Phylum ChordataComposed by: Arika Johnson, Gwen Leahy, Savannah Schell, and

Jordan Sparks.

Characteristics Chordates are heterotrophic- they can’t make their own

food. They reproduce sexually instead of asexually. All Chordates have a notochord (pliable rod like structure). A Chordate’s notochord doesn’t develop into a

backbone, but when a Vertebrate is an embryo, theirs does.

Chordates have body segmentation. All possess an endoskeleton (skeleton inside the body). They have a complete digestive system. Subphyla: Tunicata, Cephalochordata, and Vertebrata.

Characteristics

Chordates are complex organisms with specialized cells. They have bilateral symmetry- meaning they are usually

proportioned. This group of animals lives anywhere from land to sea to

air. Chordates “breath” in O2 and expel CO2. They have a ventral heart (a chambered heart). These animals also have a closed blood system (always

within vessels). May have a tail (ex. humans – coccyx). The possess a nervous system and a brain.

Examples

Reptiles- snake Amphibians- frog Mammals- cow Birds- flamingo Fish- shark/clown fish

Division Differences

Reptiles are animals that are born on land from eggs and spend the majority of their lives on land.

Amphibians are creatures that are born from eggs with fish-like qualities, but develop into semi-aquatic animals.

Mammals are animals that are born by live birth and are fed their mother’s milk. They can live on land or in water.

Birds are organisms that are born out of eggs, but they are not fed their mother’s milk like mammals. They also possess wings and the majority fly.

Fish are divided into three groups: bony fish, cartilaginous fish, and jawless fish. Bony fish (fin fish) have a skeleton made of bone like in a clown fish. Cartilaginous fish have a skeleton made of cartilage like in sharks and rays. And jawless fish lack jaws like seen in the hagfish. All live in the water.

Fun Facts

58, 000 species of Chordata Chordates can be cold or warm blooded. They have the highest “developed brains” out of all the

other phyla. Chordates can be omnivores as well as herbivores and

carnivores.

Bibliography

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vertebrates/>.MCWDN. "Chordates." Monroe County Women's Disability

Network. Monroe County Women's Disability Network. Web. 02 Feb. 2012.http://www.mcwdn.org/Animals/Chordate.html.

About.com. "Spinal Chords." About.com. The New York Times Company, 2012. Web. 5 Feb. 2012.

"Page R55." McDougal Littell- Life Science. Houghton Mifflin, 2008. Print.