What features do animals in the phylum chordata have in common? All of the animals in the phylum chordata have three or more of the five distinct internal and external characteristics: -Notochord: A rod of cartilage that extends down the back of the animal which develops into a spinal column. -Dorsal neural tube or spinal cord:This is a part of the nervous system. - Pharyngeal slits: Part of the digestive system which ables them to collect food. The aquatic animal breathes in water, and this organ filters the food particles into their stomach and releases the water back out. -Endostyle: This regulates the salt and iodine levels in aquatic animals. - Post anal tail: This is a fin or rod-shaped tail located behind the anus of the animal. Its purpose is to help in the movement of the animals. What are the six classes that the phylum chordata is split into? The Phylum Chordata is split into 6 classes, displayed in the pictures.
What is the closest living relative to a giraffe? The closest living relative to a giraffe is a Okapi. The okapi has a similar body shape to a giraffe. But the Okapi has a shorter neck then the giraffe in relation to its body size. It still shares distinctive feature of the giraffe like the fur, horns, teeth and tounge. http://animals.answers.com/science/animals-and-characteristics-in-phylum-chordata http://www.fcps.edu/islandcreekes/ecology/arthropod.htm http://www.giraffeconservation.org/giraffe_facts.php?pgid=3 |