Cladistia
Encyclopedia
Cladistia is a clade
consisting of few anguilliforme remnants of an ancient diversity. Their major synapomorphies
are a dorsal fin
with independent rays and a posteriorly elongated parasphenoid.
Cladistia is the sister group of Actinopteri
.
Clade
A clade is a group consisting of a species and all its descendants. In the terms of biological systematics, a clade is a single "branch" on the "tree of life". The idea that such a "natural group" of organisms should be grouped together and given a taxonomic name is central to biological...
consisting of few anguilliforme remnants of an ancient diversity. Their major synapomorphies
Synapomorphy
In cladistics, a synapomorphy or synapomorphic character is a trait that is shared by two or more taxa and their most recent common ancestor, whose ancestor in turn does not possess the trait. A synapomorphy is thus an apomorphy visible in multiple taxa, where the trait in question originates in...
are a dorsal fin
Dorsal fin
A dorsal fin is a fin located on the backs of various unrelated marine and freshwater vertebrates, including most fishes, marine mammals , and the ichthyosaurs...
with independent rays and a posteriorly elongated parasphenoid.
Cladistia is the sister group of Actinopteri
Actinopteri
Actinopteri is the sister group of Cladistia. Dating back to the Permian period, the Actinopteri are comprise the Chondrostei and the Neopterygii . Modern actinopterygians generally feed using a suction mechanism, with the mouth parts forming a tube. Prey are drawn in, and then masticated for...
.