Amphioxus
1
Starting the first post with some interesting animal AMPHIOXUS
Ref:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lancelet
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Subphylum: | Cephalochordata |
| Class: | Leptocardii |
| Order: | Amphioxiformes[1 |
Ref:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lancelet
The lancelets (from lancet), also known as amphioxus, are the modern representatives of the subphylumCephalochordata, usually said to be the sister group of the craniates. They are usually found buried in sand in shallow parts of temperate or tropical seas. In Asia, they are harvested commercially as food for humans anddomesticated animals. They are an important object of study in zoology as they provide indications about the origins of the vertebrates. Lancelets serve as an intriguing comparison point for tracing how vertebrates have evolved and adapted. Although lancelets split from vertebrates more than 520 million years ago, their genomes hold clues about evolution, particularly how vertebrates have employed old genes for new functions.[2] They are regarded as similar to the archetypal vertebrate form.
