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A chordate (/ ˈ k ɔːr d eɪ t / KOR-dayt) is a deuterostomal bilaterian animal belonging to the phylum Chordata (/ k ɔːr ˈ d eɪ t ə / 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.
Idealised vertebrate body plan, showing key characteristics. Vertebrates (and other chordates) belong to the Bilateria, a group of animals with mirror symmetrical bodies. [6] They move, typically by swimming, using muscles along the back, supported by a strong but flexible skeletal structure, the spine or vertebral column. [7]
Segmentation in biology is the division of some animal and plant body plans into a linear series of repetitive segments that may or may not be interconnected to each other. This article focuses on the segmentation of animal body plans, specifically using the examples of the taxa Arthropoda , Chordata , and Annelida .
HOX genes help differentiate somite cells into more specific identities and direct them to develop differently depending on where they are in the body. [47] A large difference between vertebrates and invertebrates is the location and layering of HOX genes. The fundamental mechanisms of development are strongly conserved among vertebrates from ...
A body plan, Bauplan (pl. German: Baupläne), or ground plan is a set of morphological features common to many members of a phylum of animals. [1] The vertebrates share one body plan, while invertebrates have many.
The body segments are anatomically blocks of skeletal muscles, called the myomeres, which are found in vertebrates only. No eyes can be observed. [24] The muscle orientation and flat shaped body indicate that Pikaia was an active and free swimmer. [8] It would have swum by throwing its body into a series of S-shaped, zigzag curves, as do living ...
A true endoskeleton is derived from mesodermal tissue. In three phyla of animals, Chordata, Echinodermata and Porifera (), endoskeletons of various complexity are found.An endoskeleton may function purely for structural support (as in the case of Porifera), but often also serves as an attachment site for muscles and a mechanism for transmitting muscular forces as in chordates and echinoderms ...
As chordates, they have been proposed to be the closest relatives of vertebrates. [2] Tunicates are divided into three classes: the sessile Ascidiacea, and the free-swimming Thaliacea and Appendicularia. [1] Some anatomical features are shared between classes, while others are specific to a lineage or to a life stage.