Tunicate Figure 2.jpg (IMAGE)

Harvard University, Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology

Tunicate Figure 2.jpg

Caption

Comparisons between the new Cambrian tunicate Megasiphon thylakos (a,b) with some modern tunicates (c,d,e). In particular, M. thylakos shares the rounded vase or barrel-like body and prominent pair of siphons of the modern ascidiacean tunicates. Given the fact that M. thylakos is half-a-billion years old, this suggests that ancestrally, tunicates lived much like modern ascidiaceans: they had a non-moving adult form with siphons for filter feeding, a body plan that was arrived at after metamorphosing from a tadpole-like juvenile. The modern species represented are c: Ciona, d: Ascidiella, e: Molgula.

Credit

Rudy Lerosey-Aubril (a,b) and Karma Nanglu (c,d,e)

Usage Restrictions

Permission to use with proper citation

License

Original content

Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.