Anapsid
Placement
- Kingdom Animalia (animals)
- Phylum Chordata (vertebrata)
- Sub-Phylum? Tetrapoda (four-limbed)
- Class Anapsida
Synonyms and common names
Anapsid reptiles (possibly an oxymoron).
References
http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/anapsids/anapsida.html as of 2002-07-12
Text
The Anapsida are a group of tetrapods characterised by egg-laying, being ectothermic ('cold-blooded') and skulls with no openings near the temples.
Many extinct species are known from the fossil record.
The only extant species are all Chelonia - an order that includes tortoises, turtles and terrapins.
Note that under this definition, turtles, tortoises and terrapins are not reptiles, although other taxonomic systems do include them.