Background Hox genes encode a family of homeodomain containing transcription factors
that are clustered together on chromosomes of many Bilateria. Some bilaterian lineages …

Within Spiralia, Gnathifera may represent the deepest branching lineage comprising the jaw
worms Gnathostomulida and their sister group Micrognathozoa + Syndermata. Yet, very few …

Excretion is an essential physiological process, carried out by all living organisms, regardless
of their size or complexity. Both protostomes (eg, flies and flatworms) and deuterostomes (…

Background Brachiopods and molluscs are lophotrochozoans with hard external shells which
are often believed to have evolved convergently. While palaeontological data indicate that …

Background Phoronida is a small group of marine worm-like suspension feeders, which
together with brachiopods and bryozoans form the clade Lophophorata. Although their …

The kinorhynch fauna of Singapore, or from any locality close by, has never been explored.
For the present study, samples of Kinorhyncha were collected at seven localities around …

The Cambrian fossil Amiskwia sagittiformis has puzzled palaeontologists for more than a
century, but recent re-investigation of its morphology suggested a close relationship with the …

Background Unlike most free-living platyhelminths, catenulids, the sister group to all
remaining flatworms, do not have eyes. Instead, the most prominent sensory structures in their …

The potential of subterranean environments as models to address major evolutionary and
ecological questions has been highlighted in the literature. They represent partially isolated, …

Background Monogononta is a large clade of rotifers comprised of diverse morphological
forms found in a wide range of ecological habitats. Most monogonont species display cyclical …