Olfactores

Olfactores Temporal range: Ma[1] PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N (Possible Ediacaran record, 555 Ma[2])
Example of Olfactores
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Subkingdom:	Eumetazoa
Clade:	ParaHoxozoa
Clade:	Bilateria
Clade:	Nephrozoa
Superphylum:	Deuterostomia
Phylum:	Chordata
Clade:	Olfactores Jefferies, 1991
Subgroups
Tunicata Vertebrata †Zhongxiniscus

Olfactores is a clade within the

A rudimentary neural crest is present in tunicates, implying its presence in the olfactores ancestor also, as vertebrates have a true neural crest.^[3] For this reason, they are also known as Cristozoa.^{[clarification needed]}

Olfactores hypothesis

While the hypothesis that Cephalochordata is a sister taxon to Craniata is of long standing and was once widely accepted^[4]—likely influenced by significant tunicate morphological apomorphies from other chordates, with cephalochordates even being nicknamed ‘honorary vertebrates’^[5]—studies since 2006 analyzing large sequencing datasets strongly support Olfactores as a clade.^[6][7] The name Olfactores comes from Latin *olfactores ("smellers," from purposive supine olfactum of olfacio, "to smell," with plural masculine agentive nominalizing suffix -tores), due to the development of pharyngeal respiratory and sensory functions, in contrast with cephalochordates such as the lancelet which lack a respiratory system and specialized sense organs.^[8]

References