Vertebrate
An animal with a backbone (spinal column). Vertebrates include fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals—about 70,000 species representing less than 5% of all animal species.
Used in the Books
This term appears in 13 chapters:
"All of this requires enormous energy. During active flight, its metabolic rate can reach the highest per-gram rate ever recorded in vertebrates. This creates an existential problem: at night, when the hummingbird can't feed, it would starve before morning. The solution? Torpor."
"... urinate, or defecate during hibernation. Paul, Matthew J., Irving Zucker, and William J. Schwartz. "Tracking the Seasons: The Internal Calendars of Vertebrates." Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 363, no. 1490 (2008): 341-361. - Supports: Photoperiod (decreasing day..."
"...etention, performance gains from warm muscle (3× power output) Storey, Kenneth B., and Janet M. Storey. "Molecular Physiology of Freeze Tolerance in Vertebrates." Physiological Reviews 97, no. 2 (2017): 623-665. > Supports: Wood frog freeze tolerance mechanisms, cryoprotectant production, controlled ice..."
"Maher, Christine R., & Lott, Dale F. (2000). "A Review of Ecological Determinants of Territoriality within Vertebrate Species." American Midland Naturalist, 143(1), 1-29. https://doi.org/10.1674/0003-0031(2000)143[0001:AROEDO]2.0.CO;2 [PAYWALL] - Comprehensive r..."
"...2006): 1987–1998. Reviews Lake Victoria's extraordinary cichlid radiation - over 500 species arising in approximately 15,000 years, the fastest known vertebrate radiation. Documents how hybridization combined with strong sexual selection drove rapid speciation. [OPEN ACCESS] McGee, Matthew D., et al. "A ..."
And 8 more chapters...
Biological Context
The vertebral column protects the spinal cord and provides structural support. Vertebrates share common body plans and developmental patterns. Despite being a minority of species, vertebrates dominate many ecosystems due to size, mobility, and cognitive capabilities.
Business Application
Vertebrate organizations have clear central structures—hierarchies, reporting lines, command chains. The 'backbone' provides stability and coordination but can also create rigidity. Most large organizations are vertebrate in structure.