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Chordates

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37 views39 pages

Chordates

Uploaded by

rebeccajohnbabatunde
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We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Phylum Chordata

The chordates
Basic Characteristics
 Bilateral symmetry

 A true coelom
 Deuterostome development
• Radial, indeterminate cleavage
• Enterocoelous coelom development
 Metamerism

 Conspicuous Cephalization in some species


Chordate Hallmarks/Unique Features
There are 4 Major and 2 minor hallmarks:
Major
•Notochord
•Dorsal Tubular Nerve Cord
•Pharyngeal Pouches and Gill Slits
•Post Anal Tail
Minor
•Endostyle or Thyroid Gland
•Ventral Heart
– At least one or more of these are found at
some embryonic stage in all chordates
species.
Four Major Chordate Hallmarks
1. Notochord or stiffening rod
– flexible rod-like structure; extending length of body,
and skeletal in function

• Made up of gelatinous matrix surrounded by outer


fibrous or inner elastic notochordal sheath.
• The notochord is the only structural feature of
Protochordates
• It is the first part of the endoskeleton to
appear in an embryo.
• It is completely replaced by vertebral column
in adult Vertebrates.
• The vertebral column
– protects the spinal chord,
– gives support to the body, and
– serves as point for articulation of muscles
Four Major Chordate Hallmarks
2. Dorsal tubular nerve cord- This is common to all chordate
taxa.

•It is a hollow structure located dorsally (at the back).

•The anterior part later develops into the largest ganglion


referred to as the brain.
• The hollow cord is produced by the in-folding
of ectodermal cells that are in contact with
the mesoderm in the embryo.

• The posterior length is called the spinal chord


and this is protected by the vertebral column

• In some vertebrates (Craniata), the brain


becomes enclosed in a protective covering
bone call the cranium (Skull).
Four Major Chordate Hallmarks
3. Pharyngeal pouches and gill slits
•Chordate pharynx (especially in lower forms) usually have
openings called clefts (slits)
•These slits or openings lead from the pharyngeal cavity to
the outside
• The cleft shows up during the developmental stages
of all chordates but persists in the lower forms.

• It is the anterior part of the alimentary canal (gut).

• In lower chordates they are used for filter feeding


and respiration.
– In tetrapods, the pharyngeal pouches give rise to
the eustachian tube, middle ear cavity, tonsils, and
parathyroid glands
Four Major Chordate Hallmarks
4. Post-anal tail – tail extends beyond anus
•Together with the muscles this supports the free
swimming movements in lower chordates

•It helps for balancing in many Mammals

•In human beings, it is vestigial (non-functional) and


reduced to coccyx
Two minor Chordate Hallmarks
5. Endostyle or thyroid gland – secretes mucous that
traps food particles in pharyngeal cavity

•They secrete iodinated proteins into the body


Two minor Chordate Features
6. Ventral Heart – heart located ventrally

•A recent component believed to be unique to chordate

Insect
Chordate
Chordate Taxonomy

• Subphylum Hemichordata- Lower Chordates

• Subphylum Urochordata
• Subphylum Cephalochordata Higher Chordates

• Subphylum Vertebrata
Higher Classification of Chordata
• Phylum Chordata

– Subphylum Urochordata
Protochordates
– Subphylum Cephalochordata (First Chordates)

– Subphylum Vertebrata- vertebrates


Sub-Phylum Hemichordata-
Half Chordates
Acorn worms
Defining Characteristics

– A conspicuous dorsal
extension of the pharynx
forms an anterior buccal
tube.

