lancelet
Definition
Noun: 1. A small, translucent, lancet-shaped burrowing marine animal; a primitive forerunner of the vertebrates: A lancelet is a small, fish-like, filter-feeding chordate that lives buried in sand in shallow seas. It lacks a true backbone but possesses a notochord, making it an important organism for studying the evolution of vertebrates.
Examples of Usage
- Scientists study the lancelet to understand early chordate evolution.
- The lancelet, also known as amphioxus, is often found in coastal sands.
- Its simple body plan makes the lancelet a key model organism in biology.
Advanced Usage
- In evolutionary biology: The term is used to denote a living representative of the subphylum Cephalochordata, which shares common ancestry with vertebrates.
- The genome of the lancelet provides clues about the genetic toolkit of early vertebrates.
Variants and Related Words
- Amphioxus (n): Another common name for a lancelet, used especially in scientific contexts.
- The genus Branchiostoma is commonly called amphioxus.
Synonyms
- Amphioxus: A direct synonym.
- Cephalochordate: The formal taxonomic group name.
Notes on Different Meanings
The word "lancelet" has a very specific, single meaning in modern English, referring exclusively to this type of marine chordate. It is not commonly used in other contexts.
Noun
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small translucent lancet-shaped burrowing marine animal; primitive forerunner of the vertebrates
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