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1
Janvier, Philippe. "Vertebrate characters and the Cambrian vertebrates." Comptes Rendus Palevol 2, no. 6-7 (October 2003): 523–31. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.crpv.2003.09.002.
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Randle, Emma, and Robert S. Sansom. "Bite marks and predation of fossil jawless fish during the rise of jawed vertebrates." Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 286, no. 1917 (December 18, 2019): 20191596. http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2019.1596.
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Although modern vertebrate diversity is dominated by jawed vertebrates, early vertebrate assemblages were predominantly composed of jawless fishes. Hypotheses for this faunal shift and the Devonian decline of jawless vertebrates include predation and competitive replacement. The nature and prevalence of ecological interactions between jawed and jawless vertebrates are highly relevant to both hypotheses, but direct evidence is limited. Here, we use the occurrence and distribution of bite mark type traces in fossil jawless armoured heterostracans to infer predation interactions. A total of 41 predated specimens are recorded; their prevalence increases through time, reaching a maximum towards the end of the Devonian. The bite mark type traces significantly co-occur with jawed vertebrates, and their distribution through time is correlated with jawed vertebrate diversity patterns, particularly placoderms and sarcopterygians. Environmental and ecological turnover in the Devonian, especially relating to the nekton revolution, have been inferred as causes of the faunal shift from jawless to jawed vertebrates. Here, we provide direct evidence of escalating predation from jawed vertebrates as a potential contributing factor to the demise and extinction of ostracoderms.
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Mallo, Moisés. "Of Necks, Trunks and Tails: Axial Skeletal Diversity among Vertebrates." Diversity 13, no. 7 (June 24, 2021): 289. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/d13070289.
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The axial skeleton of all vertebrates is composed of individual units known as vertebrae. Each vertebra has individual anatomical attributes, yet they can be classified in five different groups, namely cervical, thoracic, lumbar, sacral and caudal, according to shared characteristics and their association with specific body areas. Variations in vertebral number, size, morphological features and their distribution amongst the different regions of the vertebral column are a major source of the anatomical diversity observed among vertebrates. In this review I will discuss the impact of those variations on the anatomy of different vertebrate species and provide insights into the genetic origin of some remarkable morphological traits that often serve to classify phylogenetic branches or individual species, like the long trunks of snakes or the long necks of giraffes.
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GARCIA-R, JUAN C., and DAVID T. S. HAYMAN. "Origin of a major infectious disease in vertebrates: The timing of Cryptosporidium evolution and its hosts." Parasitology 143, no. 13 (August 30, 2016): 1683–90. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0031182016001323.
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SUMMARYProtozoan parasites of the genus Cryptosporidium infect all vertebrate groups and display some host specificity in their infections. It is therefore possible to assume that Cryptosporidium parasites evolved intimately aside with vertebrate lineages. Here we propose a scenario of Cryptosporidium–Vertebrata coevolution testing the hypothesis that the origin of Cryptosporidium parasites follows that of the origin of modern vertebrates. We use calibrated molecular clocks and cophylogeny analyses to provide and compare age estimates and patterns of association between these clades. Our study provides strong support for the evolution of parasitism of Cryptosporidium with the rise of the vertebrates about 600 million years ago (Mya). Interestingly, periods of increased diversification in Cryptosporidium coincides with diversification of crown mammalian and avian orders after the Cretaceous-Palaeogene (K-Pg) boundary, suggesting that adaptive radiation to new mammalian and avian hosts triggered the diversification of this parasite lineage. Despite evidence for ongoing host shifts we also found significant correlation between protozoan parasites and vertebrate hosts trees in the cophylogenetic analysis. These results help us to understand the underlying macroevolutionary mechanisms driving evolution in Cryptosporidium and may have important implications for the ecology, dynamics and epidemiology of cryptosporidiosis disease in humans and other animals.
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Zakon, Harold H., Weiming Li, Nisha E. Pillai, Sumanty Tohari, Prashant Shingate, Jianfeng Ren, and Byrappa Venkatesh. "Voltage-gated sodium channel gene repertoire of lampreys: gene duplications, tissue-specific expression and discovery of a long-lost gene." Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 284, no. 1863 (September 20, 2017): 20170824. http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2017.0824.
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Studies of the voltage-gated sodium (Nav) channels of extant gnathostomes have made it possible to deduce that ancestral gnathostomes possessed four voltage-gated sodium channel genes derived from a single ancestral chordate gene following two rounds of genome duplication early in vertebrates. We investigated the Nav gene family in two species of lampreys (the Japanese lamprey Lethenteron japonicum and sea lamprey Petromyzon marinus ) (jawless vertebrates—agnatha) and compared them with those of basal vertebrates to better understand the origin of Nav genes in vertebrates. We noted six Nav genes in both lamprey species, but orthology with gnathostome (jawed vertebrate) channels was inconclusive. Surprisingly, the Nav2 gene, ubiquitously found in invertebrates and believed to have been lost in vertebrates, is present in lampreys, elephant shark ( Callorhinchus milii ) and coelacanth ( Latimeria chalumnae ). Despite repeated duplication of the Nav1 family in vertebrates, Nav2 is only in single copy in those vertebrates in which it is retained, and was independently lost in ray-finned fishes and tetrapods. Of the other five Nav channel genes, most were expressed in brain, one in brain and heart, and one exclusively in skeletal muscle. Invertebrates do not express Nav channel genes in muscle. Thus, early in the vertebrate lineage Nav channels began to diversify and different genes began to express in heart and muscle.
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Kusakabe, Takehiro G., Noriko Takimoto, Minghao Jin, and Motoyuki Tsuda. "Evolution and the origin of the visual retinoid cycle in vertebrates." Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 364, no. 1531 (October 12, 2009): 2897–910. http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2009.0043.
