The origins of neural systems remain unresolved. In contrast to other basal metazoans,
ctenophores (comb jellies) have both complex nervous and mesoderm-derived muscular systems…

Animals have evolved diverse appendages adapted for locomotion, feeding and other
functions. The genetics underlying appendage formation are best understood in insects and …

… Chris Winchell at Washington State University completed the Cephalodiscus gracilis sequence
from DNA isolated in the Swalla lab. We thank the Molecular Evolution Seminar Group at …

The class Ascidiacea presents fundamental opportunities for research in the fields of
development, evolution, ecology, natural products and more. This review provides a …

Deuterostomes are a monophyletic group of animals that include the vertebrates, invertebrate
chordates, ambulacrarians and xenoturbellids. Fossil representatives from most major …

Understanding the phylogenetic relationships of the three major urochordate groups within
the deuterostomes is central to understanding the evolution of the chordates. We have …

We investigated evolutionary relationships among deuterostome subgroups by obtaining
nearly complete large-subunit ribosomal RNA (LSU rRNA)-gene sequences for 14 …

Ambulacraria, comprising Hemichordata and Echinodermata [1], is closely related to Chordata,
making it integral to understanding chordate origins and polarizing chordate molecular …

Ascidian metamorphosis represents a powerful model for comparative work on chordate
development that has remained largely unexplored. We isolated transcripts differentially …

The origin of chordates remains one of the major puzzles of zoology, even after more than a
century of intense scientific inquiry, following Darwin's “Origin of Species”. The chordates …