SEA SQUIRTS - THE REST OF THE STORY

Sea squirts (a.k.a. "nature's squirt gun") is pretty closely related to us.  Like us, they are chordates.  Chordates have a spinal cord, a cartilage "backbone", pharyngeal gill slits, and a post anal tail.  (NO!  I don't have a tail.  I bet you don't either.  But in our early development inside Mom we each had one.  AND you have a residual tail bone and if you've ever fallen epically on your butt, you have hurt your tail bone!)  Likewise, with pharyngeal gill slits.  Okay, so they are chordates like us.  What is so interesting about them?  Well, they have those characteristics when they are immature and then they lose them as adults.  When they are immature, they have a brain, nerve cord... everything a basic chordate has.  The find a good spot to live and filter feed.  They settle down.  Absorb their brain, nerve chord, and cartilage "backbone".  They don't need them anymore.  I hope I never settle and absorb my brain.