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Absorption of a photon by visual pigments induces isomerization of 11- cis -retinaldehyde (RAL) chromophore to all- trans -RAL. Since the opsins lacking 11- cis -RAL lose light sensitivity, sustained vision requires continuous regeneration of 11- cis -RAL via the process called ‘visual cycle’. Protostomes and vertebrates use essentially different machinery of visual pigment regeneration, and the origin and early evolution of the vertebrate visual cycle is an unsolved mystery. Here we compare visual retinoid cycles between different photoreceptors of vertebrates, including rods, cones and non-visual photoreceptors, as well as between vertebrates and invertebrates. The visual cycle systems in ascidians, the closest living relatives of vertebrates, show an intermediate state between vertebrates and non-chordate invertebrates. The ascidian larva may use retinochrome-like opsin as the major isomerase. The entire process of the visual cycle can occur inside the photoreceptor cells with distinct subcellular compartmentalization, although the visual cycle components are also present in surrounding non-photoreceptor cells. The adult ascidian probably uses RPE65 isomerase, and trans -to- cis isomerization may occur in distinct cellular compartments, which is similar to the vertebrate situation. The complete transition to the sophisticated retinoid cycle of vertebrates may have required acquisition of new genes, such as interphotoreceptor retinoid-binding protein, and functional evolution of the visual cycle genes.
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York, Joshua R., and David W. McCauley. "The origin and evolution of vertebrate neural crest cells." Open Biology 10, no. 1 (January 2020): 190285. http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rsob.190285.
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The neural crest is a vertebrate-specific migratory stem cell population that generates a remarkably diverse set of cell types and structures. Because many of the morphological, physiological and behavioural novelties of vertebrates are derived from neural crest cells, it is thought that the origin of this cell population was an important milestone in early vertebrate history. An outstanding question in the field of vertebrate evolutionary-developmental biology (evo-devo) is how this cell type evolved in ancestral vertebrates. In this review, we briefly summarize neural crest developmental genetics in vertebrates, focusing in particular on the gene regulatory interactions instructing their early formation within and migration from the dorsal neural tube. We then discuss how studies searching for homologues of neural crest cells in invertebrate chordates led to the discovery of neural crest-like cells in tunicates and the potential implications this has for tracing the pre-vertebrate origins of the neural crest population. Finally, we synthesize this information to propose a model to explain the origin of neural crest cells. We suggest that at least some of the regulatory components of early stages of neural crest development long pre-date vertebrate origins, perhaps dating back to the last common bilaterian ancestor. These components, originally directing neuroectodermal patterning and cell migration, served as a gene regulatory ‘scaffold' upon which neural crest-like cells with limited migration and potency evolved in the last common ancestor of tunicates and vertebrates. Finally, the acquisition of regulatory programmes controlling multipotency and long-range, directed migration led to the transition from neural crest-like cells in invertebrate chordates to multipotent migratory neural crest in the first vertebrates.
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Holland, Peter W. H., Jordi Garcia-Fernàndez, Nic A. Williams, and Arend Sidow. "Gene duplications and the origins of vertebrate development." Development 1994, Supplement (January 1, 1994): 125–33. http://dx.doi.org/10.1242/dev.1994.supplement.125.
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All vertebrates possess anatomical features not seen in their closest living relatives, the protochordates (tunicates and amphioxus). Some of these features depend on developmental processes or cellular behaviours that are again unique to vertebrates. We are interested in the genetic changes that may have permitted the origin of these innovations. Gene duplication, followed by functional divergence of new genes, may be one class of mutation that permits major evolutionary change. Here we examine the hypothesis that gene duplication events occurred close to the origin and early radiation of the vertebrates. Genome size comparisons are compatible with the occurrence of duplications close to vertebrate origins; more precise insight comes from cloning and phylogenetic analysis of gene families from amphioxus, tunicates and vertebrates. Comparisons of Hox gene clusters, other homeobox gene families, Wnt genes and insulin-related genes all indicate that there was a major phase of gene duplication close to vertebrate origins, after divergence from the amphioxus lineage; we suggest there was probably a second phase of duplication close to jawed vertebrate origins. From amphioxus and vertebrate homeobox gene expression patterns, we suggest that there are multiple routes by which new genes arising from gene duplication acquire new functions and permit the evolution of developmental innovations.
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Evans, David C., Matthew J. Vavrek, Dennis R. Braman, Nicolás E. Campione, T. Alexander Dececchi, and Grant D. Zazula. "Vertebrate fossils (Dinosauria) from the Bonnet Plume Formation, Yukon Territory, Canada." Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences 49, no. 2 (February 2012): 396–411. http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/e11-064.
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Dinosaurs and other terrestrial vertebrates are poorly documented in the Mesozoic of the Canadian polar region. Here, we provide a complete review of the Upper Cretaceous (Maastrichtian) vertebrate fauna of the Bonnet Plume Formation in the northeastern Yukon Territory, Canada, which includes the description of the first newly collected dinosaur bones from this unit in almost half a century. Previously reported fragmentary dinosaur remains collected in the early 1960’s pertain to an indeterminate hadrosaurid. New material includes a poorly preserved forelimb bone and a pedal phalanx. These new remains pertain to at least one species of non-hadrosaurid ornithischian dinosaur, and the humerus is tentatively referred to a small-bodied basal ornithopod. The new vertebrate fossils from the Bonnet Plume Formation provide further evidence of vertebrates from this unit. However, directed field surveys in 2008 and 2009 suggest that vertebrate fossils are not abundant. A review of the known localities of terrestrial Mesozoic vertebrates from the Canadian Arctic indicate that it had a relatively diverse community of terrestrial vertebrates, including dinosaurs, during the Late Cretaceous, but emphasizes our limited knowledge of the Mesozoic Arctic and considerable potential for future exploration and discovery.
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Pinowski, Jan. "Roadkills of vertebrates in Venezuela." Revista Brasileira de Zoologia 22, no. 1 (March 2005): 191–96. http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/s0101-81752005000100023.
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This paper presents an analysis of vertebrate roadkills in five different habitats of tropical South America. Observations of vertebrate roadkills were conducted in 1978, on a 572 km road between Caracas and Mantecal/Apure in Venezuela, during the rainy season (June-October). During five passages on this route, which includes five distinct habitats, 79 vertebrate carcasses - mammals and reptiles - were found. If we assume that the carcasses remain for two days on the road, vehicles can be expected to strike 350 spectacled caimans Caiman crocodilus Linnaeus, 1758 (Alligatoridae) during the rainy season alone. Similar calculations for other species yield 313 snakes and lizards, 294 opossums Didelphis marsupialis Linnaeus, 1758 (Didelphidae), 220 crab-eating foxes Cerdocyon thous (Linnaeus, 1776) (Canidae), 129 tamanduas Tamandua tetradactyla (Linnaeus, 1758) (Myrmecophagidae), 55 capybaras Hydrochaerus hydrochaeris (Linnaeus, 1766) (Hydrochaeridae) and 37 eastern cottontails Sylvilagus floridanus Allen, 1890 (Leporidae). Numerous papers have been published on vertebrates killed by vehicles on roads in Europe, North America, and Australia, and several papers are available regarding vertebrate roadkills in Africa and Asia. From South America there are several papers on vertebrates, birds, and mammals, whereas from Venezuela only one and it deals with iguanas (Iguana iguana Linnaeus, 1758, Iguanidae).
