Systematics

Carolus Linnaeus (1758) first used the term amphibians for all animals other than fish, birds and mammals. He considered both reptiles and amphibians as "foul and loathsome" animals and grouped them together.

Amphibians belong to phylum chordata for the presence of notochord (a cartilaginous rod that runs along the back). As they possess a vertebral column, they are included under sub-phylum vertebrata. For the presence of four limbs they are grouped under tetrapoda. Modern amphibians are called the Lissamphibia, means smooth skinned or scaleless amphibians (liss - smooth).

Phylogeny tree of Amphibians  

KINGDOM:

Animalia (Metazoa)

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SUB-KINGDOM:

Eumetazoa

 

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GRADE:

Bilateria (Triploblast) (Presence of bilateral symmetry)

 

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SERIES:

Deuterostomia

 

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PHYLUM:

Chordata (Presence of Notochord)

 

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SUB-PHYLUM:

Vertebrata (Presence of Vertebral column)

 

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SUPER CLASS:

Tetrapoda (Presence of 4 limbs)

 

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CLASS:

Amphibia (Dual life)

 

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SUB-CLASS:

Lissamphibia (Scaleless amphibians)

 

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SUPER-ORDER:

Gymnophiona (Caecilians)

 

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ORDER:

Apoda

 

│

 

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FAMILY:

5

 

│

 

 

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SUB-FAMILY:

2

 

│

 

 

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GENERA:

33

 

│

 

 

 

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SPECIES:

165

 

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SUPER-ORDER:

Batrachia

 

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ORDER:

Salientia (Frogs and Toads)

 

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CROWN ORDER:

Anura

 

│

 

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FAMILY:

29

 

│

 

 

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SUB-FAMILY:

32

 

│

 

 

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GENERA:

352

 

│

 

 

 

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SPECIES:

4837

 

│

 

 

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ORDER:

Caudata (Salamanders and newts)

 

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CROWN ORDER:

Urodela

 

 

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FAMILY:

10

 

 

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SUB-FAMILY:

2

 

 

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GENUS:

61

 

 

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SPECIES:

502