Vertebrata

Ver`te`bra´ta

n. pl.

1.

(Zool.) One of the grand divisions of the animal kingdom, comprising all animals that have a backbone composed of bony or cartilaginous vertebræ, together with Amphioxus in which the backbone is represented by a simple undivided notochord. The Vertebrata always have a dorsal, or neural, cavity above the notochord or backbone, and a ventral, or visceral, cavity below it. The subdivisions or classes of Vertebrata are Mammalia, Aves, Reptilia, Amphibia, Pisces, Marsipobranchia, and Leptocardia.

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

Vertebrata - fishes; amphibians; reptiles; birds; mammals Craniata, subphylum Craniata, subphylum Vertebrata fish family - any of various families of fish fish genus - any of various genus of fish Chordata, phylum Chordata - comprises true vertebrates and animals having a notochord craniate, vertebrate - animals having a bony or cartilaginous skeleton with a segmented spinal column and a large brain enclosed in a skull or cranium Amniota - higher vertebrates (reptiles, birds and mammals) possessing an amnion during development Agnatha, superclass Agnatha - superclass of eel-shaped chordates lacking jaws and pelvic fins: lampreys; hagfishes; some extinct forms Gnathostomata, superclass Gnathostomata - comprising all vertebrates with upper and lower jaws class Placodermi, Placodermi - extinct group of bony-plated fishes with primitive jaws Chondrichthyes, class Chondrichthyes - cartilaginous fishes Aves, class Aves - (ornithology) the class of birds bird family - a family of warm-blooded egg-laying vertebrates characterized by feathers and forelimbs modified as wings bird genus - a genus of birds amphibia, class Amphibia - the class of vertebrates that live on land but breed in water; frogs; toads; newts; salamanders; caecilians amphibian family - any family of amphibians amphibian genus - any genus of amphibians reptile family - a family of reptiles reptile genus - a genus of reptiles class Reptilia, Reptilia - class of cold-blooded air-breathing vertebrates with completely ossified skeleton and a body usually covered with scales or horny plates; once the dominant land animals class Mammalia, Mammalia - warm-blooded vertebrates characterized by mammary glands in the female mammal family - a family of mammals mammal genus - a genus of mammals Pisces - a group of vertebrates comprising both cartilaginous and bony fishes and sometimes including the jawless vertebrates; not used technically Channidae, class Channidae - snakeheads class Osteichthyes, Osteichthyes - a class of fish having a skeleton composed of bone in addition to cartilage phylum - (biology) the major taxonomic group of animals and plants; contains classes