Introduction to Phylum Chordata: Chordate Characteristics and the Chordate Cladogram

We have now completed our study of every single animal phylum but one: Chordata. This is the one that contains humans, as well as the most common animals we interact with every day, like our pets. There are about 81,600 species of chordates, with tremendous diversity among them, from teeny tiny little frogs all the way up to gigantic blue whales. What are the five characteristics that all chordates have in common? And since we have just one phylum left to go, we will switch to a cladogram for the chordates specifically, so what does that look like? There is so much to discuss!