CRANIATA

'Craniata' is an unranked group of chordate animals that contains the vertebrates (subphylum Vertebrata) and hagfish (''Myxini''), which are sometimes grouped under Vertebrata. Craniata includes all animals with skulls, hence the name. Craniata is the new monophyletic taxa replacing the older Linnean classification of vertebrates. The main difference of this new taxa is the inclusion of the Myxini and Cephalaspidomorphi classes. Traditionally these two classes were excluded from vertebrate taxon because of the lack of vertebrae. However because they have a cranium they are included into the Craniata taxon (Hickman et al., 2007).
Recent genetic analysis (see Hagfish) indicates that ''Myxini'' should be a part of ''Vertebrata''. In this case ''Craniata'' might now be superfluous as a separate clade.
Craniata include all organisms that have a cranium. Other such characteristics include:

★ 2 Chambered heart

★ Tripartite brain

★ Specialized sense organs

★ Lateral line system (used for hearing)

★ 1 Semi-Circular canal

Contents

Taxonomy

References

Taxonomy

★ Myxini (or ''Hyperotreti'')

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★ Myxiniformes

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★ Myxinidae

★ Vertebrata

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★ Gnathostomata

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★ Chondrichthyes

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★ Teleostomi

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★ Hyperoartia

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★ Petromyzontiformes

References

★ Animal Diversity, Fourth Edition, CLEVELAND P. HICKMAN, J., ROBERTS, L. S., KEEN, S. L., LARSON, A. & EISENHOUR, D. J., , , McGraw Hill, 2007,