A common characteristic of all vertebrates without exception is

Options

A. the division of body into head, neck, trunk and tial
B. their body covered with an exoskeleton
C. the possession of two pairs of functional appendages
D. the presence of well-developed skull.

Answer

D

Explanation

Vertebrates belong to the subphylum Vertebrata of the Phylum Chordata. All vertebrates share a common diagnostic character, the elaboration of anterior skeletal elements into a "cranium" or "skull" which houses various sense organs and a complex brain. The distinctive vertebrate cranium and brain evolved even before the vertebral column and are, therefore, more fundamental characteristic of vertebrates than the backbone.