Vertebrate Classes — NEET Biology MCQs with Solutions
Free NEET Biology Vertebrate Classes MCQs with step-by-step solutions (160 questions). Part of Animal Kingdom. Practise online on Prepizo — no login needed.
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Questions with solutions
Q1 — Vertebrate Classes · easy · theory
Jawless vertebrates such as Petromyzon (lamprey) and Myxine (hagfish) belong to:
A. Chondrichthyes
B. Amphibia
C. Osteichthyes
D. Cyclostomata ✓ Correct
Solution: Cyclostomata are the most primitive, jawless (Agnatha), ectoparasitic vertebrates with a circular sucking mouth.
Q2 — Vertebrate Classes · easy · theory
Cartilaginous fishes (sharks, rays) with placoid scales belong to:
A. Osteichthyes
B. Reptilia
C. Amphibia
D. Chondrichthyes ✓ Correct
Solution: Chondrichthyes have a cartilaginous endoskeleton, ventral mouth, placoid scales, and lack an air bladder.
Q3 — Vertebrate Classes · medium · theory
A key distinguishing feature of Osteichthyes (bony fishes) from Chondrichthyes is:
A. Absence of scales
B. Placoid scales
C. Presence of an air/swim bladder and an operculum over gills ✓ Correct
D. Cartilaginous skeleton
Solution: Bony fishes have a bony skeleton, an operculum covering the gills, and typically an air bladder for buoyancy.
Q4 — Vertebrate Classes · medium · theory
Which feature FIRST appears in Reptilia and is retained in birds and mammals, distinguishing amniotes from amphibians?
A. External gills
B. The amniotic egg (extra-embryonic membranes) ✓ Correct
C. Moist skin for respiration
D. A three-chambered heart in all
Solution: Reptiles were the first amniotes — they lay shelled amniotic eggs, freeing reproduction from water.
Q5 — Vertebrate Classes · hard · theory
The heart is three-chambered in amphibians and MOST reptiles, but four-chambered in:
A. Cyclostomes
B. All reptiles
C. Crocodiles, birds and mammals ✓ Correct
D. All amphibians
Solution: Crocodilians (among reptiles), and all birds and mammals have a four-chambered heart; other reptiles/amphibians have three.
Q6 — Vertebrate Classes · hard · theory
Which combination of features correctly characterises Mammalia?
A. Mammary glands, hair, external ears (pinnae), and mostly viviparity ✓ Correct
B. Placoid scales and a two-chambered heart
C. Feathers and a beak
D. Moist skin, external fertilisation
Solution: Mammals have mammary glands, hair, pinnae, a diaphragm, heterodont teeth, and are mostly viviparous (except egg-laying monotremes).
Q7 — Vertebrate Classes · easy · numerical
Feathers are the characteristic epidermal covering of which vertebrate class?
A. Reptilia
B. Aves ✓ Correct
C. Mammalia
D. Amphibia
Solution: Only birds (Aves) possess feathers. Mammals have hair, reptiles have epidermal scales, and amphibians have moist glandular skin.
Q8 — Vertebrate Classes · easy · numerical
A poikilothermic (cold-blooded) vertebrate that lays cleidoic (shelled) eggs on land belongs to the class:
A. Reptilia ✓ Correct
B. Amphibia
C. Aves
D. Mammalia
Solution: Reptiles are cold-blooded yet lay shelled (cleidoic) eggs on land, freeing them from water. Birds and mammals are warm-blooded, and amphibians lay eggs in water.
Q9 — Vertebrate Classes · medium · numerical
Assertion (A): Birds and mammals are described as homeothermic animals. Reason (R): They can maintain a constant body temperature irrespective of the surrounding temperature. Choose the correct option.
A. A is true but R is false
B. Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A ✓ Correct
C. Both A and R are true but R is not the correct explanation of A
D. A is false but R is true
Solution: Homeothermy (warm-bloodedness) means maintaining a constant internal temperature; birds and mammals do exactly this, so both statements are true and R explains A.
Q10 — Vertebrate Classes · medium · numerical
Match the animal with its vertebrate class — (i) Pristis, (ii) Hippocampus, (iii) Rana, (iv) Ornithorhynchus:
A. i-Amphibia, ii-Mammalia, iii-Chondrichthyes, iv-Osteichthyes
B. i-Mammalia, ii-Amphibia, iii-Osteichthyes, iv-Chondrichthyes
C. i-Chondrichthyes, ii-Osteichthyes, iii-Amphibia, iv-Mammalia ✓ Correct
D. i-Osteichthyes, ii-Chondrichthyes, iii-Mammalia, iv-Amphibia
Solution: Pristis (saw fish) is a cartilaginous fish, Hippocampus (sea horse) a bony fish, Rana (frog) an amphibian, and Ornithorhynchus (platypus) an egg-laying mammal.
