How do lampreys differ from other vertebrates?

For me the most interesting difference is that their hemoglobin is different. Lampreys and Hagfish are Agnathans which means "no jaw." They seem to have split off from other fish around 400 million years ago. read more

For me the most interesting difference is that their hemoglobin is different. Lampreys and Hagfish are Agnathans which means"no jaw." They seem to have split off from other fish around 400 million years ago. Based on that we can speculate that our alpha and beta hemoglobin subunits evolved just after 400 million years ago. read more

The lamprey is a parasite on other fishes. The lamprey has a round mouth without skeletal supports, a rasping tongue, and a single, dorsally located nostril. The gill passages are enlarged to form pouches and are lined with gill filaments that serve as a surface for the exchange of respiratory gases; in vertebrates the gill passages have acquired a respiratory function. read more