Portal:Animals

The Animals Portal Animals (also called Metazoa) are multicellular eukaryotic organisms that form the biological kingdom Animalia. With few exceptions, animals consume organic material, breathe oxygen, are able to move, can reproduce sexually, and grow from a hollow sphere of cells, the blastula, during embryonic development. Over 1.5 million living animal species have been described—of which around 1 million are insects—but it has been estimated there are over 7 million animal species in total. Animals range in length from 8.5 micrometres (0.00033 in) to 33.6 metres (110 ft). They have complex interactions with each other and their environments, forming intricate food webs. The kingdom Animalia includes humans but in colloquial use the term animal often refers only to non-human animals. The scientific study of animals is known as zoology. Most living animal species are in Bilateria, a clade whose members have a bilaterally symmetric body plan. The Bilateria include the protostomes—in which many groups of invertebrates are found, such as nematodes, arthropods, and molluscs—and the deuterostomes, containing both the echinoderms as well as the chordates, the latter containing the vertebrates. Life forms interpreted as early animals were present in the Ediacaran biota of the late Precambrian. Many modern animal phyla became clearly established in the fossil record as marine species during the Cambrian explosion, which began around 542 million years ago. 6,331 groups of genes common to all living animals have been identified; these may have arisen from a single common ancestor that lived 650 million years ago. Historically, Aristotle divided animals into those with blood and those without. Carl Linnaeus created the first hierarchical biological classification for animals in 1758 with his Systema Naturae, which Jean-Baptiste Lamarck expanded into 14 phyla by 1809. In 1874, Ernst Haeckel divided the animal kingdom into the multicellular Metazoa (now synonymous for Animalia) and the Protozoa, single-celled organisms no longer considered animals. In modern times, the biological classification of animals relies on advanced techniques, such as molecular phylogenetics, which are effective at demonstrating the evolutionary relationships between taxa. Zoology (/zoʊˈɒlədʒi/) is the branch of biology that studies the animal kingdom, including the structure, embryology, evolution, classification, habits, and distribution of all animals, both living and extinct, and how they interact with their ecosystems. The term is derived from Ancient Greek ζῷον, zōion, i.e. "animal" and λόγος, logos, i.e. "knowledge, study". Selected animal - Entries here consist of Good and Featured articles, which meet a core set of high editorial standards. Fromia monilis Starfish or sea stars are star-shaped echinoderms belonging to the class Asteroidea. Common usage frequently finds these names being also applied to ophiuroids, which are correctly referred to as brittle stars or basket stars. Starfish are also known as Asteroids due to being in the class Asteroidea. About 1,500 species of starfish occur on the seabed in all the world's oceans, from the tropics to frigid polar waters. They are found from the intertidal zone down to abyssal depths, 6,000 m (20,000 ft) below the surface. Starfish are marine invertebrates. They typically have a central disc and usually five arms, though some species have a larger number of arms. The aboral or upper surface may be smooth, granular or spiny, and is covered with overlapping plates. Many species are brightly coloured in various shades of red or orange, while others are blue, grey or brown. Starfish have tube feet operated by a hydraulic system and a mouth at the centre of the oral or lower surface. They are opportunistic feeders and are mostly predators on benthic invertebrates. Several species have specialized feeding behaviours including eversion of their stomachs and suspension feeding. They have complex life cycles and can reproduce both sexually and asexually. Most can regenerate damaged parts or lost arms and they can shed arms as a means of defense. The Asteroidea occupy several significant ecological roles. Starfish, such as the ochre sea star (Pisaster ochraceus) and the reef sea star (Stichaster australis), have become widely known as examples of the keystone species concept in ecology. The tropical crown-of-thorns starfish (Acanthaster planci) is a voracious predator of coral throughout the Indo-Pacific region, and the northern Pacific sea star is considered to be one of the world's 100 worst