Pikaia
Name meaning:
In honor of Pika Peak in the Rocky Mountains
Period of life:
508 mya
Period:
Habitat:
Marine environment
Taxonomy:
Chordates
Countries:
Haikouichthys
Arandaspis
Meaning of the name: In honor of Pika Peak in the Rocky Mountains
Pikaia is a genus of extinct primitive chordate animals of small size, living about 508 million years ago. These animals strongly resembled modern lancelets and likely swam in a sinuous fashion using their entire body, like eels. Pikaia is one of the most primitive chordate animals. It lacked a clearly defined head, and its average length was about 4 cm. The body of Pikaia was bordered by fairly narrow fins on the top and bottom. On the head, there were a pair of tentacles, similar to antennae, and 9 pairs of short protrusions that may have been connected to gill slits on the sides of the head. It fed on plankton - algae and small crustaceans, filtering them from the water.
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INTERESTING FACTS
PUZZLES
HOME
3D MODEL "SKIN"
3D MODEL "MUSCLES"
3D MODEL "SKELETON"
VISION
NEIGHBORS
VOICE ACTING
AR - MODE
GALLERY
HISTORY OF DISCOVERIES
