Haikouella lanceolata, Early Craniate-Like Chordate from Chengjiang

Description: This exceptional specimen is a fine example of a pair of Haikouella lanceolata, thought by its describers to be the earliest craniate-like chordate. This fish-like animal has many similarities to the contemporaneous Yunnanozoon lividum, but differs in several aspects: it has a discernible heart, dorsal and ventral aorta, gill filaments, and a neural chord. For all these reasons, it was identified by Chen, Huang, and Li in the seminal Nature paper (Nature 402, 518-522, 02 December 1999) as a chordate. The debate rages on, but whatever the outcome, this creature was much like the ancestor of all the vertebrates. It derives its generic name from its resemblance to the modern day lancet Amphioxus. The most easily discernible features displayed here are the gills and anterior body outline.

Also see: Chengjiang Biota Fauna List Chengjiang Fossils