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Peat, Julian R., Oscar Ortega-Recalde, Olga Kardailsky, and Timothy A. Hore. "The elephant shark methylome reveals conservation of epigenetic regulation across jawed vertebrates." F1000Research 6 (April 20, 2017): 526. http://dx.doi.org/10.12688/f1000research.11281.1.
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Background: Methylation of CG dinucleotides constitutes a critical system of epigenetic memory in bony vertebrates, where it modulates gene expression and suppresses transposon activity. The genomes of studied vertebrates are pervasively hypermethylated, with the exception of regulatory elements such as transcription start sites (TSSs), where the presence of methylation is associated with gene silencing. This system is not found in the sparsely methylated genomes of invertebrates, and establishing how it arose during early vertebrate evolution is impeded by a paucity of epigenetic data from basal vertebrates. Methods: We perform whole-genome bisulfite sequencing to generate the first genome-wide methylation profiles of a cartilaginous fish, the elephant shark Callorhinchus milii. Employing these to determine the elephant shark methylome structure and its relationship with expression, we compare this with higher vertebrates and an invertebrate chordate using published methylation and transcriptome data. Results: Like higher vertebrates, the majority of elephant shark CG sites are highly methylated, and methylation is abundant across the genome rather than patterned in the mosaic configuration of invertebrates. This global hypermethylation includes transposable elements and the bodies of genes at all expression levels. Significantly, we document an inverse relationship between TSS methylation and expression in the elephant shark, supporting the presence of the repressive regulatory architecture shared by higher vertebrates. Conclusions: Our demonstration that methylation patterns in a cartilaginous fish are characteristic of higher vertebrates imply the conservation of this epigenetic modification system across jawed vertebrates separated by 465 million years of evolution. In addition, these findings position the elephant shark as a valuable model to explore the evolutionary history and function of vertebrate methylation.
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Miyata, Masato, Nynke Gillemans, Dorit Hockman, Jeroen A. A. Demmers, Jan-Fang Cheng, Jun Hou, Matti Salminen, et al. "An evolutionarily ancient mechanism for regulation of hemoglobin expression in vertebrate red cells." Blood 136, no. 3 (July 16, 2020): 269–78. http://dx.doi.org/10.1182/blood.2020004826.
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Abstract The oxygen transport function of hemoglobin (HB) is thought to have arisen ∼500 million years ago, roughly coinciding with the divergence between jawless (Agnatha) and jawed (Gnathostomata) vertebrates. Intriguingly, extant HBs of jawless and jawed vertebrates were shown to have evolved twice, and independently, from different ancestral globin proteins. This raises the question of whether erythroid-specific expression of HB also evolved twice independently. In all jawed vertebrates studied to date, one of the HB gene clusters is linked to the widely expressed NPRL3 gene. Here we show that the nprl3-linked hb locus of a jawless vertebrate, the river lamprey (Lampetra fluviatilis), shares a range of structural and functional properties with the equivalent jawed vertebrate HB locus. Functional analysis demonstrates that an erythroid-specific enhancer is located in intron 7 of lamprey nprl3, which corresponds to the NPRL3 intron 7 MCS-R1 enhancer of jawed vertebrates. Collectively, our findings signify the presence of an nprl3-linked multiglobin gene locus, which contains a remote enhancer that drives globin expression in erythroid cells, before the divergence of jawless and jawed vertebrates. Different globin genes from this ancestral cluster evolved in the current NPRL3-linked HB genes in jawless and jawed vertebrates. This provides an explanation of the enigma of how, in different species, globin genes linked to the same adjacent gene could undergo convergent evolution.
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Bunnell, F. L., L. L. Kremsater, and E. Wind. "Managing to sustain vertebrate richness in forests of the Pacific Northwest: relationships within stands." Environmental Reviews 7, no. 3 (October 15, 1999): 97–146. http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/a99-010.
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Many regions confront potentially competing goals: sustaining biological diversity and extracting wood products from forests rich in biological diversity. Forests of the Pacific Northwest are particularly rich in vertebrates. Because little is known of many species, management tactics to sustain vertebrate richness must employ interim surrogates that credibly reflect responses of groups of vertebrates. These tactics should focus on elements of the forest, commonly altered by forest practices, to which groups of species are closely linked. We identify five such elements for forests of the Pacific Northwest: dead and dying trees, downed wood, shrubs, hardwoods (broadleaved, deciduoustrees), and riparian areas. Most forest-dwelling vertebrates in the Pacific Northwest, including those designated "at risk", require one or more of these forest elements. Late-successional forests represent particular mixes of these elements. Each element can be altered in ways that benefit or harm specific groups of species. Any management decision, including taking no action at all, favours some species while disadvantaging others. We report the proportions of the vertebrate fauna associated with the five forest elements, plus early- and late-successional stages for a range of forest types. The nature of relationships with each forest element is quantified by biologically appropriate measurements (e.g., decay state, tree species, snag density, and tree size for cavity sites). Impacts of current practices are summarized and tactics appropriate for maintaining vertebrates are described. Responses of organisms other than vertebrates are noted. Key words: forest practices, Pacific Northwest, vertebrate richness.
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Janvier, Philippe. "Comparative Anatomy: All Vertebrates Do Have Vertebrae." Current Biology 21, no. 17 (September 2011): R661—R663. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2011.07.014.
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Murkin, Henry R., and Bruce D. J. Batt. "THE INTERACTIONS OF VERTEBRATES AND INVERTEBRATES IN PEATLANDS AND MARSHES." Memoirs of the Entomological Society of Canada 119, S140 (1987): 15–30. http://dx.doi.org/10.4039/entm119140015-1.
