Question

The animal exhibiting characteristic of chordates in a simple condition (notochord, gill slits, dorsal tubular nerve chord) and similar to some ancient ancestor of vertebrates is the

• A. Glossobalanus
• B. Amphioxus
• C. Saccoglossus
• D. Agnatha

Answer 1

Answer: (B)

Amphioxus

• Lancelets include marine chordates. They have a hollow nerve cord running along the back, pharyngeal gill slits, and a tail that runs past the anus.
• They are an important object of study in zoology as they provide indications about the evolutionary origins of the vertebrates.
• Lancelets serve as an intriguing comparison point for tracing how vertebrates have evolved and adapted.
• Although lancelets split from vertebrates over 520 million years ago, their genomes hold clues about evolution, particularly how vertebrates have employed old genes for new functions. They are similar to the archetypal vertebrate form.
• We have also known Lancelot as Amphioxus.
  

So, the correct answer is option B.