invasive species. Read more... List of selected animal articles Jaguar Elephant Platypus Javan rhinoceros Tasmanian devil Aliger gigas Entoprocta Bird Leech Jellyfish Sea anemone Coral Emu Bird Seabird Australasian gannet California condor Puerto Rican amazon Bat Cougar Raccoon Lion Sea otter Sheep Bluebuck Sea mink Guinea pig Springbok Sei whale Elk European hare Giant anteater Thylacine Impala Pennatomys Tammar wallaby Giraffe Koala Horseshoe bat Fossa (animal) Giant eland Golden jackal Australian Cattle Dog Dire wolf Beagle Bobcat Canada lynx Mantis Ant Grasshopper Horse-fly Galápagos tortoise Hawksbill sea turtle Common toad Noronha skink Red-bellied black snake Eastern green mamba Golden-crowned sifaka False potto Flocke Zebra Cutthroat trout Ocean sunfish Manta ray Goblin shark Pallid sturgeon Redback spider Megalodon Silky shark General images The following are images from various animal-related articles on Wikipedia. Animals are unique in having the ball of cells of the early embryo (1) develop into a hollow ball or blastula (2). The bilaterian gut develops in two ways. In many protostomes, the blastopore develops into the mouth, while in deuterostomes it becomes the anus. Squid chromatophores appear as black, brown, reddish and pink areas in this micrograph. Butterfly wing at different magnifications reveals microstructured chitin acting as diffraction grating. Examples of fauna in Olleros de Tera (Spain) Simplified schematic of an island's fauna – all its animal species, highlighted in boxes Conrad Gesner (1516–1565). His Historiae animalium is considered the beginning of modern zoology. Cleaner wrasse signals its cleaning services to a big eye squirrelfish A venomous coral snake uses bright colors to warn off potential predators. Anomalocaris canadensis is one of the many animal species that emerged in the Cambrian explosion, starting some 542 million years ago, and found in the fossil beds of the Burgess shale. The brilliant iridescent colors of the peacock's tail feathers are created by Structural coloration. The red pigment in a flamingo's plumage comes from its diet of shrimps, which get it from microscopic algae. Robert Hooke's Micrographia Ecdysis: a dragonfly has emerged from its dry exuviae and is expanding its wings. Like other arthropods, its body is divided into segments. Idealised bilaterian body plan. With an elongated body and a direction of movement the animal has head and tail ends. Sense organs and mouth form the basis of the head. Opposed circular and longitudinal muscles enable peristaltic motion. Predators, such as this ultramarine flycatcher (Ficedula superciliaris), feed on other animals. Dickinsonia costata from the Ediacaran biota (c. 635–542 MYA) is one of the earliest animal species known. A praying mantis in deimatic or threat pose displays conspicuous patches of color to startle potential predators. This is not warning coloration as the insect is palatable. Kelp gull chicks peck at red spot on mother's beak to stimulate the regurgitating reflex. Male Goldie's bird of paradise displays to a female Siberian tiger The black and yellow warning colors of the cinnabar moth caterpillar, Tyria jacobaeae, are instinctively avoided by some birds. Non-bilaterians include sponges (centre) and corals (background). In Roseate Spoonbills 1905–1909, Abbott Handerson Thayer tried to show that even the bright pink of these conspicuous birds had a cryptic function. A brilliantly-colored oriental sweetlips fish (Plectorhinchus vittatus) waits while two boldly-patterned cleaner wrasse (Labroides dimidiatus) pick parasites from its skin. The spotted tail and fin pattern of the Sweetlips signals sexual maturity; the behaviour and pattern of the cleaner fish signal their availability for cleaning service, rather than as prey Linnaeus's table of the animal kingdom from the first edition of Systema Naturae (1735). Fish and frog melanophores are cells that can change color by dispersing or aggregating pigment-containing bodies. A Euplokamis comb jelly is bioluminescent. A gun dog retrieving a duck during a hunt Hawk-cuckoo resembles predatory shikra, giving cuckoo time to lay egg in songbird's nest unnoticed Side of zebrafish shows how chromatophores (dark spots) respond to 24 hours in dark (above) or light (below). A flower mantis, Hymenopus coronatus, displays special aggressive resemblance Animal anatomical engraving from Handbuch der Anatomie der Tiere für Künstler. Spiral cleavage in a sea snail embryo A camouflaged orange oak leaf butterfly, Kallima inachus (centre) displays protective resemblance