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AbstractThis paper reviews the interactions of vertebrates and invertebrates in peatlands and marshes to assess current knowledge and future research needs. Living organisms may interact through a number of direct trophic and nutrient pathways and a variety of non-trophic, habitat-dependent relationships. Freshwater marshes and peatlands are dynamic aquatic environments and organisms that occupy these areas must be adapted to a wide range of environmental conditions. The avian community illustrates the main interactions of invertebrates and vertebrates in peatlands and marshes. Waterfowl, along with fish and furbearers, are the most economically important vertebrates using these habitats. Each of these groups has important trophic and habitat links to the invertebrates within wetlands.The most common interaction between vertebrates and invertebrates is the use of invertebrates as food by vertebrates. Few studies, however, have dealt with trophic dynamics or secondary production within wetlands. Waterfowl, fish, and many other wetland vertebrates, during all or part of their life cycles, regularly feed on invertebrates. Some invertebrates are vectors of disease and parasites to vertebrates. Vertebrates can directly affect the structural substrate that invertebrates depend on as habitat through consumption of macrophytes or through the use of living and dead plant material in the construction of houses and nests. Conversely, herbivorous invertebrates may directly affect the survival and distribution of macrophytes in wetlands. Macrophyte distribution, in turn, is an important factor in determining vertebrate use of wetlands. The general lack of both taxonomic and ecological information on invertebrates in wetlands is the main hindrance to future elucidation of vertebrate–invertebrate interactions in these environments. Development of invertebrate sampling techniques suitable for wetland habitats also is necessary. More specific research needs must be met to develop a better understanding of the structure and function of these dynamic systems.
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Legendre, Lucas J., and Donald Davesne. "The evolution of mechanisms involved in vertebrate endothermy." Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 375, no. 1793 (January 13, 2020): 20190136. http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2019.0136.
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Endothermy, i.e. the endogenous production of metabolic heat, has evolved multiple times among vertebrates, and several strategies of heat production have been studied extensively by physiologists over the course of the twentieth century. The independent acquisition of endothermy by mammals and birds has been the subject of many hypotheses regarding their origin and associated evolutionary constraints. Many groups of vertebrates, however, are thought to possess other mechanisms of heat production, and alternative ways to regulate thermogenesis that are not always considered in the palaeontological literature. Here, we perform a review of the mechanisms involved in heat production, with a focus on cellular and molecular mechanisms, in a phylogenetic context encompassing the entire vertebrate diversity. We show that endothermy in mammals and birds is not as well defined as commonly assumed by evolutionary biologists and consists of a vast array of physiological strategies, many of which are currently unknown. We also describe strategies found in other vertebrates, which may not always be considered endothermy, but nonetheless correspond to a process of active thermogenesis. We conclude that endothermy is a highly plastic character in vertebrates and provides a guideline on terminology and occurrences of the different types of heat production in vertebrate evolution. This article is part of the theme issue ‘Vertebrate palaeophysiology’.
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Root, Zachary D., Claire Gould, Margaux Brewer, David Jandzik, and Daniel M. Medeiros. "Comparative Approaches in Vertebrate Cartilage Histogenesis and Regulation: Insights from Lampreys and Hagfishes." Diversity 13, no. 9 (September 10, 2021): 435. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/d13090435.
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Jawed vertebrates (gnathostomes) have been the dominant lineage of deuterostomes for nearly three hundred fifty million years. Only a few lineages of jawless vertebrates remain in comparison. Composed of lampreys and hagfishes (cyclostomes), these jawless survivors are important systems for understanding the evolution of vertebrates. One focus of cyclostome research has been head skeleton development, as its evolution has been a driver of vertebrate morphological diversification. Recent work has identified hyaline-like cartilage in the oral cirri of the invertebrate chordate amphioxus, making cyclostomes critical for understanding the stepwise acquisition of vertebrate chondroid tissues. Our knowledge of cyclostome skeletogenesis, however, has lagged behind gnathostomes due to the difficulty of manipulating lamprey and hagfish embryos. In this review, we discuss and compare the regulation and histogenesis of cyclostome and gnathostome skeletal tissues. We also survey differences in skeletal morphology that we see amongst cyclostomes, as few elements can be confidently homologized between them. A recurring theme is the heterogeneity of skeletal morphology amongst living vertebrates, despite conserved genetic regulation. Based on these comparisons, we suggest a model through which these mesenchymal connective tissues acquired distinct histologies and that histological flexibility in cartilage existed in the last common ancestor of modern vertebrates.
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Meulemans, Daniel, and Marianne Bronner-Fraser. "Amphioxus and lamprey AP-2 genes: implications for neural crest evolution and migration patterns." Development 129, no. 21 (November 1, 2002): 4953–62. http://dx.doi.org/10.1242/dev.129.21.4953.
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The neural crest is a uniquely vertebrate cell type present in the most basal vertebrates, but not in cephalochordates. We have studied differences in regulation of the neural crest marker AP-2 across two evolutionary transitions: invertebrate to vertebrate, and agnathan to gnathostome. Isolation and comparison of amphioxus, lamprey and axolotl AP-2 reveals its extensive expansion in the vertebrate dorsal neural tube and pharyngeal arches, implying co-option of AP-2 genes by neural crest cells early in vertebrate evolution. Expression in non-neural ectoderm is a conserved feature in amphioxus and vertebrates, suggesting an ancient role for AP-2 genes in this tissue. There is also common expression in subsets of ventrolateral neurons in the anterior neural tube, consistent with a primitive role in brain development. Comparison of AP-2 expression in axolotl and lamprey suggests an elaboration of cranial neural crest patterning in gnathostomes. However,migration of AP-2-expressing neural crest cells medial to the pharyngeal arch mesoderm appears to be a primitive feature retained in all vertebrates. Because AP-2 has essential roles in cranial neural crest differentiation and proliferation, the co-option of AP-2 by neural crest cells in the vertebrate lineage was a potentially crucial event in vertebrate evolution.
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Poulin, Ray G., and L. Danielle Todd. "Sex and Nest Stage Differences in the Circadian Foraging Behaviors of Nesting Burrowing Owls." Condor 108, no. 4 (November 1, 2006): 856–64. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/condor/108.4.856.
