Many scientists maintain that chordates originated sometime earlier than 590 million years ago; that is, they predate the fossil record.

Where did the first chordates appear?

The fossil record of chordates begins in the early Cambrian period, roughly 530 million years ago. The oldest known chordate fossil was found in China and described in 1995.

When did phylum Chordata first appear?

Chordate fossils have been found from as early as the Cambrian explosion, 541 million years ago.