Amphioxus (The Lancelets)

Amphioxus or also known as "the lancelets" and are representatives from the subphylum Cephalochordata. They can be found buried in sand in shallow parts of temperate or tropical seas. In parts of Asia, they are produced as food for humans and domesticated animals. So the question is, why should we study these lancelets?! Because they provide us with indications about the origin of vertebrates! Lancelets serve as a interesting point of how vertebrates have evolved and adapted over time. Although lancelets split from vertebrates more than 520 million years ago, their genomes hold clues about evolution and how vertebrates have employed old genes for new functions!