What are the four main characteristics of chordates? And what are the main biological contributions of chordates? This and other questions will be answered in this short article about chordates.
Table of Contents
Meaning of Chordates
The meaning of chordates is “cord” and originates from the Latin word chorda. The creatures that fall under this phylum are classified as deuterostomes, which means that during embryonic development, the blastopore, which is the earliest opening of the embryo.
This branch of the animal world is called the deuterostome branch. In addition to the echinoderms, hemichordates, urochordates, and lophophores, this branch of the deuterostome tree also contains the phyla of lophophores (Phoronidae, Ectoproctos and Brachiopods).
Chordates came from very simple beginnings, but over time they developed into the bodies of vertebrates, which are extremely adaptable to a wide variety of living situations while yet retaining a consistent pattern.
The Four Main Contributions of Chordates
Even though there are many biological contricubtions of chordates, we want to show you only the main ones:
- A solid internal skeleton enables for continual development without the need for molting, allowing for huge body sizes. Furthermore, it serves as a highly effective scaffolding for attaching the muscular.
- Procordates’ perforated pharynx, a mechanism adapted for filter feeding, develops into internal gills, a pumping pharynx, and a mouth with jaws.
- The adoption of predatory behaviors resulted in the creation of a sophisticated brain and paired sense organs, which contributed to vertebrates’ remarkable adaptive success.
- Paired appendages developed from aquatic animals into terrestrial limbs capable of flying or running.
Structure of Chordates
The notochord is the structure of chordates that is present in all members of the phylum, regardless of whether or not it is only present in the early stages of development or whether or not it is present throughout life. It is a structure that looks like a club and is made up of a semi-rigid body of cells that are encased in a fibrous coating.
In many cases, it spans the whole length of the body between the digestive tract and the central nervous system. Its principal purpose is to provide support for the body and to make it more rigid; this is what we mean when we say that it has a skeletal function.
The structure of chordates is similar to that of other invertebrate phyla in that it possesses traits such as bilateral symmetry, an anterior posterior axis, a coelom, metamerism, and cephalization.
What are the Four Main Characteristics of Chordates?
If you came here to find out What are the four main characteristics of chordates, here is a short list:
- Presence of the notochord.
- The dorsal nerve tube.
- The pharyngeal pouches.
- The post-anal tail.
At the very least in the developmental phases of chordates, these four main characteristics of chordates are present at all times. Later on in the life cycle, these characteristics frequently undergo morphological changes or perhaps go extinct entirely.
If you want to know more about the main characteristics of chordates, you should definetly watch the following video on youtube which explains alot about that topic:
