11.6.

9 PHYLUM CHORDATA
11.6.9 PHYLUM CHORDATA
LEARNING OUTCOMES:
• Describe unique characteristics of
Chordata.
• State classification of Chordata into FOUR
sub-phyla.
• State classification of sub-phylum
Vertebrata into SIX common classes
 UNIQUE CHARACTERISTICS

 Notochord

 Pharyngeal slits

 Dorsal nerve cord

 Post-anal tail

 Myotomes
 UNIQUE CHARACTERISTICS
 Notochord
- All chordate embryo
has notochord
- A longitudinal, flexible rod
- Located between gut
and nerve cord
- Extends almost the
length of the animal
- Give rise to vertebral
column that provides
skeletal support
 UNIQUE CHARACTERISTICS
 Presence of pharyngeal slits or clefts
- Pharynx is located posterior to the
mouth
- Opens to the outside through pairs of slits
allowing water entering the mouth
- Water that enters the mouth exit through
slits without passing through the entire
digestive tract
- In invertebrate chordate, pharyngeal slits
function as suspension feeding
- In aquatic vertebrate, pharyngeal slits is
modified for gases exchange
 UNIQUE CHARACTERISTICS
 Dorsal hollow nerve cord
- Is unique to chordate
- Develops into central
nervous system (CNS) :
 brain
 spinal cord
 UNIQUE CHARACTERISTICS
 Presence of post-anal tail
- Most chordates have
tail extending beyond
the anus
- Is reduced during embryonic
development
- Posses a vertebral column
that compose of bone @
cartilage
- Provide propulsive forces
in many aquatic species
 UNIQUE CHARACTERISTICS
Presence of myotomes
- One of a series of segmented muscle
blocks
- Surround notochord and nerve cord
- Found in fishes and lancelets
e.g. lancelet
 UNIQUE CHARACTERISTICS
 Close circulatory system
- Component :
heart, blood vessels and blood
 CLASSIFICATION
Phylum Chordata is divided into FOUR subphyla :

Urochordata Vertebrata
e.g. sea squirt
Hemichordata Cephalochordata
e.g. acorn worm e.g. lancelet
 MAJOR SUBPHYLA in PHYLUM CHORDATA
SUBPHYLUM CHARACTERISTICS
Urochordata - Invertebrate chordates
e.g. sea squirt - Sessile adult with adhere to rocks, boats
- Free swimming larvae
- Very large pharynx with numerous pharyngeal slits
that act as a sieve for food (Pharyngeal slits serve
a feeding function, not a respiratory function)
Hemichordata - Wormlike marine invertebrate chordates
e.g. acorn worm - Having primitive notochord and pharyngeal slits
Cephalochordata - Invertebrate chordates
e.g. lancelet - Large notochord
- Pharynx has gill slits
- Dorsal, hollow nerve cord is slightly enlarged in the
anterior region, forming a rudimentary brain
Vertebrata - Vertebrate chordates( Backbone is built around the
notochord)
- Vary in size from large to small but all have living
endoskeleton
- Development of the head where a brain is enclosed
in a cranium
 CLASSIFICATION
Subphylum Vertebrata is divided into SIX classes :

 Class Chondrichthyes (cartilaginous fish,

Raja sp.)
 Class Osteichthyes (bony fish, Selar sp.)
 Class Amphibia (frog, Rana sp.)
 Class Reptilia (crocodile, Crocodilus sp.)
 Class Aves (pigeon, Columba sp.)
 Class Mammalia (rat, Rattus sp.)
Raja sp. Rana sp.

Selar sp.
 Crocodilus sp.

Columba sp. Rattus sp.

