What defines membership in the Phylum Chordata for a chinchilla?
Answer
Presence of a notochord at some point in development.
Membership in the Phylum Chordata is determined by the presence of four key structural features at some stage of an organism's life cycle, although these features may be modified or lost in adulthood. The most critical of these defining characteristics is the notochord, a flexible rod providing skeletal support. Other essential chordate traits include having a dorsal hollow nerve cord running along the back, pharyngeal slits located in the throat region, and a post-anal tail extending beyond the anus. These embryonic or developmental hallmarks place the chinchilla squarely within Chordata, despite its later specialized traits as a mammal and rodent.
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