Animalia

Overview of phyla

Extant (34): Acanthocephala – Annelida – Arthropoda – Brachiopoda – Bryozoa – Chaetognatha – Chordata – Cnidaria – Ctenophora – Cycliophora – Dicyemida – Echinodermata – Entoprocta – Gastrotricha – Gnathostomulida – Hemichordata – Kinorhyncha – Loricifera – Micrognathozoa – Mollusca – Nematoda – Nematomorpha – Nemertea – Onychophora – Orthonectida – Phoronida – Placozoa – Platyhelminthes – Porifera – Priapulida – Rotifera – Sipuncula – Tardigrada – Xenacoelomorpha
[Source: Catalogue of Life version 2024-03-26]

Nomen dubium (1): ?Monoblastozoa

Fossil (5): †Petalonamae – †Proarticulata – †Trilobozoa – ?†Vendobionta – †Vetulicolia

Synonyms

• Metazoa Haeckel, 1874
• Zooaea Barkley, 1939
• Gastrobionta Rothmaler, 1948
• Euanimalia Barkley, 1949

Biodiversity

• Zhang, Z.-Q. (ed.) 2011. Animal biodiversity: an outline of higher-level classification and survey of taxonomic richness. Zootaxa 3148: 1–237. Open access. Reference page. 
• Zhang, Z.-Q. (ed.) 2013. Animal biodiversity: an outline of higher-level classification and survey of taxonomic richness (Addenda 2013). Zootaxa 3703(1): 1–82. DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3703.1.1 Open access. Reference page. 

Animal biodiversity publishing

• Blagoderov, V., Brake, I., Georgiev, T., Penev, L., Roberts, D., Ryrcroft, S., Scott, R., Agosti, D., Catapano, T. & Smith, V.S. 2010. Streamlining taxonomic publication: a working example with Scratchpads and ZooKeys. ZooKeys 50: 17–28. DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.50.539
• Penev, L., Roberts, D., Smith, V., Agosti, D. & Erwin, T. 2010. Editorial. Taxonomy shifts up a gear: New publishing tools to accelerate biodiversity research. ZooKeys 50: i–iv. DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.50.543
• Penev, L., Agosti, D., Georgiev, T., Catapano, T., Miller, J., Blagoderov, V., Roberts, D., Smith, V.S., Brake, I., Ryrcroft, S., Scott, B., Johnson, N.F., Morris, R.A., Sautter, G., Chavan, V., Robertson, T., Remsen, D., Stoev, P., Parr, C., Knapp, S., Kress, W.J., Thompson, F.C. & Erwin, T. 2010. Semantic tagging of and semantic enhancements to systematics papers: ZooKeys working examples. ZooKeys 50: 1–16. DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.50.538
• Penev, L., Hagedorn, G., Mietchen, D., Georgiev, T., Stoev, P., Sautter, G., Agosti, D., Plank, A., Balke, M., Hendrich, L., Erwin, T. 2011. Interlinking journal and wiki publications through joint citation: Working examples from ZooKeys and Plazi on Species-ID. ZooKeys 90: 1–12. DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.90.1369
• Smith, V. & Penev, L. (eds.) 2011. e-Infrastructures for data publishing in biodiversity science. ZooKeys 150 contents
• Valdecasas, A.G. 2011. An index to evaluate the quality of taxonomic publications. Zootaxa 2925: 57–62. Preview PDF
• Zhang, Z.-Q. 2011. Describing unexplored biodiversity: Zootaxa in the International Year of Biodiversity. Zootaxa 2768: 1–4. Preview PDF
• Zhang, Z.-Q. 2011. Accelerating biodiversity descriptions and transforming taxonomic publishing: the first decade of Zootaxa. Zootaxa 2896: 1–7. Preview PDF

