Take Our Invertebrate Quiz: Test Your Knowledge of Invertebrates

Which of the following is a phylum of invertebrates?

What percentage of animal species are estimated to be invertebrates?

What does the Latin word 'vertabra' mean?

Which term is derived from the concept of turning, expressed in the root 'verto'?

What does the prefix 'in-' mean?

Which of the following is a sister chordate subphylum to Vertebrata?

What is the primary trait that distinguishes invertebrates from vertebrates?

Which term describes a taxon in the same way that Arthropoda and Vertebrata do?

Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of invertebrates?

Which major invertebrate group includes insects, crustaceans, and arachnids?

What is the estimated percentage of invertebrate species among all described animal species?

Which of the following is a valid taxon within Animalia?

What term is used as a convenience for animals that are not members of Vertebrata?

Which major invertebrate group has the largest number of described extant species?

'Invertebrata' has very little circumscriptional significance except within which taxon?

Which of the following attributes logically should precede the presence or absence of the vertebral column in constructing a cladogram?

Invertebrates

Approximately 95% of animal species are estimated to be invertebrates.
The Latin word 'vertabra' means "joint" or "turned".
The term 'invertebrate' is derived from the prefix 'in-' meaning "not" or "without", and the concept of turning, expressed in the root 'verto', referring to the vertebral column.

Characteristics of Invertebrates

The primary trait that distinguishes invertebrates from vertebrates is the absence of a vertebral column.
Invertebrates do not have a vertebral column, which is a characteristic of vertebrates.

Taxonomy of Invertebrates

The term 'invertebrate' is used as a convenience for animals that are not members of Vertebrata.
'Invertebrata' has very little circumscriptional significance except within the taxon Animalia.
A valid taxon within Animalia is Vertebrata, which includes animals with a vertebral column.
Arthropoda is a sister chordate subphylum to Vertebrata.
A taxon in the same way that Arthropoda and Vertebrata do is a phylum.

Types of Invertebrates

A major invertebrate group that includes insects, crustaceans, and arachnids is Arthropoda.
Arthropoda has the largest number of described extant species among all invertebrate groups.

Cladogram Construction

The presence or absence of the vertebral column should logically follow the presence or absence of a notochord in constructing a cladogram.

Test your knowledge about animals that do not have a vertebral column, including well-known phyla such as arthropods, mollusks, annelids, echinoderms, flatworms, cnidarians, and sponges. Discover fascinating facts about the majority of animal species.