What is an invertebrate? When most of us think about the diversity of life on earth, we think about the different kinds of birds in our backyard or the interesting animals we saw on our last trip to the zoo. What few of us realize, however, is that the overwhelming majority of life on earth is comprised of a type of animal known as an invertebrate.
So, what is an invertebrate? The category invertebrate does not comprise a single systematic grouping. The key characteristic of invertebrates is that they are animals without a bony backbone.
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