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Vertebrate characters and the Cambrian vertebrates

Philippe JANVIER

en Comptes Rendus Palevol 2 (6-7) - Pages 523-531

Published on 30 November 2003

This article is a part of the thematic issue Les chemins de l’Évolution : sur les pas de Steven Jay Gould

The question of the developmental characters which conventionally define the vertebrates, neural crests and epidermal placodes, and their indirect identification in the fossil material is briefly discussed. Comments are made upon some presumed Cambrian vertebrate or vertebrate-related taxa, with particular reference to the most likely Cambrian vertebrates, Haikouichthys and Myllokunmingia.


Keywords:

Vertebrates, Cambrian, anatomy, phylogeny, neural crest, epidermal placodes

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