Methodology in zoological taxonomy

• Assis, L.C.S., Carvalho, M.R. & Wheeler, Q.D. 2011. Homoplasy: from detecting pattern to determining process in evolution, but with a secondary role for morphology? Zootaxa 2984: 67–68. Preview (PDF)
• Brown, B.V. 2013. Automating the "Material examined" section of taxonomic papers to speed up species descriptions. Zootaxa 3683(3): 297–299. DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3683.3.8 Reference page. 
• Chakrabarty, P. 2010. Genetypes: a concept to help integrate molecular phylogenetics and taxonomy. Zootaxa 2632: 67–68. Preview PDF
• Coleman, C.O., Lowry, J.K. & Macfarlane, T. 2010. DELTA for beginners. An introduction into the taxonomy software package DELTA. ZooKeys 45: 1–75. DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.45.263 .
• Cruickshank, R.H. & Munck, L. 2011. It’s barcoding Jim, but not as we know it. Zootaxa 2933: 55–56. Preview PDF
• Ebach, M.C. 2011. Taxonomy and the DNA Barcoding Enterprise. Zootaxa 2742: 67–68. Preview PDF
• Faith, D.P., Köhler, F., Puslednik, L. & Ballard, J.W.O. 2012. Corroboration assessments and recent progress towards integrative systematics: a reply to Farris and Carpenter. Zootaxa 3235: 65–68. Preview (PDF)
• Farris, J.S. & Carpenter, J.M. 2012. Faith et al.'s (2011) "corroboration assessment" leads to verificationism. Zootaxa 3235: 62–64. Preview (PDF)
• Maddison, D.R., Schulz, K.-S. & Maddison, W.P. 2007. The Tree of Life Web Project. Pp. 19–40 in: Zhang, Z.-Q. & Shear, W.A. (eds.) Linnaeus tercentenary: progress in invertebrate taxonomy. Zootaxa 1668: 1–766. Abstract & excerpt (PDF) PDF
• Minelli, A. 2007. Invertebrate taxonomy and evolutionary developmental biology. Pp. 55–60 in: Zhang, Z.-Q. & Shear, W.A. (eds.) Linnaeus tercentenary: progress in invertebrate taxonomy. Zootaxa 1668: 1–766. Abstract & excerpt (PDF) PDF
• Mitchell, A. 2011. DNA barcoding is useful for taxonomy: a reply to Ebach. Zootaxa 2772: 67–68. Preview PDF
• Rodman, J.E. 2007. Reflections on PEET, the Partnerships for Enhancing Expertise in Taxonomy. Pp. 41–46 in: Zhang, Z.-Q. & Shear, W.A. (eds.) Linnaeus tercentenary: progress in invertebrate taxonomy. Zootaxa 1668: 1–766. Abstract & excerpt (PDF) PDF
• Rodríguez-Fernández, J.I., Carvalho, C.J.B., Pasquini, C., Lima, K.M.G., Moura, M.O. & Carbajal Arízaga, G.G. 2011. Barcoding without DNA? Species identification using near infrared spectroscopy. Zootaxa 2933: 46–54. Preview
• Rogers, D.C. 2012. Taxonomic certification versus the scientific method. Zootaxa 3257: 66–68. Preview (PDF)
• Santos, L.M. & Faria, L.R.R. 2011. The taxonomy’s new clothes: a little more about the DNA-based taxonomy. Zootaxa 3025: 66–68. Preview PDF
• Stevens, M.I., Porco, D., D’Haese, C.A. & Deharveng, L. 2011. Comment on "Taxonomy and the DNA Barcoding Enterprise" by Ebach (2011). Zootaxa 2838: 85–88. Preview PDF
• Stribling, J., Sweeney, B., Morse, J., Corkum, G., Lester, G., Miller, S., Mitchell, R., Poulton, B., Strachan, S. & Wetzel, M. 2012. “Taxonomic certification versus the scientific method”: a rebuttal of Rogers (2012). Zootaxa 3359: 65–68. Preview PDF [erratum in Zootaxa 3383: 14–14. Preview PDF (2012)] Reference page.
• Wheeler, Q.D. 2007. Invertebrate systematics or spineless taxonomy? Pp. 10–18 in: Zhang, Z.-Q. & Shear, W.A. (eds.) Linnaeus tercentenary: progress in invertebrate taxonomy. Zootaxa 1668: 1–766. Abstract & excerpt (PDF) PDF
• Wilkins, J.S. 2011. Philosophically speaking, how many species concepts are there? Zootaxa 2765: 58–60. Preview (PDF)
• Winston, J.E. 2007. Archives of a small planet: The significance of museum collections and museum-based research in invertebrate taxonomy. Pp. 47–54 in: Zhang, Z.-Q. & Shear, W.A. (eds.) Linnaeus tercentenary: progress in invertebrate taxonomy. Zootaxa 1668: 1–766. Abstract & excerpt (PDF) PDF