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Abstract Abstract We used infrared cameras to accurately record the circadian provisioning behaviors of nesting Burrowing Owls (Athene cunicularia) in southern Saskatchewan, Canada. We monitored 19 nests over three years and recorded 4675 prey deliveries. We found a sex-based difference in foraging behavior: males hunted vertebrates during crepuscular periods, and females hunted insects during diurnal periods. Males delivered between 82% and 96% of all vertebrate prey depending on the stage of the nest. Males delivered at least 90% of all insects during early nest stages, after which females delivered an average of 76% of the insects. The rate of vertebrate deliveries increased from 1.3 to 7.7 per 24 hr as the summer progressed, and the number of insect deliveries increased from less than 1 to 18.6 per 24 hr. Vertebrates comprised 98%–99% of prey biomass delivered until females began delivering insects, but even then vertebrates still comprised 94% of prey biomass. Insects were consistently delivered at the highest rate during the day and vertebrates were consistently delivered at the highest rates during the dusk and dawn periods.
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Rossi, Valentina, Maria E. McNamara, Sam M. Webb, Shosuke Ito, and Kazumasa Wakamatsu. "Tissue-specific geometry and chemistry of modern and fossilized melanosomes reveal internal anatomy of extinct vertebrates." Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 116, no. 36 (August 19, 2019): 17880–89. http://dx.doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1820285116.
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Recent discoveries of nonintegumentary melanosomes in extant and fossil amphibians offer potential insights into the physiological functions of melanin not directly related to color production, but the phylogenetic distribution and evolutionary history of these internal melanosomes has not been characterized systematically. Here, we present a holistic method to discriminate among melanized tissues by analyzing the anatomical distribution, morphology, and chemistry of melanosomes in various tissues in a phylogenetically broad sample of extant and fossil vertebrates. Our results show that internal melanosomes in all extant vertebrates analyzed have tissue-specific geometries and elemental signatures. Similar distinct populations of preserved melanosomes in phylogenetically diverse vertebrate fossils often map onto specific anatomical features. This approach also reveals the presence of various melanosome-rich internal tissues in fossils, providing a mechanism for the interpretation of the internal anatomy of ancient vertebrates. Collectively, these data indicate that vertebrate melanins share fundamental physiological roles in homeostasis via the scavenging and sequestering of metals and suggest that intimate links between melanin and metal metabolism in vertebrates have deep evolutionary origins.
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Zhang, Huixian, Vydianathan Ravi, Boon-Hui Tay, Sumanty Tohari, Nisha E. Pillai, Aravind Prasad, Qiang Lin, Sydney Brenner, and Byrappa Venkatesh. "Lampreys, the jawless vertebrates, contain only two ParaHox gene clusters." Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 114, no. 34 (August 7, 2017): 9146–51. http://dx.doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1704457114.
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ParaHox genes (Gsx, Pdx, and Cdx) are an ancient family of developmental genes closely related to the Hox genes. They play critical roles in the patterning of brain and gut. The basal chordate, amphioxus, contains a single ParaHox cluster comprising one member of each family, whereas nonteleost jawed vertebrates contain four ParaHox genomic loci with six or seven ParaHox genes. Teleosts, which have experienced an additional whole-genome duplication, contain six ParaHox genomic loci with six ParaHox genes. Jawless vertebrates, represented by lampreys and hagfish, are the most ancient group of vertebrates and are crucial for understanding the origin and evolution of vertebrate gene families. We have previously shown that lampreys contain six Hox gene loci. Here we report that lampreys contain only two ParaHox gene clusters (designated as α- and β-clusters) bearing five ParaHox genes (Gsxα, Pdxα, Cdxα, Gsxβ, and Cdxβ). The order and orientation of the three genes in the α-cluster are identical to that of the single cluster in amphioxus. However, the orientation of Gsxβ in the β-cluster is inverted. Interestingly, Gsxβ is expressed in the eye, unlike its homologs in jawed vertebrates, which are expressed mainly in the brain. The lamprey Pdxα is expressed in the pancreas similar to jawed vertebrate Pdx genes, indicating that the pancreatic expression of Pdx was acquired before the divergence of jawless and jawed vertebrate lineages. It is likely that the lamprey Pdxα plays a crucial role in pancreas specification and insulin production similar to the Pdx of jawed vertebrates.
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Aase-Remedios, Madeleine E., Clara Coll-Lladó, and David E. K. Ferrier. "More Than One-to-Four via 2R: Evidence of an Independent Amphioxus Expansion and Two-Gene Ancestral Vertebrate State for MyoD-Related Myogenic Regulatory Factors (MRFs)." Molecular Biology and Evolution 37, no. 10 (June 10, 2020): 2966–82. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/molbev/msaa147.
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Abstract The evolutionary transition from invertebrates to vertebrates involved extensive gene duplication, but understanding precisely how such duplications contributed to this transition requires more detailed knowledge of specific cases of genes and gene families. Myogenic differentiation (MyoD) has long been recognized as a master developmental control gene and member of the MyoD family of bHLH transcription factors (myogenic regulatory factors [MRFs]) that drive myogenesis across the bilaterians. Phylogenetic reconstructions within this gene family are complicated by multiple instances of gene duplication and loss in several lineages. Following two rounds of whole-genome duplication (2R WGD) at the origin of the vertebrates, the ancestral function of MRFs is thought to have become partitioned among the daughter genes, so that MyoD and Myf5 act early in myogenic determination, whereas Myog and Myf6 are expressed later, in differentiating myoblasts. Comparing chordate MRFs, we find an independent expansion of MRFs in the invertebrate chordate amphioxus, with evidence for a parallel instance of subfunctionalization relative to that of vertebrates. Conserved synteny between chordate MRF loci supports the 2R WGD events as a major force in shaping the evolution of vertebrate MRFs. We also resolve vertebrate MRF complements and organization, finding a new type of vertebrate MRF gene in the process, which allowed us to infer an ancestral two-gene state in the vertebrates corresponding to the early- and late-acting types of MRFs. This necessitates a revision of previous conclusions about the simple one-to-four origin of vertebrate MRFs.
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Sakashita, Misaki, Shintaro Yamasaki, Kentaro Yaji, Atsushi Kawamoto, and Shigeru Kondo. "Three-dimensional topology optimization model to simulate the external shapes of bone." PLOS Computational Biology 17, no. 6 (June 16, 2021): e1009043. http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1009043.
