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- Vertebrae
- Vertebrae are the bones that make up an animal's spine and enclose the spinal cord, which is the large nerve that comes out of the brain. They include neck bones (cervical vertebrae), backbones (dorsal vertebrae), pelvic bones that are fused together (sacral vertebrae), and tailbones (caudal vertebrae). Dinosaurs differ from mammals in that they had ribs attached to all their backbones. Mammals have ribs attached to only some backbones. In mammals, backbones are called thoracic vertebrae if ribs are attached and lumbar vertebrae if no ribs are attached. Mammals also have cervical, sacral, and caudal vertebrae. If you are talking about only a single bone, it is called a vertebra.
- Vertebrate
- Any animal with a backbone is called a vertebrate. This is a large class of creatures that includes fish, birds, mammals, reptiles and amphibians.
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