Vertebrates (/ ˈvɜːrtəbrɪt, - ˌbreɪt /), [3] also called craniates, are animals with a vertebral column and a cranium. The vertebral column surrounds and protects the spinal cord, while the cranium protects the …

Dec 15, 2025 · Vertebrates are defined by having backbones, a muscular system with bilaterally paired masses, and a central nervous system partly enclosed within the backbone.

Jun 29, 2022 · There are five main groups of vertebrates: fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals. Vertebrates can be either cold-blooded (ectothermic) or warm-blooded (endothermic). …

Mar 17, 2025 · Vertebrates are classified into five main groups: fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals, each with unique features and adaptations to their habitats. Vertebrates display diverse …

Thus, vertebrates refer to animals with a characteristic bony or cartilaginous axial endoskeleton known as the vertebral column, spine, or backbone. Fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals are all …

Aug 14, 2025 · Vertebrates are a diverse group of animals found across nearly every environment on Earth, from fish in oceans to birds soaring above and mammals, including humans, on land.

Vertebrates, which include fishes, reptiles, amphibians, birds, and mammals, all share a vertebral column, or a chain of bony elements (vertebrae) that run along the dorsal surface from head to tail …

Vertebrates have a long history on this earth -- more than 500 million years, from the late Cambrian up to today. These first vertebrates lacked jaws, like the living hagfish and lampreys.

Vertebrates are among the most complex and fascinating organisms on Earth. Characterized by their backbone or vertebral column, they belong to the subphylum Vertebrata within the phylum Chordata. …

In the majority of vertebrates some of the arches have evolved into other organs, such as jaws. Examples of vertebrates are mammals, birds, and fish. A few tens of thousands of species have …