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Elucidation of the mechanism by which the shape of bones is formed is essential for understanding vertebrate development. Bones support the body of vertebrates by withstanding external loads, such as those imposed by gravity and muscle tension. Many studies have reported that bone formation varies in response to external loads. An increased external load induces bone synthesis, whereas a decreased external load induces bone resorption. This relationship led to the hypothesis that bone shape adapts to external load. In fact, by simulating this relationship through topology optimization, the internal trabecular structure of bones can be successfully reproduced, thereby facilitating the study of bone diseases. In contrast, there have been few attempts to simulate the external structure of bones, which determines vertebrate morphology. However, the external shape of bones may be reproduced through topology optimization because cells of the same type form both the internal and external structures of bones. Here, we constructed a three-dimensional topology optimization model to attempt the reproduction of the external shape of teleost vertebrae. In teleosts, the internal structure of the vertebral bodies is invariable, exhibiting an hourglass shape, whereas the lateral structure supporting the internal structure differs among species. Based on the anatomical observations, we applied different external loads to the hourglass-shaped part. The simulations produced a variety of three-dimensional structures, some of which exhibited several structural features similar to those of actual teleost vertebrae. In addition, by adjusting the geometric parameters, such as the width of the hourglass shape, we reproduced the variation in the teleost vertebrae shapes. These results suggest that a simulation using topology optimization can successfully reproduce the external shapes of teleost vertebrae. By applying our topology optimization model to various bones of vertebrates, we can understand how the external shape of bones adapts to external loads.
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Palacios-Mosquera, Y., D. Mondragón, and A. Santos-Moreno. "Vertebrate florivory of vascular epiphytes: the case of a bromeliad." Brazilian Journal of Biology 79, no. 2 (April 2019): 201–7. http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/1519-6984.176023.
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Abstract The avoidance of vertebrate herbivory is thought to be one of the possible drivers for the evolution of epiphytism. Scarce literature suggests that epiphyte herbivory is mainly related to insect attack on reproductive structures. In a pine-oak forest we observed almost all inflorescences of an epiphytic bromeliad (Tillandsia carlos-hankii) with signs of florivory; the degree of damage suggested that vertebrate herbivores could be involved. To assess the intensity of vertebrate florivory damage we recorded the percentage of damaged individuals in a 500 m2 plots during two flowering seasons. To identify possible vertebrate herbivores, we installed 20 mixed capture stations, 10 photo-traps focused on bromeliads and analyzed stomach contents of captured vertebrates. Florivory was observed on 62% of individuals during the first flowering season and 77% on the second; and average one individual lost 41% of reproductive structures. Vertebrates associated with florivory were a bird, Icterus bullockii (Aves, Passeriformes, Icteridae), a squirrel Sciurus aureogaster (Mammalia, Rodentia, Sciuridae), and mice, Peromyscus gratus, P. levipes and P. aztecus (Mammalia, Rodentia, Cricetidae). Our results suggest that vascular epiphytes are used as opportunistic resources for small vertebrates during seasons when preferred resources are scarce.
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Maekawa, Shun, and Takashi Kato. "Diverse of Erythropoiesis Responding to Hypoxia and Low Environmental Temperature in Vertebrates." BioMed Research International 2015 (2015): 1–9. http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2015/747052.
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Erythrocytes are responsible for transporting oxygen to tissue and are essential for the survival of almost all vertebrate animals. Circulating erythrocyte counts are tightly regulated and respond to erythrocyte mass and oxygen tension. Since the discovery of erythropoietin, the erythropoietic responses to environment and tissue oxygen tension have been investigated in mice and human. Moreover, it has recently become increasingly clear that various environmental stresses could induce the erythropoiesis via various modulating systems, while all vertebrates live in various environments and habitually adapt to environmental stress. Therefore, it is considered that investigations of erythropoiesis in vertebrates provide a lead to the various erythropoietic responses to environmental stress. This paper comparatively introduces the present understanding of erythropoiesis in vertebrates. Indeed, there is a wide range of variations in vertebrates’ erythropoiesis. This paper also focused on erythropoietic responses to environmental stress, hypoxia, and lowered temperature in vertebrates.
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Wang, Jianhua, and Guan-Zhu Han. "Frequent Retroviral Gene Co-option during the Evolution of Vertebrates." Molecular Biology and Evolution 37, no. 11 (July 15, 2020): 3232–42. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/molbev/msaa180.
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Abstract Endogenous retroviruses are ubiquitous in the vertebrate genomes. On occasion, hosts recruited retroviral genes to mediate their own biological functions, a process formally known as co-option or exaptation. Much remains unknown about the extent of retroviral gene co-option in vertebrates, although more than ten retroviral gene co-option events have been documented. Here, we use a phylogenomic approach to analyze more than 700 vertebrate genomes to uncover retroviral gene co-option taking place during the evolution of vertebrates. We identify a total of 177 independent retroviral gene co-option events in vertebrates, a majority of which have not been reported previously. Among these retroviral gene co-option events, 93 and 84 involve gag and env genes, respectively. More than 78.0% (138 out of 177) of retroviral gene co-option occurred within mammals. The gag and env co-option events share a generally similar temporal pattern with less frequent retroviral gene co-option identified in the deep branches, suggesting that retroviral gene co-option might have not been maintained for very long time periods. Moreover, we find co-opted retroviral genes are subject to different selection pressure, implying potentially diverse cellular functionality. Our study provides a comprehensive picture of co-opted retroviral genes during the evolution of vertebrates and has implications in understanding the ancient evolution of vertebrate–retrovirus interaction.
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Hedrick, Michael S., Stanley S. Hillman, Robert C. Drewes, and Philip C. Withers. "Lymphatic regulation in nonmammalian vertebrates." Journal of Applied Physiology 115, no. 3 (August 1, 2013): 297–308. http://dx.doi.org/10.1152/japplphysiol.00201.2013.