Q11 — Vertebrate Classes · medium · numerical
Which of the following statements about Chondrichthyes is correct?
A. They have a swim bladder and cycloid scales like most bony fishes
B. They have a cartilaginous endoskeleton, placoid scales and lack an air bladder, so must swim constantly to avoid sinking ✓ Correct
C. They are freshwater fishes with a three-chambered heart
D. They possess a bony endoskeleton and an operculum covering the gills
Solution: Cartilaginous fishes have a cartilage skeleton, placoid scales, and no air bladder; lacking buoyancy control, they must keep swimming to avoid sinking. Gill slits are not covered by an operculum.
Q12 — Vertebrate Classes · medium · numerical
Which one of the following statements about a vertebrate class is INCORRECT?
A. Mammals are the only animals that possess mammary glands
B. The crocodile has a four-chambered heart while most other reptiles have a three-chambered heart
C. In Amphibia, fertilisation is internal and development is direct ✓ Correct
D. Birds have pneumatic (hollow) bones that reduce body weight for flight
Solution: In most amphibians (e.g. the frog) fertilisation is external and development is indirect through a larval (tadpole) stage, so that statement is incorrect.
Q13 — Vertebrate Classes · easy · numerical
An elongated, eel-like vertebrate that is an ectoparasite on fishes, bears 6-15 pairs of gill slits, and has a sucking circular mouth without jaws belongs to which class?
A. Amphibia
B. Chondrichthyes
C. Osteichthyes
D. Cyclostomata ✓ Correct
Solution: These are the defining features of class Cyclostomata (jawless vertebrates of division Agnatha), e.g. Petromyzon and Myxine.
Q14 — Vertebrate Classes · easy · numerical
A marine fish with a streamlined body, cartilaginous endoskeleton, ventral mouth, placoid scales and no air bladder is placed in the class:
A. Chondrichthyes ✓ Correct
B. Osteichthyes
C. Amphibia
D. Cyclostomata
Solution: A cartilaginous endoskeleton, ventral mouth, placoid scales and absence of an air bladder are hallmarks of Chondrichthyes.
Q15 — Vertebrate Classes · easy · numerical
A fish having a bony endoskeleton, a mostly terminal mouth, four pairs of gills covered by an operculum, and an air bladder for buoyancy belongs to:
A. Cyclostomata
B. Osteichthyes ✓ Correct
C. Amphibia
D. Chondrichthyes
Solution: Bony skeleton, operculum-covered gills and a buoyancy-regulating air bladder are characteristic of Osteichthyes (bony fishes).
Q16 — Vertebrate Classes · easy · numerical
A cold-blooded vertebrate with moist scaleless skin, a three-chambered heart, respiration by gills, lungs and skin, and a common chamber called the cloaca belongs to:
A. Osteichthyes
B. Mammalia
C. Amphibia ✓ Correct
D. Reptilia
Solution: Moist scaleless skin, a three-chambered heart, cutaneous plus branchial and pulmonary respiration and a cloaca are amphibian features.
Q17 — Vertebrate Classes · easy · numerical
A mostly terrestrial, creeping vertebrate covered by dry cornified skin with epidermal scales or scutes and lacking external ear openings belongs to:
A. Aves
B. Mammalia
C. Reptilia ✓ Correct
D. Amphibia
Solution: Dry cornified skin with scales/scutes, creeping locomotion and absence of external ear openings are diagnostic of Reptilia.
Q18 — Vertebrate Classes · easy · numerical
A warm-blooded vertebrate whose forelimbs are modified into wings, whose long bones are hollow with air cavities (pneumatic), and whose gut has a crop and a gizzard belongs to:
A. Aves ✓ Correct
B. Mammalia
C. Reptilia
D. Chondrichthyes
Solution: Wings, pneumatic bones and a crop plus gizzard are avian adaptations; birds also have a four-chambered heart and are homoiothermous.
Q19 — Vertebrate Classes · easy · numerical
A warm-blooded vertebrate that possesses milk-producing (mammary) glands, hair on the skin, external pinnae and different kinds of teeth in the jaw belongs to:
A. Reptilia
B. Mammalia ✓ Correct
C. Aves
D. Amphibia
Solution: Mammary glands, hair, external pinnae and heterodont dentition are the defining features of Mammalia.
