There is at least a small amount of musculature throughout the body of all chordates. As jaws, limbs, and other body parts have evolved in vertebrates, so have the muscles that operate them.

What are the 5 characteristics of chordates?

Characteristics of Chordata. Animals in the phylum Chordata share five key chacteristics that appear at some stage during their development: a notochord, a dorsal hollow (tubular) nerve cord, pharyngeal gill arches or slits, a post-anal tail, and an endostyle/thyroid gland (Figure 2).

Do Chordata have appendages?

All other chordates are craniates: they have a brain and a skull. There are two subphyla: the Agnatha, which lack jaws and paired appendages, and the Gnathostomata, which have jaws and usually have paired appendages as well.