which are organised as organs and organ systems. Eumetazoans includes two taxonomic levels called grades. They include Radiata and Bilateria.

Grade: 1 Radiata

Among the eumetazoa, a few animals have an organisation of two layers of cells, the outer ectoderm and inner endoderm, separated by a jelly like mesoglea. They are radially symmetrical and are diploblastic.

Examples: Cnidarians (sea anemone, jelly fish) and Ctenophores (comb jellies).

Grade: 2. Bilateria

The eumetazoans other than Radiata, show organ level of organisation and are bilaterally symmetrical and triploblastic. The grade Bilateria includes two taxonomic levels called Division.

Division: 1. Protostomia (Proto: first; stomium: mouth)

Protostomia includes the eumetazoans in which the embryonic blastopore develops into mouth. This division includes three subdivisions namely acoelomata, pseudocoelomata and schizocoelomata.

Division: 2. Deuterostomia -(deuteron: secondary; stomium: mouth)

Eumetazoans in which anus is formed from or near the blastopore and the mouth is formed away from the blastopore. It -includes only one subdivision Enterocoelomata. They have a true coelom called enterocoel, formed from the archenteron.