Phylogeny

• Baurain, D., Brinkmann, H. & Philippe, H. 2007. Lack of Resolution in the Animal Phylogeny: Closely Spaced Cladogeneses or Undetected Systematic Errors? Molecular Biology and Evolution 24(1): 6–9. DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msl137 .
• Bourlat, S.J., Nielsen, C., Economou, A.D. & Telford, M.J. 2008. Testing the new animal phylogeny: a phylum level molecular analysis of the animal kingdom. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 49(1): 23–31. DOI: 10.1016/j.ympev.2008.07.008 . PDF. Reference page. 
• DeSalle, R. & Schierwater, B. 2008. An even "newer" animal phylogeny. BioEssays 30(11–12): 1043–1047. DOI: 10.1002/bies.20842 . PDF
• Dunn, C.W., Hejnol, A., Matus, D.Q., Pang, K., Browne, W.E., Smith, S.A., Seaver, E., Rouse, G.W., Obst, M., Edgecombe, G.D., Sørensen, M.V., Haddock, S.H.D., Schmidt-Rhaesa, A., Okusu, A., Kristensen, R.M., Wheeler, W.C., Martindale, M.Q. & Giribet, G. 2008. Broad phylogenomic sampling improves resolution of the animal tree of life. Nature 452: 745–749. DOI: 10.1038/nature06614 . Reference page. 
• Edgecombe, G.D., Giribet, G., Dunn, C.W., Hejnot, A., Kristensen, R.M., Neves, R.C., Rouse, G.W., Worsaae, K. & Sørensen, M.V. 2011. Higher-level metazoan relationships: recent progress and remaining questions. Organisms Diversity & Evolution 11(2): 151–172. DOI: 10.1007/s13127-011-0044-4 . Reference page. 
• Giribet, G., Dunn, C.W., Edgecombe, G.D. & Rouse, G.W. 2007. A modern look at the Animal Tree of Life. Pp. 61–79 in: Zhang, Z.-Q. & Shear, W.A. (eds.) Linnaeus tercentenary: progress in invertebrate taxonomy. Zootaxa 1668: 1–766. Abstract & excerpt (PDF) PDF
• Glenner, H., Hansen, A.J., Sørensen, M.V., Ronquist, F., Huelsenbeck, J.P. & Willerslev, E. 2004. Bayesian inference of the metazoan phylogeny: a combined molecular and morphological approach. Current Biology 14: 1644–1649. DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2004.09.027 .
• Halanych, K.M. 2004. The new view of animal phylogeny. Annual Review of Ecology, Evolution, and Systematics 35: 229–256. DOI: 10.1146/annurev.ecolsys.35.112202.130124 . PDF PDF
• Jenner, R.A. 2004. Towards a phylogeny of the Metazoa: evaluating alternative phylogenetic positions of Platyhelminthes, Nemertea, and Gnathostomulida, with a critical reappraisal of cladistic characters. Contributions to Zoology 73(1–2): 3–163. DOI: 10.1163/18759866-0730102001 .
• Leys, S.P. & Eerkes-Medrano, D. 2005. Gastrulation in calcareous sponges: in search of Haeckel’s Gastraea. Integrative and Comparative Biology 45(2): 342–351. DOI: 10.1093/icb/45.2.342 . PDF
• Medina, M., Collins, A.G., Silberman, J.D. & Sogin, M.L. 2001. Evaluating hypotheses of basal animal phylogeny using complete sequences of large and small subunit rRNA. PNAS 98(17): 9707–9712. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.171316998 . JSTOR PubMed
• Nielsen, C. 2001. Animal Evolution: interrelationships of the living phyla (2nd edition). Oxford University Press, New York. ISBN 0198506821 ISBN 9780198506829
• Schierwater, B. & DeSalle, R. 2007. Can we ever identify the Urmetazoan? Integrative and Comparative Biology 47(5): 670–676. DOI: 10.1093/icb/icm040 .
• Schierwater, B., Eitel, M., Jakob, W., Osigus, H.-J., Hadrys, H., Dellaporta, S.L., Kolokotronis, S.-O., DeSalle, R. 2009. Concatenated Analysis Sheds Light on Early Metazoan Evolution and Fuels a Modern “Urmetazoon” Hypothesis. PLOS Biology 7(1): e1000020. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.1000020
• Schmidt-Rhaesa, A. 2003. Old trees, new trees: is there any progress? Zoology 106(4): 291–301. DOI: 10.1078/0944-2006-00128
• Sorensen, M.V., Funch, P., Willerslev, E., Hansen, A.J. & Olesen, J. 2000. On the phylogeny of the Metazoa in the light of Cycliophora and Micrognathozoa. Zoologischer Anzeiger 239(3): 297–318. ResearchGate .
• Syed, T., Gudo, M. & Gutmann, M. 2007. Die neue Großphylogenie des Tierreiches: Dilemma oder Fortschritt? [The new animal phylogeny – dilemma or progress?] Denisia 20: 295–312. PDF.
• Telford, M.J. 2006. Animal phylogeny. Current Biology 16(23): R981–R985. DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2006.10.048 .
• Zrzavý, J. 2002. Gastrotricha and metazoan phylogeny. Zoologica Scripta 32(1): 61–81. DOI: 10.1046/j.1463-6409.2003.00104.x . Reference page. 

