chordate
Definitions
Any animal of the phylum Chordata, characterized at some stage of development by a notochord, a dorsal nerve cord, and pharyngeal gill slits.
Relating to or belonging to the phylum Chordata.
Examples
The lancelet is a primitive chordate that lacks a true backbone but possesses a notochord throughout its life.
Biologists study the evolutionary history of the chordate phylum to understand the development of complex nervous systems in vertebrates.