Urochordate (Noun)
Meaning
Primitive marine animal having a saclike unsegmented body and a urochord that is conspicuous in the larva.
Classification
Nouns denoting animals.
Examples
- Urochordates, such as tunicates, lead a sedentary or free-swimming lifestyle, and are found in oceans around the world.
- Some experts argue that the early development of urochordates provides valuable insights into the evolution of vertebrates.
- The larva of a urochordate resembles that of the primitive chordates, with a distinctive notochord and pharyngeal slits.
- This suggests that urochordates diverged from the common chordate ancestor before the separation of vertebrates and other deuterostomes.
- The development and metamorphosis of urochordates shares significant similarities with those of lancelets, cephalochordates and craniates.