Lab 2

Intro to the invertebrate relatives of Craniata

Hemichordata
-Hypothesized to be the CER to Chordata -90 described species of enteropneusts (acorn worms) and around 30 described pterobranchs -Like chordates, hemichordates are deuterostomes with pharyngeal gill slits and most have a dorsal (and sometimes hollow) nerve cord. However, they lack a notochord. As adults, all or nearly all hemichordates are benthic (bottom-dwelling) marine animals.

basic body plan of an acorn worm includes a short, often conical, proboscis; a collar, which bears the ventral mouth at its anterior end; and a long trunk with the anus situated at its posterior end

Acorn Worm

Chordata
- Include Urochordata, Cephalochordata, and Craniata - The vertebrates and hagfishes together comprise the taxon Craniata (Lab 3) - The remaining chordates are the tunicates (Urochordata), lancelets (Cephalochordata) - Chordates are active animals
- with bilaterally symmetric bodies - longitudinally differentiated into head, trunk and tail

The most distinctive morphological features of chordates are:

Notochord: flexible, rod-like structure extending the length of the body Postanal tail: an extension of the body that runs past the anal opening Endostyle: longitudinal ciliated groove on the ventral wall of the pharynx that produces mucus to gather food particles Tadpole larvae phase

Urochordata
-Hyp to be the CER to Euchordata
(Cephalochordata + Craniata) -2,200 species -marine, sessile -tunic made of a cellulose-like polysaccharide

Tunicates

Cephalochordata
-30 species -Most are amphioxus or lancelets

Amphioxus