(FIGURE 1.121. Oval embryonic shield of the rabbit (A of six days eighteen hours, B of eight days). (From Kolliker.) ps primitive streak, pr primitive groove, arg area germinalis, sw sickle-shaped germinal growth.
FIGURE 1.122. Dorsal shield (ag) and germinative area of a rabbit-embryo of eight days. (From Kolliker.) pr primitive groove, rf dorsal furrow.
FIGURE 1.123. Embryonic shield of a rabbit of eight days. (From Van Beneden.) pr primitive groove, cn canalis neurentericus, nk nodus neurentericus (or "Hensen's ganglion"), kf head-process (chorda).
FIGURE 1.124. Longitudinal section of the coelomula of amphioxus (from the left). i entoderm, d primitive gut, cn medullary duct, n nerve tube, m mesoderm, s first primitive segment, c coelom-pouches. (From Hatschek.))
Thus the median primitive furrow (pr) in the hind-half and the median medullary furrow (rf) in the fore-half of the oval shield are totally different structures, although the latter seems to a superficial observer to be merely the forward continuation of the former. Hence they were formerly always confused. This error was the more pardonable as immediately afterwards the two grooves do actually pass into each other in a very remarkable way. The point of transition is the remarkable neurenteric canal (Figure 1.124 cn). But the direct connection which is thus established does not last long; the two are soon definitely separated by a partition.
The enigmatic neurenteric canal is a very old embryonic organ, and of great phylogenetic interest, because it arises in the same way in all the chordonia (both tunicates and vertebrates). In every case it touches or embraces like an arch the posterior end of the chorda, which has been developed here in front out of the middle line of the primitive gut (between the two coelom-folds of the sickle groove) ("head-process," Figure 1.123 kf). These very ancient and strictly hereditary structures, which have no physiological significance to-day, deserve (as "rudimentary organs") our closest attention. The tenacity with which the useless neurenteric canal has been transmitted down to man through the whole series of vertebrates is of equal interest for the theory of descent in general, and the phylogeny of the chordonia in particular.
The connection which the neurenteric canal (Figure 1.123 cn) establishes between the dorsal nerve-tube (n) and the ventral gut-tube (d) is seen very plainly in the amphioxus in a longitudinal section of the coelomula, as soon as the primitive mouth is completely closed at its hinder end. The medullary tube has still at this stage an opening at the forward end, the neuroporus (Figure 1.83 np). This opening also is afterwards closed. There are then two completely closed canals over each other—the medullary tube above and the gastric tube below, the two being separated by the chorda. The same features as in the acrania are exhibited by the related tunicates, the ascidiae.
Again, we find the neurenteric canal in just the same form and situation in the amphibia. A longitudinal section of a young tadpole (Figure 1.125) shows how we may penetrate from the still open primitive mouth (x) either into the wide primitive gut-cavity (al) or the narrow overlying nerve-tube. A little later, when the primitive mouth is closed, the narrow neurenteric canal (Figure 1.126 ne) represents the arched connection between the dorsal medullary canal (mc) and the ventral gastric canal.
(FIGURE 1.125. Longitudinal section of the chordula of a frog. (From Balfour.) nc nerve-tube, x canalis neurentericus, al alimentary canal, yk yelk-cells, m mesoderm.
FIGURE 1.126. Longitudinal section of a frog-embryo. (From Goette.) m mouth, l liver, an anus, ne canalis neurentericus, mc medullary-tube, pn pineal body (epiphysis), ch chorda.