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All vertebrate animals share in common the production of lymph through net capillary filtration from their closed circulatory system into their tissues. The balance of forces responsible for net capillary filtration and lymph formation is described by the Starling equation, but additional factors such as vascular and interstitial compliance, which vary markedly among vertebrates, also have a significant impact on rates of lymph formation. Why vertebrates show extreme variability in rates of lymph formation and how nonmammalian vertebrates maintain plasma volume homeostasis is unclear. This gap hampers our understanding of the evolution of the lymphatic system and its interaction with the cardiovascular system. The evolutionary origin of the vertebrate lymphatic system is not clear, but recent advances suggest common developmental factors for lymphangiogenesis in teleost fishes, amphibians, and mammals with some significant changes in the water-land transition. The lymphatic system of anuran amphibians is characterized by large lymphatic sacs and two pairs of lymph hearts that return lymph into the venous circulation but no lymph vessels per se. The lymphatic systems of reptiles and some birds have lymph hearts, and both groups have extensive lymph vessels, but their functional role in both lymph movement and plasma volume homeostasis is almost completely unknown. The purpose of this review is to present an evolutionary perspective in how different vertebrates have solved the common problem of the inevitable formation of lymph from their closed circulatory systems and to point out the many gaps in our knowledge of this evolutionary progression.
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Tang, Vivian W. "Collagen, stiffness, and adhesion: the evolutionary basis of vertebrate mechanobiology." Molecular Biology of the Cell 31, no. 17 (August 1, 2020): 1823–34. http://dx.doi.org/10.1091/mbc.e19-12-0709.
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The emergence of collagen I in vertebrates resulted in a dramatic increase in the stiffness of the extracellular environment, supporting long-range force propagation and the development of low-compliant tissues necessary for the development of vertebrate traits including pressurized circulation and renal filtration. Vertebrates have also evolved integrins that can bind to collagens, resulting in the generation of higher tension and more efficient force transmission in the extracellular matrix. The stiffer environment provides an opportunity for the vertebrates to create new structures such as the stress fibers, new cell types such as endothelial cells, new developmental processes such as neural crest delamination, and new tissue organizations such as the blood–brain barrier. Molecular players found only in vertebrates allow the modification of conserved mechanisms as well as the design of novel strategies that can better serve the physiological needs of the vertebrates. These innovations collectively contribute to novel morphogenetic behaviors and unprecedented increases in the complexities of tissue mechanics and functions.
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Pasquier, Jérémy, Nédia Kamech, Anne-Gaëlle Lafont, Hubert Vaudry, Karine Rousseau, and Sylvie Dufour. "MOLECULAR EVOLUTION OF GPCRS: Kisspeptin/kisspeptin receptors." Journal of Molecular Endocrinology 52, no. 3 (February 27, 2014): T101—T117. http://dx.doi.org/10.1530/jme-13-0224.
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Following the discovery of kisspeptin (Kiss) and its receptor (GPR54 or KissR) in mammals, phylogenetic studies revealed up to three Kiss and four KissR paralogous genes in other vertebrates. The multiplicity of Kiss and KissR types in vertebrates probably originated from the two rounds of whole-genome duplication (1R and 2R) that occurred in early vertebrates. This review examines compelling recent advances on molecular diversity and phylogenetic evolution of vertebrate Kiss and KissR. It also addresses, from an evolutionary point of view, the issues of the structure–activity relationships and interaction of Kiss with KissR and of their signaling pathways. Independent gene losses, during vertebrate evolution, have shaped the repertoire ofKissandKissRin the extant vertebrate species. In particular, there is no conserved combination of a givenKisstype with aKissRtype, across vertebrate evolution. The striking conservation of the biologically active ten-amino-acid C-terminal sequence of all vertebrate kisspeptins, probably allowed this evolutionary flexibility of Kiss/KissR pairs. KissR mutations, responsible for hypogonadotropic hypogonadism in humans, mostly occurred at highly conserved amino acid positions among vertebrate KissR. This further highlights the key role of these amino acids in KissR function. In contrast, less conserved KissR regions, notably in the intracellular C-terminal domain, may account for differential intracellular signaling pathways between vertebrate KissR. Cross talk between evolutionary and biomedical studies should contribute to further understanding of the Kiss/KissR structure–activity relationships and biological functions.
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Sampaio, Rebeca A. P., Danielle O. Moreira, André M. de Assis, Sérgio L. Mendes, and Andressa Gatti. "Interaction between frugivorous vertebrates and two plant species of the genus Spondias." Animal Biology 69, no. 2 (2019): 231–46. http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/15707563-18000003.
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Abstract Most plant species in the Atlantic Forest invest in zoochory as a dispersal mechanism and many depend on vertebrates to fulfill that role. The sizes of fruits and seeds are limiting factors in interactions between vertebrates and plant species. For example, plants that produce fruits with large seeds are more dependent on large frugivorous vertebrates for dispersal. We used camera traps to observe the interactions between frugivorous vertebrates and two large seed-producing plants of the genus Spondias in the Tableland of the Atlantic Forest of Espírito Santo, Brazil. Between 2015 and 2016 (622 camera days), we recorded 17 species of frugivorous vertebrates potentially ingesting fruit at the studied sites. Among the species recorded, only the lowland tapir (Tapirus terrestris) was observed interacting directly with S. venulosa and S. macrocarpa. Our analysis indicates that the type of interaction depends on the body size of the vertebrate species, meaning that direct interaction with fruits of Spondias is commonly performed by medium and large vertebrates, such as spotted pacas, agoutis, and tapirs. Our study highlights the importance of these vertebrates in the forest remnants of the Atlantic Forest Tableland, such as the Linhares-Sooretama forest complex, for conservation and regeneration of plant communities.
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Sustaita, Diego, Margaret A. Rubega, and Susan M. Farabaugh. "Come on baby, let's do the twist: the kinematics of killing in loggerhead shrikes." Biology Letters 14, no. 9 (September 2018): 20180321. http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2018.0321.
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Shrikes use their beaks for procuring, dispatching and processing their arthropod and vertebrate prey. However, it is not clear how the raptor-like bill of this predatory songbird functions to kill vertebrate prey that may weigh more than the shrike itself. In this paper, using high-speed videography, we observed that upon seizing prey with their beaks, shrikes performed rapid (6–17 Hz; 49–71 rad s −1 ) axial head-rolling movements. These movements accelerated the bodies of their prey about their own necks at g -forces of approximately 6 g , and may be sufficient to cause pathological damage to the cervical vertebrae and spinal cord. Thus, when tackling relatively large vertebrates, shrikes appear to use inertia of their prey's own body against them.
