Final answer:
Humans belong to the subgroup Mammals within the phylum Chordata. Despite lacking some traits like the notochord as adults, they exhibit these during embryonic development, placing them firmly within Chordata.
Step-by-step explanation:
To which of these subgroups would humans belong to in the phylum chordata? The answer is: 1) Mammals. In the classification of chordates, humans are included in the Mammalia class, which is part of the subphylum Vertebrata.
This subphylum represents all chordates that have a backbone. Humans share characteristics with other mammals, such as having hair, producing milk to feed their young, and possessing a differentiated dentition. '
Mammals are a diverse group that includes primates, of which humans are a part, characterized by their developed hands and feet, large brains, and shortened snouts.
As chordates, all mammals have a notochord at some stage of their life cycle, though in humans and other vertebrates, it is reduced during development and surrounded by the backbone.
Thus, despite adult humans lacking some defining traits of chordates like the notochord, they are still classified in the phylum Chordata because they exhibit these traits during their embryonic development.