Pikaia
E779334
Pikaia is an early chordate from the Cambrian period, often cited as one of the earliest known ancestors of vertebrates.
Observed surface forms (2)
| Surface form | Occurrences |
|---|---|
| Pikaia gracilens | 1 |
| Pika Peak | 0 |
Statements (49)
| Predicate | Object |
|---|---|
| instanceOf |
early chordate
ⓘ
extinct genus ⓘ fossil taxon ⓘ mountain ⓘ species ⓘ stem-group chordate ⓘ |
| approximateAgeInMillionsOfYears | 508 ⓘ |
| bodyLength | about 4 centimeters ⓘ |
| bodyShape | elongated ⓘ |
| bodySymmetry | bilateral symmetry ⓘ |
| clade | Deuterostomia NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| coexistsWith |
Anomalocaris
NERFINISHED
ⓘ
Hallucigenia NERFINISHED ⓘ Marella NERFINISHED ⓘ Opabinia NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| countryOfFossilDiscovery | Canada NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| describedBy | Charles Doolittle Walcott NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| ecologicalRole | small marine invertebrate ⓘ |
| environment | shallow marine environment ⓘ |
| fossilAssemblage | Burgess Shale biota NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| fossilPreservationType | soft-bodied preservation ⓘ |
| fossilSite | Burgess Shale NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| fossilsStoredAt |
Royal Ontario Museum
NERFINISHED
ⓘ
Smithsonian Institution NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| genus | Pikaia NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| geologicalPeriod | Cambrian NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| hasStructure |
dorsal organ
ⓘ
fin-like lateral folds ⓘ myomeres ⓘ notochord ⓘ possible vascular system ⓘ tentacle-like head appendages ⓘ |
| kingdom | Animalia ⓘ |
| likelyDiet | suspension feeder ⓘ |
| likelyLifestyle | benthic swimmer ⓘ |
| locatedIn | Banff National Park NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| locomotion | lateral body undulation ⓘ |
| mountainRangeOfFossilDiscovery | Canadian Rockies NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| namedAfter | Pika Peak NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| phylum | Chordata ⓘ |
| relatedTo |
cephalochordates
ⓘ
vertebrates ⓘ |
| resembles | modern lancelets ⓘ |
| significance |
key taxon in discussions of vertebrate origins
ⓘ
one of the earliest known chordates ⓘ possible early ancestor of vertebrates ⓘ |
| temporalRange | Middle Cambrian NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| typeSpecies | Pikaia gracilens NERFINISHED ⓘ |
| yearDescribed | 1911 ⓘ |
Referenced by (2)
Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.
subject surface form:
Burgess Shale
this entity surface form:
Pikaia gracilens