– Body is divided into three


parts: Proboscis, collar, and
trunk

– They have unique larvae


called – Tornaria
• Hemichordates are found on
the surface or in the mud flats
of streams and creeks

– Burrow through sediment


and ingest/assimilate
nutrients (detritivores)

• Some species remain in mucus


lined burrows throughout
their life span
Classification of Hemichordates
• Class Enteropneusta
- e.g. Balanoglossus, Sarcoglossus

• Class Petrobranchia
- e.g. Cephalodiscus, Rhabdopleura
Protochordates
Subphylum Urochordata
(Tunicata)
Sea Squirts or Tunicates
Urochordate Characteristics
• Have a non-living cellulose tunic covering their body

• Most chordate features found in the free-living ascidian


larva

• Adult individuals have just one chordate feature, and are


sessile filter feeders

 This phenomenon is called Retrograde metamorphosis


Ascidean Larva and Metamorphosis
Adult Urochordate
Urochordate Classification

• Three classes

• Class Ascidiacea - Ciona sp.

• Class Thaliacea - Salpa sp.

• Class Larvacea - Oikopleura


• Larvaceans are paedomorphic.
– Adult individuals retain larval characteristics
Protochordates
Subphylum Cephalochordata
Lancelets
Cephalochordate Characteristics
• Notochord and nerve cord found along entire
length of body, persists throughout life
• A typical chordate archetype,
– All six chordate characters are present throughout life
span, in a simple form.
• Filter feeding is accomplished using pharyngeal
slits and a mucous net secreted by the endostyle.

• Fish-like in form
– Includes the lancelets (Amphioxus sp.)
• The dorsal, hollow nerve cord lies just above the
notochord.

• The circulatory system is closed, but there is no


heart.
– Blood functions in nutrient transport, not oxygen transport.

• Segmented trunk musculature is another feature


shared with vertebrates.
Amphioxus
Subphylum Vertebrata

The Vertebrates
• Subphylum Vertebrata is a monophyletic group
that shares the basic chordate characteristics with
the protochordate groups (Urochordata and
Cephalochordata).

• The animals called vertebrates get their name


from vertebrae, the series of bones that make up
the backbone.
Subphylum Vertebrata = Craniata

• Craniates are chordates that have their brains


onclosed in a protective skull.

• The origin of a head opened up a completely new way


of feeding for chordates: active predation.

• Craniates share some common characteristics:


– A skull, brain, eyes, and other sensory organs.
Vertebrate Characteristics
• Bony or cartilaginous vertebrae surrounding
spinal cord

• Notochord only in embryonic stages,


persisting in some fishes

• Two Super-classes according to presence of


jaws
Vertebrate Higher Classification
• Superclass Agnatha - without jaws
– Class Myxini
– Class Cephalaspidomorphi/Petromyzontia

• Superclass Gnathostomata – with jaws


– Class Chondrichthyes
– Class Actinopterygii Pisces/Fishes
– Class Sarcopterygii
– Class Amphibia
– Class Reptilia
– Class Aves - birds
– Class Mammalia
Superclass Agnatha-Jawless fishes

• Lack jaws, paired fins, scales

• Possess median nostril and fins, notochord


rather than vertebral column
Class Myxini – hagfishes

• Strictly marine
• No bone
• Rasping tongue
• Eyes degenerate, covered by skin; no pineal; single pair of
semicircular canals
• No lateral line organs
• 5-15 pair gills
• Partial open circulatory system
• Holonephros and neotenic pronephros
• Numerous slime glands in skin, secrete copious amounts
of mucus;
• Separate sexes, but all individuals have ovitestis,
• Eggs deposited at sea; direct development; totally marine
The Hag fish – Myxine glutinosa
Class Cephalaspidomorphi – lampreys

• Oral disc/buccal funnel, with epidermal denticles and


rasping tongue; active "predatory parasites”
• No bone
• Nostril on top of head
• Well-developed vertebrate eyes
• Well-developed Lateral Line system
• Best developed pineal “eye” of any aquatic vertebrate;
• 2 pairs of semicircular canals;
• Uniformly 7 pairs of gills
• Cranium cartilaginous, open on top
• Opisthonephros
• Eggs deposited in freshwater; freshwater larva; many
species have freshwater adult, but most migrate to sea
and have marine adult stage (anadromous).
Lamprey- Petromyzon marinus

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