Zoological nomenclature/terminology

• Anon. 2010. Official Lists and Indexes of Names in Zoology Updated March 2010
• Bour, R. 2010. Constant Duméril’s Zoologie Analytique was published in 1805. Bionomina 1: 56–57. Preview (PDF) PDF
• Carlos, C.J. & Voisin, J.-F. 2009. A few remarks on the proposed amendment of the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature to expand and refine methods of publication. Zootaxa 2198: 67–68. Abstract & excerpt (PDF)
• Dubois, A. 2007. Nomina zoologica linnaeana. Pp. 81–106 in: Zhang, Z.-Q. & Shear, W.A. (eds.) Linnaeus tercentenary: progress in invertebrate taxonomy. Zootaxa 1668: 1–766. Abstract & excerpt (PDF)
• Dubois, A. 2008. Authors of zoological publications and nomina are signatures, not persons. Zootaxa 1771: 63–68. Abstract & excerpt (PDF)
• Dubois, A. 2009. Incorporation of nomina of higher-ranked taxa into the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature: the nomenclatural status of class-series zoological nomina published in a non-Latinized form. Zootaxa 2106: 1–12. Abstract & excerpt (PDF)
• Dubois, A. 2010. Retroactive changes should be introduced in the Code only with great care: problems related to the spellings of nomina. Zootaxa 2426: 1–42. Preview (PDF) PDF
• Dubois, A. 2010. Bionomina, a forum for the discussion of nomenclatural and terminological issues in biology. Bionomina 1: 1–10. Preview (PDF) PDF
• Dubois, A. 2011. The International Code of Zoological Nomenclature must be drastically improved before it is too late. Bionomina 2: 1–104. Preview PDF
• Dubois, A. 2012. The distinction between introduction of a new nomen and subsequent use of a previously introduced nomen in zoological nomenclature. Bionomina 5: 57–80. Preview (PDF)
• Dubois, A., Minelli, A. & Zhang, Z.-Q. 2011. Recommendations about nomenclature for papers submitted to Zootaxa. Zootaxa 2943: 58–62. Preview PDF
• Dubois, A., Crochet, P.-A., Dickinson, E.C., Nemésio, A., Aescht, E., Bauer, A.M., Blagoderov, V., Bour, R., Carvalho, M.R., Desutter-Grandcolas, L., Frétey, T., Jäger, P., Koyamba, V., Lavilla, E.O., Löbl, I., Louchart, A., Malécot, V., Schatz, H. & Ohler, A. 2013. Nomenclatural and taxonomic problems related to the electronic publication of new nomina and nomenclatural acts in zoology, with brief comments on optical discs and on the situation in botany. Zootaxa 3735(1): 1–94. DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3735.1.1 Reference page. 
• Flann, C. 2011. BioCode: third time lucky? Zootaxa 2874: 38–40. Preview (PDF)
• Hedges, S.B. 2011. On the use of high-level taxonomic names. Zootaxa 2867: 67–68. Preview PDF
• Hoquet, T. 2010. Why terms matter to biological theories: the term “origin” as used by Darwin. Bionomina 1: 58–60. Preview (PDF) PDF
• ICZN 1987. Official Lists and Indexes of Names and Works in Zoology. London: ICZN. ISBN 0853010048
• ICZN 2012. Amendment of Articles 8, 9, 10, 21 and 78 of the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature to expand and refine methods of publication. Zootaxa 3450: 1–7. Preview (PDF). Full paper (PDF). Reference page. 
• ICZN 2012. Amendment of Articles 8, 9, 10, 21 and 78 of the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature to expand and refine methods of publication. ZooKeys 219: 1–10. DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.219.3944 Reference page. 
• Kuhn, J.H. & Wahl-Jensen, V. 2010. Being obsessive-compulsive about terminology and nomenclature is not a vice, but a virtue. Bionomina 1: 11–14. Preview (PDF) PDF
• Minelli, A. 2013. Zoological nomenclature in the digital era. Frontiers in Zoology 10: 4. DOI: 10.1186/1742-9994-10-4
• Nemésio, A. 2011. Nomenclatural itch versus patrolling itch: comments on O’Hara (2011). Zootaxa 2986: 63–68. Preview (PDF)
• O’Hara, J.E. 2011. Cyber nomenclaturalists and the “CESA itch”. Zootaxa 2933: 57–64. Preview PDF
• Sepkoski, J.J., Jr.(†) 2002. A compendium of fossil marine animal genera. Bulletins of American Paleontology 363: 1–560. BHL. Reference page. 
• Steyskal, G.C. 1970. On gender concord in binomina. The Coleopterists Bulletin 24(2): 57–58. BHL. JSTOR .
• Zhang, Z.-Q. 2012. A new era in zoological nomenclature and taxonomy: ICZN accepts e-publication and launches ZooBank. Zootaxa 3450: 8–8. Preview (PDF). Reference page. 

