Are humans classified under phylum chordata?

Hint: Early modern humans or anatomically modern humans are terms used to distinguish Homo sapiens that are anatomically consistent with the range of phenotypes seen in contemporary humans from extinct archaic human species.

Complete answer:
 Humans are part of the Chordata phylum. There is a long list of characteristics that organisms have in Chordata phylum, but the most important is the notochord. Notochord is a flexible rod which runs along the back (dorsal) side of the animal. For humans, our notochord is developing into a spinal cord, making us a chordate.

The chordate is an animal belonging to the phylum Chordata. During a certain period of their life cycle, chords have a notochord, a dorsal nerve cord, pharyngeal slits, and a post-anal tail: these four anatomical features define this phylum. Chordates are also bilaterally symmetric and have a coelom, metameric segmentation and circulatory system.

The Chordata and the Ambulacraria together form the Deuterostomy superphylum. Chords are divided into three subphyla: Vertebrata (fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals); Tunicata or Urochordata (sea squirts, salts); and Cephalochordata (which includes lancelets).

Chordate fossils have been discovered since the Cambrian explosion, 541 million years ago. Cladistically (phylogenetically), vertebrates – notochord chords replaced by vertebral columns during development – are considered to be the Craniata clade subgroup consisting of skull chords. The Craniata and the Tunicata make up the Olfactores clade.

Note: The phylum Chordata contains all animals that have a rod-like structure used to support them. In most cases, this is the spine or spine. There are five animal classes within Chordata: fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals.