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Chordate facts for kids

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Chordates
Temporal range: Late Ediacaran – Present
Pristella maxillaris.jpg
A X-ray tetra is one of the few chordates with a visible backbone
Scientific classification
Domain:
Kingdom:
Subkingdom:
Superphylum:
Phylum:
Chordata

Bateson, 1885
Typical Classes

See below

Chordata is a phylum (group) of animals which have a notochord. The group includes vertebrates, with some closely related invertebrates.

Classification

Taxonomy

Phylogeny

Chordata
 Tunicata 

 Appendicularia (formerly Larvacea)



 Thaliacea 



 Ascidiacea 




 Cephalochordata


 Craniata 

Myxini


 Vertebrata 

 Conodonta



 Cephalaspidomorphi



 Hyperoartia



 Pteraspidomorphi


 Gnathostomata 

 Placodermi



 Chondrichthyes


 Teleostomi 

 Acanthodii


 Osteichthyes 

 Actinopterygii


 Sarcopterygii 
void
 Tetrapoda 

 Amphibia


 Amniota 
 Synapsida 
void

 Mammalia




 Sauropsida 
void

 Aves















Note: Lines show likely evolutionary relationships. Extinct groups are marked with a "†". Extinct animals are ones that have completely died out.

Origin of chordates

According to a long-standing theory, the origin of chordates may be found in transformed larvae of sea-squirts (tunicates). Adult tunicates are sessile, but their larvae are motile, and have some features found in early vertebrates. The process of paedomorphosis, where juvenile features are retained in the adult, is the proposed mechanism. Genome analysis shows that tunicates are the closest living relatives of vertebrates.

Images for kids

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Chordata para niños

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Chordate Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.