Additional references

• Bigatti, G. & Signorelli, J. 2018. Marine invertebrate biodiversity from the Argentine Sea, South Western Atlantic. ZooKeys 791: 47–70. DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.791.22587 Reference page. 
• Owen, I.L. 2011. Parasites of animals in Papua New Guinea recorded at the National Veterinary Laboratory: a catalogue, historical review and zoogeographical affiliations. Zootaxa 3143: 1–163. Preview (PDF)
• Schilthuizen, M. 2013. Something gone awry: unsolved mysteries in the evolution of asymmetric animal genitalia. Animal Biology 63: 1–20. DOI: 10.1163/15707563-00002398 Reference page. 
• Sosa-Medina, T., Vidal-Martínez, V.M. & Aguirre-Macedo, M.L. 2015. Metazoan parasites of fishes from the Celestun coastal lagoon, Yucatan, Mexico. Zootaxa 4007(4): 529–544. DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4007.4.4. Preview (PDF). Reference page. 
• Tasso, V., El Haddad, M., Assadi, C., Canales, R., Aguirre, L. & Vélez-Zuazo, X. 2018. Macrobenthic fauna from an upwelling coastal area of Peru (Warm Temperate South-eastern Pacific province -Humboldtian ecoregion). Biodiversity Data Journal 6: e28937. DOI: 10.3897/BDJ.6.e28937 Reference page. 
• Vaziri, S.H., Majidifard, M.R. & Laflamme, M. 2018. Diverse Assemblage of Ediacaran fossils from Central Iran. Scientific Reports 8: 5060. DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-23442-y . Reference page. 

Links

• Animalia – Taxon details on Animal Diversity Web (ADW).
• Animalia – Taxon details on Catalogue of Life (CoL).
• Animalia – Taxon details on Encyclopedia of Life (EOL).
• Animalia – Taxon details on EPPO code.
• Animalia – Taxon details on Fauna Europaea.
• Animalia - Taxon details on Fossiilid.info.
• Animalia – Taxon details on Fossilworks.
• Animalia – Taxon details on Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF).
• Animalia - Taxon details on iNaturalist.

• Animalia – Taxon details on Index to Organism Names (ION).
• Animalia – Taxon details on Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS).
• Animalia – Taxon details on The Linnean Collections.
• Animalia – Taxon details on New Zealand Organisms Register (NZOR).
• Animalia – Taxon details on Universal Biological Indexer and Organizer (uBio).
• Animalia – Taxon details on World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS).
• BHL bibliography
• ZooBank: 0EA9A33B-6B31-4551-B4E2-A772AAF96231