Chordate

chordate -- n. An animal with a notochord (a cartilaginous rod that extends the length of the body), dorsal hollow nerve cord (a fluid-filled tube that runs the length of the body), gill slits or pouches, ...

chordate - organism having a notochord at some stage of development - a rigid cartilaginous rod in the back extending from anterior to posterior; this group includes the vertebrates.

Chordates (Phylum Chordata)
During their embryonic development, all chordates pass through a stage called the pharyngula [View] with these features: ...

chordate
(kor-date)
A member of a diverse phylum of animals that possess a notochord; a dorsal, hollow nerve cord; pharyngeal gill slits; and a postanal tail as embryos.
chorion ...

Chordates
Lancelet Branchiostoma lanceolatum
Zebrafish Danio rerio
Frogs Xenopus laevis
Chicken Gallus gallus
Mouse Mus musculus (Mammalian embryogenesis) ...

Chordates have a dorsal rather than ventral nervous system. Several evolutionary trends occur in chordates: spinal cord, continuation of cephalization in the form of larger and more complex brains, and development of a more elaborate nervous system.

chordates Animals that display a hollow dorsal nerve cord, gill slits, and a notochord. Includes the protochordates and the vertebrates.

Most chordates have an internal skeleton against which muscles work. Most have a postanal tail that extends beyond the anus; in some (like humans), this may only appear in embryos.

The Echinoderm-Chordate Line
Phylum Echinodermata (Spiny skin)
The echinoderms (spiny skin) are our closest invertebrate relatives.

Vertebrates are members of the subphylum Vertebrata (within the phylum Chordata), specifically, those chordates with backbones or spinal columns. About 57,739 species of vertebrates have been described[citation needed].

Ancient chordates-forerunners of fish, of frogs, of chickens, of humans-had a single Hox cluster with probably thirteen genes in them.

Chordata: A major phylum in the Kingdom Animalia. A chordate is characterized by the presence of a dorsal notochord at some stage of development and a dorsal hollow nerve chord.

A group of Metazoans that exhibit indeterminate, radial cleavage and that develop a mouth independent of, and at some distance from, the blastopore. (Echinoderms and Chordates and related minor phyla).

See also: Organ, Chordates, Animal, Plant, Animals