TIL that the hagfish is the only known vertebrate animal with a skull but no spine. Instead it has separate bone sections in its back that function as a spine. They're also capable of absorbing nutrients from the surrounding water directly through their skin.
https://www.nature.com/articles/ncomms1355#:~:text=Abstract,in%20most%20of%20the%20trunk.
#til #todayilearned
https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/1gp38z1/til_that_the_hagfish_is_the_only_known_vertebrate/
https://www.nature.com/articles/ncomms1355#:~:text=Abstract,in%20most%20of%20the%20trunk.
#til #todayilearned
https://www.reddit.com/r/todayilearned/comments/1gp38z1/til_that_the_hagfish_is_the_only_known_vertebrate/
Identification of vertebra-like elements and their possible differentiation from sclerotomes in the hagfish - Nature Communications
Hagfish, a group of extant jawless fish, lack true vertebrae, but it is not clear if hagfish lack all vertebrata-like structures.Nature
