What feature defines the common warthog's placement in Phylum Chordata?
Answer
Possession of a notochord during developmental stages
The Phylum Chordata encompasses all animals that, at some stage in their development, exhibit four defining characteristics: a notochord, a dorsal hollow nerve cord, pharyngeal slits, and a post-anal tail. In the common warthog, like all vertebrates, the flexible rod-like notochord present during early development is later replaced by the mature vertebral column or backbone. This internal support structure is fundamental to this phylum. The presence of this defining embryological feature, even if modified later, solidly places the warthog within Chordata, separating it from invertebrates lacking this internal structure.
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