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| Amniotes
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| Extant subgroups | ||||||||||
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Synapsida Mammalia (mammals) Anapsida |
There are three main lines of amniotes, which may be distinguished by the structure of the skull and in particular the number temporal fenestrae (openings) behind the eye. In anapsids there are none, in synapsids there is one, and in most diapsids there are two.
The skeletal remains of amniotes can be identified by their having at least two pairs of sacral ribs and an astragalus bone in the ankle.
Chordates