 MAJOR CLASSES in SUBPHYLUM VERTEBRATA
CLASS CHARACTERISTICS
Chondrichthyes - Cartilaginous skeleton
e.g. ray (Raja sp.) - Have jaws
- Notochord is replaced by vertebrae in
adults
- Two pairs of fins
- Respiration through gills (gills develop
from pharyngeal slits)
- Two chambers heart
- Well develop sense organ (lateral line
system)
Osteichthyes - Bony skeleton
e.g. Selar fish - Have jaws
(Selar sp.) - Respiration through gills (gills are covered
by operculum)
- Well develop sense organ (lateral line
system)
- Swim bladder for buoyancy
 MAJOR CLASSES in SUBPHYLUM VERTEBRATA
CLASS CHARACTERISTICS
Amphibia - Appendages adapted for moving
e.g. frog (tetrapod @ four footed)
(Rana sp.) - Undergo metamorphosis : aquatic
larvae  terrestrial adult
- Respiration through gills (larvae),
lungs and skin (adults)
Reptilia - Some are tetrapod
e.g. crocodile - Dry and keratinous scaly skin
(Crocodilus sp.) - Respiration through spongy lungs
- Three chambers heart except in
crocodilians (4 chambers heart)
- Undergo moulting; shed skin
(e.g. snake)
MAJOR CLASSES in SUBPHYLUM VERTEBRATA
CLASS CHARACTERISTICS
Aves - Have feathers and scales on legs
e.g. pigeon - Have variety shapes of beak
(Columba sp.) adapted for different diets
- Small head and brain
- Anterior limbs are modified into
paired wings
- Respiration through lungs
Mammalia - Presence of mammary glands
e.g. rat - All mammals have keratinous hair
(Rattus sp.) - Four chambers heart
- Heterodonts (various sizes and
shapes of teeth)
- Highly developed nervous system
- Respiration through lungs
 HOTS Question:

 If you were given the opportunity to be

involved in a development of a nature’s
park at a 500 acres area of a river valley
in which 1/3 of the area is tropical rain
forest, 1/3 of it is a flat grassland and
another 1/3 is covered with the swamp
and river.
 Suggest one wild animal that you
would add and one wild animal that
you wouldn’t add . Give reasons.
LEARNING OUTCOMES:
Explain evolutionary relationship of animals.
  Level of organization

 Germ layers
 Symmetry of body plan
 Body cavity

 Body segmentation
 PLATYHELMINTHES

ECHINODERMATA
ARTHROPODA

MOLLUSCA
NEMATODA

CHORDATA
PORIFERA

ANNELIDA
CNIDARIA
LEVEL OF Parazoa Eumetazoa
ORGANI- (true tissue)
ZATION
GERM No Diplo- Triploblastic
LAYERS germ blas-
layers tic
BODY Asym- Radial Bilateral symmetry
SYMMETRY metry sym-
metry
BODY Acoe- Pseudo Coelomates
CAVITY lo- -coelo-
mate mate
BODY Not segmented Meta- Seg- Seg-
SEGMEN- meric men- men-
TATION seg- ted ted
men-
ted
 Level of organization Phylum / Phyla
Parazoa - Porifera
(has no true tissue)
Eumetazoa - Cnidaria
(has true tissue) - Platyhelminthes
- Nematoda
- Annelida
- Arthropoda
- Mollusca
- Echinodermata
- Chordata
 Germ layers Phylum / Phyla
Diploblastic - Cnidaria
Triploblastic - Platyhelminthes
- Nematoda
- Annelida
- Arthropoda
- Mollusca
- Echinodermata
- Chordata
 Symmetry of body plan Phylum / Phyla
Asymmetry - Porifera
Radial symmetry - Cnidaria
Bilateral symmetry - Platyhelminthes
- Nematoda
- Annelida
- Arthropoda
- Mollusca
- Echinodermata
- Chordata
 Body cavity Phylum / Phyla
Acoelomate - Platyhelminthes
Pseudocoelomate - Nematoda
Coelomate - Annelida
- Arthropoda
- Mollusca
- Echinodermata
- Chordata
 Body segmentation Phylum / Phyla
Unsegmented - Platyhelminthes
- Nematoda
Metameric segmented - Annelida
Segmented - Arthropoda
- Chordata
 Animals in phylum Porifera are parazoa which
have no true tissue and animals in the rest of the
phyla are eumetazoa which have true tissue.

 Animals in phylum Cnidaria are diploblastic

which have two germ layers and from
Platyhelminthes to Chordata, the animals are
triploblastic which have three germ layers.
 Animals in phylum Porifera are asymmetry,
animals in phylum Cnidaria are radiata which
have radial symmetry and animals in the rest of
the phyla are bilateria which have bilateral
symmetry.
 Animals in phylum Platyhelminthes are
acoelomate which have no body cavity, animals
in phylum Nematoda are pseudocoelomate
which have no true body cavity and animals in
the rest of the phyla are coelomate which have
true body cavity.
 Animals in phyla Platyhelminthes and Nematoda
have unsegmented body, animals in phylum
Annelida have metameric segmented body and
animals in phyla Arthropoda and Chordata have
segmented body.