Question

Short answer type questions
What characteristics are used in classifying animals ? Give an outline classification of the kingdom Animalia.

Answer 1

Animals are primarily classified according to morphological and developmental characteristics.

The most prominent features is according to their symmetry. This means that their distribution of body parts is balanced along an axis. Additional characteristics include

• The number of tissue layers formed during development
• The presence or absence of an internal body cavity
• The presence of absence of coelem
• The origin of the mouth and anus