CHARACTERISTICS OF CHORDATES

WHAT ARE CHORDATES

• Some are amphibians reptiles fish birds and mammals. These are also vertebrates
• Some chord ares are invertebrates but not many
• At some time chordates have a notochord, a nerve cord that runs down back and slits in their throat area.

NOTOCHORD

• Phylum name comes from this
• A flexible rod that runs down their backs
• Supports chordate
• Some have whole lives but sometimes it is replaced by a backbone

NERVE CORD IN BACK

• All chordates have this
• Spinal cord is one of these
• Connection between brain and nerves on which messages travel through body
• Other animals have nerve cords but not down their back

SLITS IN THROAT AREA

• All have at some point in their lives
• Called pharyngeal (fuh Rin jee ul) slits or gill slits.
• Some keep all lives like fish
• Many chordates like us lose them after birth