Because we're a member of the group, it's easy to see vertebrates as the pinnacle of evolution, a group capable of producing bats, birds, and giant whales in addition to ourselves.

Experts have used CT scanning techniques to build up the first 3D pictures of these creatures, which are some of the earliest vertebrates (animals with backbones) in which the mouth is fossilized.

New fossils are revealing the earliest jawed vertebrates — a group that encompasses 99 percent of all living vertebrates on Earth, including humans. Skip to content. Subscribe or renew today ...

Researchers on Wednesday described the earliest-known vertebrates that possessed jaws as revealed by fossils of four remarkable fish species unearthed in China, two dating from 436 million years ...

The earliest deep-sea vertebrates revealed by unusual trace fossils. Faculty of Sciences of the University of Lisbon. Journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences DOI 10.1073/pnas ...

In the past, various researchers have placed yunnanozoans into multiple clades, including cephalochordates (a clade of rudimentary invertebrate marine animals), hemichordates (considered to be a link ...

All chordates, such as vertebrates, eel-like lancelets, and tunicates, or sea squirts, at some point in their lives have a flexible, rod-shaped nerve structure called a notochord in their backs. A ...

Researchers have attempted to decode the flying style of ancient pterosaurs — the earliest vertebrates to develop powered ...

The sympathetic nervous system, which enables the fight-or-flight response, was thought to be present only in jawed vertebrates. Analysis of a jawless vertebrate suggests that this system might be ...

A large, crocodile-like animal that lived more than 340 million years ago was one of the earliest vertebrates to have a fast-growing phase in its youth. Altered gut microbiome linked to fertility ...

The earliest vertebrates were simple, jawless creatures that resembled today’s lampreys and hagfish. These animals didn’t yet have bones, just flexible cartilage for support.

The story of land vertebrates started with fish leaving the water, a milestone in the evolution of life on Earth. These animals were the first tetrapods - meaning "four feet" - and they were the ...