Etymology
The word "tunicate" comes from the Latin word "tunica," meaning "tunic" or "coat."
Meaning
A tunicate is a type of marine invertebrate animal belonging to the subphylum Tunicata. They are characterized by the presence of a cellulose outer covering called a tunic.
Origin
The tunicate subphylum first appeared during the Early Cambrian period, around 540 million years ago. The earliest tunicates were likely small, free-swimming animals that fed on plankton. Over time, tunicates evolved into a diverse group of animals, including filter feeders, grazers, and predators.
Tunicates are closely related to chordates, the group of animals that includes vertebrates (such as humans and fish) and non-vertebrates (such as lancelets and sea squirts). Tunicates are believed to be the closest invertebrate relatives of vertebrates, and they share many similarities with them. For example, tunicate larvae have a notochord, a rod-shaped structure that forms the backbone in vertebrates.
Tunicates are found in all the world's oceans, from the shallows to the deep sea. They are important members of marine ecosystems, and they serve as a food source for many other animals.
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