Ancestral chordate

An ancestral chordate refers to the common ancestor of all vertebrates, such as fish, birds, mammals, and humans. This early creature, living hundreds of millions of years ago, possessed key features like a notochord (a flexible, rod-like structure supporting the body), a dorsal nerve cord (which develops into the spinal cord), and pharyngeal slits ( openings in the throat area). These traits laid the foundation for the complex body structures in modern chordates. Studying this ancestor helps scientists understand how diverse animals evolved from a shared origin, highlighting the evolutionary connections between simple aquatic organisms and complex vertebrates.