A chordate (/ ˈkɔːrdeɪt / KOR-dayt) is a bilaterian animal belonging to the phylum Chordata (/ kɔːrˈdeɪtə / kor-DAY-tə). All chordates possess, at some point during their larval or adult stages, five distinctive physical characteristics (synapomorphies) that distinguish them from other taxa: a notochord, a hollow dorsal nerve cord, an endostyle or thyroid, pharyngeal slits, and a ...
Chordate, any member of the phylum Chordata, which includes the vertebrates, the most highly evolved animals, as well as two other subphyla—the tunicates and cephalochordates. Some classifications also include the phylum Hemichordata with the chordates.
What are chordates. Learn about the phylum Chordata with examples and their features, including symmetry, habitat, reproduction, evolution, and fossil records.
Chordates are a diverse group of animals characterized by a notochord, dorsal nerve cord, and pharyngeal slits, essential in vertebrate evolution.
The vertebrates exhibit two major innovations in their evolution from the invertebrate chordates. These innovations may be associated with the whole genome duplications that resulted in a quadruplication of the basic chordate genome, including the Hox gene loci that regulate the placement of structures along the three axes of the body. One of the first major steps was the emergence of the ...
Chordates (phylum Chordata) are a group of animals that includes all the vertebrates (subphylum Vertebrata), as well as two subphylum of invertebrates, the Urochordata (tunicates) and the Cephalochordata (lancelets). The distinguishing features of the Chordata phylum is that they all have, at some time in their life, a notochord, a hollow dorsal nerve cord, and pharyngeal slits. A notochord is ...
Discover the fascinating world of chordates and gain insights into their classification, feeding habits, and reproductive behaviors in this informative article from thedailyECO.