Classification

Domain: Eukarya

Eukaryotic because Dipylidium caninum possesses a true nucleus and membrane bound organelles.

Kingdom: Animalia

Dipylidium caninum is classified in the animalian kingdom because it is multicellular and heterotrophic.

Phylum: Platyhelminthes

Because Dipylidium caninum is an invertebrate with an unsegmented body and bilateral symmetry without a body cavity, it is in the phylum platyhelminthes.

Class: Cestoda

Being a parasitic flatworm that lives in the digestive tract of vertebrates, Dipylidium caninum is found in the class of Cestoda.

Order: Cyclophyllidea

In the order cyclophyllidea, all the organisms including Dipylidium caninum are parasitic in domestic animals and have four suckers on their scolex, and multiple proglottids.

Family: Dipylidiidae

Unlike other cyclophyllidea, the family dipylidiidae taking account of Dipylidium caninum have genital openings on both sides of the proglottids instead of just one side.

Genus: Dipylidium

All the combined traits above and this organism occupys the intestines of domesticated animals. 

Species: Dipylidium caninum

 Double-pore dog tapeworm also known as the cucumber tapeworm

Below is a cladistic phylogenetic tree of the Eukarya domain. Here it shows us classification of all the organisms that possess a true nucleus. Specifically you can follow the blue highlighted route and see the platyhelminthes relation to other organisms. This tree visually shows us how closely related each organism is to another. The relations in this particular tree are dependent on organisms' DNA sequences. In other words, how different genes relate to other organisms. 

http://bioweb.uwlax.edu/bio203/s2009/temanson_caro/Classification.htm
 Here you can see and explore another organism in the platyhelminthes phylum.

 

 


This cladistic phylogenetic tree takes a closer more specific look at the phylum platyhelminthes. Again, the relations you see here in this tree are based on genetic DNA genes and sequences.

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