Deuterostomes and Chordates Overview

This set of flashcards covers key vocabulary related to deuterostomes and chordates, including definitions and characteristics of various groups.

Deuterostomes

A group of animals that includes echinoderms and chordates, characterized by their embryonic development.

Echinoderms

A phylum of marine invertebrates that includes sea stars, characterized by radial symmetry in adults and a free-swimming larval stage.

Chordates

Animals belonging to the phylum Chordata, characterized by having a notochord, a dorsal nerve cord, pharyngeal pouches, and a postanal tail at some stage in their life.

Notochord

A dorsal supporting rod found in all chordates at some stage of their development; in vertebrates, it is replaced by the vertebral column.

Amniotic Egg

An egg that contains the amniotic fluid to protect and nourish the developing embryo, allowing for reproduction in a terrestrial environment.

Cartilaginous Fishes

Fishes whose skeletons are made of cartilage rather than bone, including sharks, skates, and rays.

Bony Fishes

The most diverse group of vertebrates, characterized by a bony skeleton and the presence of a swim bladder.

Amphibians

A class of animals that can live both on land and in water; includes frogs, toads, salamanders, which undergo metamorphosis.

Mammals

Endothermic amniotes that possess mammary glands and hair, allowing them to nurse their young.

Marsupials

Mammals that give birth to immature young which complete their development in a pouch on the mother.

Monotremes

Egg-laying mammals that possess a cloaca, exemplified by the platypus and spiny anteater.

Tetrapods

Vertebrates with four limbs, which include amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals.