Answer:

Vertebrates are further differentiated from chordates by their vertebral column, which forms when their notochord develops into the column of bony vertebrae separated by discs. Vertebrates also called Craniata, any animal of the subphylum Vertebrata, the predominant subphylum of the phylum Chordata. They have backbones, from which they derive their name. The major groups of vertebrates include fishes, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals.

As chordates, vertebrates have the same common features:

• a notochord
• dorsal hollow nerve cord
• pharyngeal slits
• a post-anal tail