Vertebrate
From Wikipedia, a free encyclopedia written in simple English for easy reading.
A vertebrate is an animal with a spinal cord or spine (sometimes called a backbone, even though some spinal cords are surrounded by cartilage instead of bone) inside its body. The word comes from "vertabrae", the bones that make up most spines. It is the opposite of invertebrate.
Examples of vertebrates are mammals, birds, and fish. Sharks, and related skates and rays, are vertebrates with cartilage instead of bones.
Look up Vertebrata in Wikispecies, a directory of species
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| Vertebrates |
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| Amphibian • Bird • Fish • Mammal • Reptile |
