why are dolphins vertebrates?

Answer 1

they have spines

Answer 2

All vertebrates have backbones. Types of vertebrates include fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals. Dolphins are a type of marine mammal.

Dolphins, along with whales and porpoises, are thought to be descendants of terrestrial mammals, most likely of the Artiodactyl order. Dolphins entered the water roughly fifty million years ago. Dolphins have a streamlined fusiform body, adapted for fast swimming. The basic coloration patterns are shades of gray with a light underside and a distinct dark cape on the back. It is often combined with lines and patches of different hue and contrast.

Modern dolphin skeletons have two small, rod-shaped pelvic bones thought to be vestigial hind legs. In October of 2006, an unusual Bottlenose Dolphin was captured in Japan that had small fins on either side of the genital slit, which scientists believe to be a more pronounced development of these vestigal hind legs.

The head contains the melon, a round organ used for echolocation. In many species, the jaws are elongated, forming a distinct beak; for some species like the Bottlenose, there is a curved mouth that looks like a fixed smile. Teeth can be very numerous (up to two hundred and fifty) in several species.

The dolphin brain is large and has a highly structured cortex, which often is referred to in discussions about their advanced intelligence. A recent theory however disputes the existence of a neural basis for dolphin intellect, suggesting instead that the large brain is only an adaptation to living in cold water.

Unlike most mammals, dolphins do not have hair, but they are born with a few hairs around the tip of their rostrum which they lose after some time, in some cases even before they are born. River dolphins usually have them all their life and are believed to have a sensory function. Even in those species that lose the hair the hair follicles remain, and it is possible the nerves connected to them are still able to detect movements in the water.

Answer 3

Can you clarify the question ... I think you mean to ask why dolphins are not fish instead of why they are vertebrates. Otherwise it is by definition ... that is, because they have vertebra ... backbones.

Virtually all of the animals that we think of as common animals are vertabrates, fish, birds, mammals, reptiles ... the ones that are not are squids, have exoskeletons, mollusks ... study the animal taxonomy tree.

What are you trying to ask ... I think you are trying to get at that most vertabrates in the sea are fish, but dolphins and whales are not ... that is because they went onto the land and them moved back into the water in the way the evolved.

Answer 4

Vertebrates are members of the subphylum Vertebrata (within the phylum Chordata), specifically, those chordates with backbones or spinal columns. Dolphins have backbones.

Answer 5

It's an important and popular fact that things are not always what they seem. For instance, on the planet Earth, Man had always assumed that he was the most intelligent species occupying the planet, instead of the *third* most intelligent. The second most intelligent were of course dolphins. Dolphins had long known of the impending destruction of earth and had on many occasions tried to alert mankind but their warnings were mistakenly interpreted as amusing attempts to punch footballs or whistle for titbits.

Answer 6

well dolphins are mammals so to be a mammal you have to a vertebrate, and well all vertebrats fall under the phylum chordata, and as to why? notochords make streamline swimming movements possible, also vetebrates have craniums to protect their skulls, its advantageous to have a vertebral column

Answer 7

Because they have spines

Answer 8

because they have a skull and a backbone

Answer 9

beacuse they have a backbone.spine . they are not all floppy like a slug are they?

Answer 10

Because they have backbones (vertebra).

Answer 11

they have spines. if they didnt they would be called invertebrates