Chordates
1. What are the two main
subdivisions of the phylum
Chordata?
2. What are the three
structures shared by every
chordate that characterize the
group?
3. What is the destination of
the branchial clefts in
humans?
4. What is the destination of
the notochord in vertebrates
and in protochordates?
5. Is the tubular-dorsal
nervous system of chordates
associated to radial or lateral
symmetry? How does that
explain the complexity level of
the nervous system reached
by the vertebrate evolutionary
branch?
6. How can the tubular-dorsal
nervous system in chordates
be compared to the nervous
pattern present in
invertebrates?
7. What is the group of the
phylum Chordata that first
colonized the terrestrial
environment? From which
habitat did they come?
8. How dochordates
reproduce?
9. Into which subphyla are the
protochordates divided? What
are some representatives of
each protochordate
subphylum?
10. What are the six criteria
used to build a complete
evolutionary branch of
vertebrates?
11. Evolutionarily
protochordates may be
intermediate animals between
invertebrates and vertebrates.
Imagine a scientist is testing
the hypothesis that
vertebrates evolved from
echinoderms. Having as
research object a newly found
protochordate species, what is
an example of a discovery that
would weaken the hypothesis?
What is an example of a
discovery that would
strengthen it?
12. Chordate identity card.
How are they characterized
according to examples of
representing beings, basic
morphology, type of
symmetry, germ layers and
coelom, digestive system,
respiratory system, circulatory
system, excretory system,
nervous system and types of
reproduction?