Q20 — Vertebrate Classes · easy · numerical
Within the subphylum Vertebrata, the division Agnatha (animals that lack jaws) is represented by which single class?
A. Reptilia
B. Cyclostomata ✓ Correct
C. Chondrichthyes
D. Osteichthyes
Solution: Agnatha (jawless vertebrates) contains only the class Cyclostomata; all other vertebrate classes are jawed (Gnathostomata).
Q21 — Vertebrate Classes · easy · numerical
The super-class Pisces, whose members bear fins for locomotion, is made up of which two classes?
A. Chondrichthyes and Osteichthyes ✓ Correct
B. Osteichthyes and Amphibia
C. Cyclostomata and Chondrichthyes
D. Amphibia and Reptilia
Solution: Under Gnathostomata, the fin-bearing super-class Pisces comprises the cartilaginous fishes (Chondrichthyes) and the bony fishes (Osteichthyes).
Q22 — Vertebrate Classes · easy · numerical
The super-class Tetrapoda, whose members bear two pairs of limbs, includes which set of classes?
A. Chondrichthyes, Osteichthyes, Amphibia and Reptilia
B. Amphibia, Reptilia, Aves and Mammalia ✓ Correct
C. Cyclostomata, Amphibia, Aves and Mammalia
D. Reptilia, Aves, Mammalia and Osteichthyes
Solution: Tetrapoda (limb-bearing gnathostomes) comprises Amphibia, Reptilia, Aves and Mammalia.
Q23 — Vertebrate Classes · easy · numerical
Scoliodon (the dog fish) is a cartilaginous, marine, predaceous fish. To which class does it belong?
A. Chondrichthyes ✓ Correct
B. Osteichthyes
C. Cyclostomata
D. Mammalia
Solution: Scoliodon, along with Pristis, Carcharodon and Trygon, is a cartilaginous fish of class Chondrichthyes.
Q24 — Vertebrate Classes · easy · numerical
Catla is a freshwater fish with a bony skeleton and an air bladder. It is classified under:
A. Chondrichthyes
B. Osteichthyes ✓ Correct
C. Amphibia
D. Cyclostomata
Solution: Catla, like Labeo and Clarias, is a bony freshwater fish belonging to class Osteichthyes.
Q25 — Vertebrate Classes · easy · numerical
Ichthyophis, a limbless burrowing animal with moist skin, is an example of which class?
A. Mammalia
B. Reptilia
C. Osteichthyes
D. Amphibia ✓ Correct
Solution: Ichthyophis is a limbless amphibian (caecilian) of class Amphibia, along with Rana, Bufo, Hyla and Salamandra.
Q26 — Vertebrate Classes · easy · numerical
Calotes, the garden lizard, with its dry scaly skin and internal fertilisation, belongs to:
A. Aves
B. Amphibia
C. Reptilia ✓ Correct
D. Mammalia
Solution: Calotes is a reptile of class Reptilia, along with Chelone, Hemidactylus, Naja and Crocodilus.
Q27 — Vertebrate Classes · easy · numerical
Struthio (the ostrich), a large flightless bird, is placed in which class?
A. Aves ✓ Correct
B. Mammalia
C. Amphibia
D. Reptilia
Solution: Struthio is a flightless bird; despite not flying it is a member of class Aves because it possesses feathers, a beak and wings.
Q28 — Vertebrate Classes · easy · numerical
Pteropus, the flying fox, which nourishes its young on milk, belongs to which class?
A. Chondrichthyes
B. Mammalia ✓ Correct
C. Aves
D. Reptilia
Solution: Pteropus is a bat (a flying mammal) of class Mammalia; it is not a bird, as it feeds its young with milk and has hair.
Q29 — Vertebrate Classes · easy · numerical
Which one of the following is a jawless vertebrate?
A. Labeo (rohu)
B. Scoliodon (dog fish)
C. Myxine (hagfish) ✓ Correct
D. Hippocampus (sea horse)
Solution: Myxine (hagfish) is a jawless cyclostome; the others are jawed fishes belonging to Chondrichthyes or Osteichthyes.
Q30 — Vertebrate Classes · easy · numerical
In the adult members of subphylum Vertebrata, the embryonic notochord is replaced by:
A. A calcareous external shell
B. A permanent stomochord
C. A cartilaginous or bony vertebral column ✓ Correct
D. A chitinous exoskeleton
Solution: Vertebrates possess a notochord only during the embryonic period; in the adult it is replaced by a cartilaginous or bony vertebral column.