Artistic vision: Still Life with Lobster and Oysters by Alexander Coosemans, c. 1660 Australian and New Zealand fauna. This image was likely first published in the first edition (1876–1899) of the Nordisk familjebok. Bright coloration of orange elephant ear sponge, Agelas clathrodes signals its bitter taste to predators The olm's blood makes it appear pink. The blue whale is the largest animal that has ever lived. Sexual reproduction is nearly universal in animals, such as these dragonflies. Warning coloration of the skunk in Edward Bagnall Poulton's The Colours of Animals, 1890 Hydrothermal vent mussels and shrimps Jean-Baptiste de Lamarck led the creation of a modern classification of invertebrates, breaking up Linnaeus's "Vermes" into 9 phyla by 1809. This frog changes its skin color to control its temperature. Sides of beef in a slaughterhouse Selected article - Entries here consist of Good and Featured articles, which meet a core set of high editorial standards. Bornean orangutan (Pongo pygmaeus) Orangutans (genus Pongo, also spelled orang-utan, orangutang, or orang-utang) are great apes native to Indonesia and Malaysia. They are found in the rainforests of Borneo and Sumatra, but during the Pleistocene they ranged throughout Southeast Asia and South China. Classified in the genus Pongo, orangutans were originally considered to be one species. From 1996, they were divided into two species: the Bornean orangutan (P. pygmaeus, with three subspecies) and the Sumatran orangutan (P. abelii). In 2017, a third species, the Tapanuli orangutan (P. tapanuliensis), was identified. The orangutans are the only surviving species of the subfamily Ponginae, who split from humans, chimpanzees and gorillas 19.3 to 15.7 million years ago (mya). The most arboreal of the great apes, orangutans spend most of their time in trees. They have proportionally long arms and short legs and their hair is reddish-brown. Adult males may develop distinctive cheek pads or flanges and make long calls that attract females and intimidate rivals; younger males do not and resemble adult females. Orangutans are the most solitary of the great apes, social bonds occurring primarily between mothers and their dependent offspring, who remain together for the first two years. Fruit is the most important component of an orangutan's diet, but the apes will also eat vegetation, bark, honey, insects and bird eggs. They can live over 30 years both in the wild and in captivity. Read more... List of selected articles Carl Linnaeus Marcus Ward Lyon Jr. Icelandic Phallological Museum Meerkat Manor Love dart Edward Drinker Cope Cooperative pulling paradigm Gigantorhynchus Apororhynchus Fauna of Puerto Rico List of camouflage methods Hugh B. Cott The Colours of Animals Counter-illumination Adaptive Coloration in Animals History of Animals Disruptive eye mask Mammal Brachiopod Human uses of animals Bryozoa Nemertea Animal navigation Animal coloration Anti-predator adaptation Animal Coloration (book) Destruction of ivory Dazzled and Deceived Deimatic behaviour Primate Rodent Evolution of lemurs Dermotherium Bharattherium Hare coursing Amphibian Crocodilia George Went Hensley Dinosaur Political Animals and Animal Politics Brown Dog affair Conservation of slow lorises Belle Vue Zoological Gardens Horses in World War I Thoroughbred The Livestock Conservancy Jersey Shore shark attacks of 1916 Flight feather List of cetaceans List of fruit bats List of canids List of felids List of mephitids List of procyonids List of mustelids List of ursids List of mammals of Florida List of mammals of Korea Chief Mouser to the Cabinet Office Dickin Medal List of U.S. state dogs List of lemur species The World's 25 Most Endangered Primates Glossary of bird terms List of parrots List of birds of Egypt List of ant subfamilies List of Odonata species of Great Britain Industrial melanism Millipede Isopoda Megarachne Onychopterella List of dinosaur genera List of U.S. state reptiles List of Testudines families Did you know - ...that the false killer whale has been known to mate in captivity with a bottlenose dolphin, producing an offspring known as a "wholphin" (pictured)? ...that echinoderms, such as the sea star have the ability to regenerate lost appendages? ...that the Portuguese Man o' War, a cnidarian somewhat resembling a jellyfish, is actually a colony of many smaller organisms, collectively known as a siphonophore? ...that Caecillians, an order of amphibians resembling snakes or worms, possess a pair of tentacles, located between their eyes and nostrils which are probably used for