ambulacral
am-byoo-LAY-kruhl
Definition
Relating to the anatomical structures (such as grooves, plates, or feet) found in echinoderms that are part of the water vascular system used for movement, feeding, and sensory functions.
Etymology
Derived from the Latin 'ambulare,' meaning 'to walk,' combined with the suffix '-al.' It was originally used in zoology to describe the specialized areas on starfish and similar organisms that facilitate movement.
In the news
In this article, the term describes the 'ambulacral cover plates,' which form a protective roof over the food grooves of the crinoid, helping researchers distinguish these plates from the fossils' rare, preserved tube feet.
In the entire 485-million-year fossil record of sea lilies, only one fossil had ever been found with the tube feet the animals catch their food with, and a pair of crushed specimens from a Quebec quarry has now produced the second and oldest case, at about 452
Read the full article ↗ScienceBlog.com