A stage or form in the embryonic development of certain organisms, related to the gastrula; may also refer to a theoretical ancestral form.
From Greek 'gaster' (belly/stomach) + Latin '-aea' (suffix indicating a group or stage). Evolutionary biology term from 19th-century developmental studies.
Scientists studying how animals develop noticed a pouch-like 'gastric' stage in the embryo and imagined that our ancient ancestors might have looked like that forever!
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