olfaction? Selected image Corals are marine invertebrates that typically live in compact colonies of many identical individual polyps. Each polyp is a sac-like animal typically only a few millimeters in diameter and a few centimeters in length. Corals are major contributors to the physical structure of the coral reefs such as the Great Barrier Reef, where this photograph was taken. Coral reefs are under threat globally from ocean acidification and climate change. Related portals Amphibians Arthropods Biology Birds Cats Cetaceans Crustaceans Dinosaurs Dogs Ecology Fish Gastropods Horses Mammals Marine life Reptiles Science Sharks Topics Animal colouration Animal rights Anthrozoology Ethology Fauna Flying and gliding animals Invertebrate Neuroethology Vermin Worm Zoology The following table lists estimated numbers of described extant species for the animal groups with the largest numbers of species, along with their principal habitats (terrestrial, fresh water, and marine), and free-living or parasitic ways of life. Species estimates shown here are based on numbers described scientifically; much larger estimates have been calculated based on various means of prediction, and these can vary wildly. For instance, around 25,000–27,000 species of nematodes have been described, while published estimates of the total number of nematode species include 10,000–20,000; 500,000; 10 million; and 100 million. Using patterns within the taxonomic hierarchy, the total number of animal species—including those not yet described—was calculated to be about 7.77 million in 2011. Phylum Example No. of Species Land Sea Fresh water Free- living Parasitic Annelids 17,000 Yes (soil) Yes 1,750 Yes 400 Arthropods 1,257,000 1,000,000 (insects) >40,000 (Malac- ostraca) 94,000 Yes >45,000 Bryozoa 6,000 Yes 60–80 Yes Chordates 65,000 45,000 23,000 13,000 18,000 9,000 Yes 40 (catfish) Cnidaria 16,000 Yes Yes (few) Yes >1,350 (Myxozoa) Echinoderms 7,500 7,500 Yes Molluscs 85,000 107,000 35,000 60,000 5,000 12,000 Yes >5,600 Nematodes 25,000 Yes (soil) 4,000 2,000 11,000 14,000 Platyhelminthes 29,500 Yes Yes 1,300 Yes 3,000–6,500 >40,000 4,000–25,000 Rotifers 2,000 >400 2,000 Yes Sponges 10,800 Yes 200-300 Yes Yes Total number of described extant species as of 2013: 1,525,728 Categories Select [►] to view subcategories ▼ Animals ► Animals by adaptation ► Animals by common name ► Animals by habitat ► Animals by location ► Animals by year of formal description ► Individual animals ► Animal births ► Animal locomotion ► Animal physiology ► Animals by conservation status ► Bilaterians ► Cnidarians ► Animal cognition ► Animal common names ► Cryptids ► Ctenophores ► Evolution of animals ► Animal health ► Animals and humans ► Hybrid animals ► Images of animals ► Invertebrates ► Lists of animals ► Nocturnal animals ► Oldest animals ► Parazoa ► Robotic animals ► Set indices on animalia ► Animal sexuality ► Animal taxa ► Animal stubs WikiProjects WikiProject family tree WikiProject Science WikiProject Biology WikiProject Tree of Life WikiProject Animals More projects (By taxa) WikiProject Arthropods WikiProject Insects Ant task force WikiProject Beetles WikiProject Lepidoptera WikiProject Phasmatodea WikiProject Spiders Molluscs: WikiProject Bivalves WikiProject Cephalopods WikiProject Gastropods Vertebrates: WikiProject Amphibians and Reptiles WikiProject Dinosaurs WikiProject Turtles WikiProject Birds Domestic pigeon task force WikiProject Poultry WikiProject Fishes WikiProject Aquarium Fishes WikiProject Sharks WikiProject Mammals WikiProject Cats WikiProject Cetaceans WikiProject Dogs Dog breeds task force WikiProject Equine Horse breeds task force WikiProject Primates WikiProject Rodents WikiProject Bats (Other) WikiProject Animal anatomy WikiProject Animal rights WikiProject Cryptozoology WikiProject Neuroscience WikiProject Organismal Biomechanics WikiProject Zoo Things you can do Here are some Open Tasks : Copyedit: Merge: GLAM/ARKive donated texts into articles about endangered species. Improve: Photoperiodism, Tool use by animals, Omnivore, Animal suicide, Sphaerium beckmani (a species in family Sphaeriidae), Requests: Mammals: Invertebrates: Campocraspedon Fishes: Zaniolepis frenata Merge: GLAM/ARKive donated texts into articles about endangered species. Expand: Junqueira cow, Atka mackerel Nominate and vote: Science collaboration of the month, Article Improvement Drive, WikiProject Animals Collaboration Associated Wikimedia References Portals Activities Culture Geography Health History Mathematics Nature People Philosophy Religion Society Technology Random portal