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Vertebrates Microteach

Educational

Created on October 2, 2025

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Topic: Chordates and Vertebrates

In this learn assignment you will:

  • Review some of the terminology from the phylogeny of life learn assignment
  • Compare the anatomy and behavior of different chordate / vertebrate taxonomic clades.

Associated Course Competencies

CC6. Describe the key processes of evolution by natural selection and how they contribute to speciation and biodiversity. (II) CC7. Analyze evidence that supports our understanding of evolution and the evolutionary relatedness of organisms. (II) CC8. Evaluate the major groups of marine life and the adaptations that help these organisms thrive in the marine environment. (III) CC9. Describe how the ocean supports a great diversity of life. (III, IV)

Image Details: "Wisdom & Mate" by USFWS Pacific is marked with Public Domain Mark 1.0. To view the terms, visit https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/mark/1.0/?ref=openverse.

Learn/Lab Instructions

This learn activity will be completed with your LAB group (NOT project group). If you do not recall which lab group number you are please view the people tab and select the lab group section. It will have a similar format as las week. DUE THURSDAY Microteach - Lab groups have been assigned different taxonomic clades to create slides for. Each group will be assigned one set of slides. You will need to determine who is doing which slides (one person should not do them all). When providing images make sure to use organisms from marine environments. Put your name in the upper right corner of the slides you completed so you can be graded. DUE SUNDAY Takeaways - You will need to submit four takeaways from the slides OTHER groups have created. None of the takeaways can be from your group's slides.

Defining Chordates and Vertebrates

Recall From Prior Lectures:Chordata is the sister clade to echinodermata. They are the two deuterostome clades. Phylum Chordata: Organisms that have some form of spinal chord at some point during their development. All members have the following four traits:

  • a notochord
  • a dorsal hollow nerve cord
  • pharyngeal slits
  • post-anal tail
Subphylum Vertebrata: Organisms all the above traits and also have a spine / backbone.

Basic Chordata Anatomy

  • Dorsal Hallow Nerve Cord
    • The main component of the nerve signalling
    • Becomes the central nervous system in vertebrates
  • Notochord
    • A structure that assists with the organization of nerves and positioning of the nerve cord
    • Present during development in vertebrates
    • Becomes the spine in vertebrates

Basic Chordata Anatomy

  • Pharyngeal Slits
    • Present in all organisms during development.
    • Becomes gill slits in some clades
    • Forms jaw and inner ear in other clades
  • Post-anal Tail
    • In all non-chordata clades the body ends at the anus. Chordates have (or have ancestors that had) a tail that extends past the anus.

Defining Traits of Chordate Clades

To the left is a more detailed cladogram for chordates. You can see echinodermata is listed at the top as the out group. The remaining are classes that fall into phylum chordata. Lancelets (cephalochordata), tunicates (urochordata), hagfish (myxini), and lampreys (petromyzontida) are all non-vertebrate chordates. Sharks/rays (chondrichthyes), bony fish (actinopterygii, coelacanths, and dipnoi), amphibia, reptilia, and mammalia are all vertebrates. Sharks are included in this group since they have a backbone, it is just made of cartilage instead of bone.

Class

Non-Vertebrate Chordates

Three animalia phyla are considered to be chordates, but are not vertebrates:

  • Lancelets (cephalochordata)
  • Tunicates (urochordata)
  • Hagfish (myxini)
  • Lampreys (petromyzontida)

Image Details: "Pacific Lamprey at the Oregon Zoo" by USFWS Pacific is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.0/?ref=openverse.

Click to Edit Slides

Cephalochordata and Urochordata (Group 1)

Myxini (Group 2)

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Petromyzontida (Group 3)

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Vertebrate Chordates

Seven clades are vertebrate chordates. The three bony fish clades are usually discussed as a superclade.

  • Sharks/rays (chondrichthyes),
  • Bony fish (actinopterygii, coelacanths, and dipnoi)
  • Amphibia
  • Reptilia
  • Mammalia
Note: Amphibians won't be covered as part of the microteach due to there not being any living marine amphibians. Their skin is sensitive to salt water. Only the crab eating frog (pictured to the right) can tolerate it for a short time.

Chondrichthyes (Group 4)

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"Bony Fish" (Group 5) Actinopterygii, Coelacanths, and Dipnoi

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Reptilia (Group 6)

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Mammalia (Group 7)

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