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Milner, Andrew. "Looking at vertebrates: A practical guide to vertebrate adaptations." Trends in Ecology & Evolution 1, no. 6 (December 1986): 170–71. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0169-5347(86)90050-9.
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Mulukala, Sandeep K. N., Vaishnavi Kambhampati, Abrar H. Qadri, and Anil K. Pasupulati. "Evolutionary conservation of intrinsically unstructured regions in slit-diaphragm proteins." PLOS ONE 16, no. 7 (July 21, 2021): e0254917. http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0254917.
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Vertebrate kidneys contribute to homeostasis by regulating electrolyte, acid-base balance, removing toxic metabolites from blood, and preventing protein loss into the urine. Glomerular podocytes constitute the blood-urine barrier, and podocyte slit-diaphragm (SD), a modified tight junction, contributes to the glomerular permselectivity. Nephrin, KIRREL1, podocin, CD2AP, and TRPC6 are crucial members of the SD that interact with each other and contribute to the SD’s structural and functional integrity. This study analyzed the distribution of these five essential SD proteins across the organisms for which the genome sequence is available. We found a diverse distribution of nephrin and KIRREL1 ranging from nematodes to higher vertebrates, whereas podocin, CD2AP, and TRPC6 are restricted to the vertebrates. Among invertebrates, nephrin and its orthologs consist of more immunoglobulin-3 domains, whereas in the vertebrates, CD80-like C2-set domains are predominant. In the case of KIRREL1 and its orthologs, more Ig domains were observed in invertebrates than vertebrates. Src Homology-3 (SH3) domain of CD2AP and SPFH domain of podocin are highly conserved among vertebrates. TRPC6 and its orthologs had conserved ankyrin repeats, TRP, and ion transport domains, except Chondrichthyes and Echinodermata, which do not possess the ankyrin repeats. Intrinsically unstructured regions (IURs) are conserved across the SD orthologs, suggesting IURs importance in the protein complexes that constitute the slit-diaphragm. For the first time, a study reports the evolutionary insights of vertebrate SD proteins and their invertebrate orthologs.
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Afanassieva, O. B. "The Vertebrate Exoskeleton: Geometric Patterns of the Armor Relief Formation in Early Jawless Vertebrates (Agnatha, Vertebrata)." Doklady Biological Sciences 489, no. 1 (November 2019): 161–64. http://dx.doi.org/10.1134/s0012496619060012.
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Srikulnath, Kornsorn, Syed Farhan Ahmad, Worapong Singchat, and Thitipong Panthum. "Why Do Some Vertebrates Have Microchromosomes?" Cells 10, no. 9 (August 24, 2021): 2182. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/cells10092182.
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With more than 70,000 living species, vertebrates have a huge impact on the field of biology and research, including karyotype evolution. One prominent aspect of many vertebrate karyotypes is the enigmatic occurrence of tiny and often cytogenetically indistinguishable microchromosomes, which possess distinctive features compared to macrochromosomes. Why certain vertebrate species carry these microchromosomes in some lineages while others do not, and how they evolve remain open questions. New studies have shown that microchromosomes exhibit certain unique characteristics of genome structure and organization, such as high gene densities, low heterochromatin levels, and high rates of recombination. Our review focuses on recent concepts to expand current knowledge on the dynamic nature of karyotype evolution in vertebrates, raising important questions regarding the evolutionary origins and ramifications of microchromosomes. We introduce the basic karyotypic features to clarify the size, shape, and morphology of macro- and microchromosomes and report their distribution across different lineages. Finally, we characterize the mechanisms of different evolutionary forces underlying the origin and evolution of microchromosomes.
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Ong, Oselyne T. W., Eloise B. Skinner, Brian J. Johnson, and Julie M. Old. "Mosquito-Borne Viruses and Non-Human Vertebrates in Australia: A Review." Viruses 13, no. 2 (February 9, 2021): 265. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/v13020265.
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Mosquito-borne viruses are well recognized as a global public health burden amongst humans, but the effects on non-human vertebrates is rarely reported. Australia, houses a number of endemic mosquito-borne viruses, such as Ross River virus, Barmah Forest virus, and Murray Valley encephalitis virus. In this review, we synthesize the current state of mosquito-borne viruses impacting non-human vertebrates in Australia, including diseases that could be introduced due to local mosquito distribution. Given the unique island biogeography of Australia and the endemism of vertebrate species (including macropods and monotremes), Australia is highly susceptible to foreign mosquito species becoming established, and mosquito-borne viruses becoming endemic alongside novel reservoirs. For each virus, we summarize the known geographic distribution, mosquito vectors, vertebrate hosts, clinical signs and treatments, and highlight the importance of including non-human vertebrates in the assessment of future disease outbreaks. The mosquito-borne viruses discussed can impact wildlife, livestock, and companion animals, causing significant changes to Australian ecology and economy. The complex nature of mosquito-borne disease, and challenges in assessing the impacts to non-human vertebrate species, makes this an important topic to periodically review.
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Ballari, Sebastián A., Sara E. Kuebbing, and Martin A. Nuñez. "Potential problems of removing one invasive species at a time: a meta-analysis of the interactions between invasive vertebrates and unexpected effects of removal programs." PeerJ 4 (June 2, 2016): e2029. http://dx.doi.org/10.7717/peerj.2029.
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Although the co-occurrence of nonnative vertebrates is a ubiquitous global phenomenon, the study of interactions between invaders is poorly represented in the literature. Limited understanding of the interactions between co-occurring vertebrates can be problematic for predicting how the removal of only one invasive—a common management scenario—will affect native communities. We suggest a trophic food web framework for predicting the effects of single-species management on native biodiversity. We used a literature search and meta-analysis to assess current understanding of how the removal of one invasive vertebrate affects native biodiversity relative to when two invasives are present. The majority of studies focused on the removal of carnivores, mainly within aquatic systems, which highlights a critical knowledge gap in our understanding of co-occurring invasive vertebrates. We found that removal of one invasive vertebrate caused a significant negative effect on native species compared to when two invasive vertebrates were present. These unexpected results could arise because of the positioning and hierarchy of the co-occurring invasives in the food web (e.g., carnivore–carnivore or carnivore–herbivore). We consider that there are important knowledge gaps to determinate the effects of multiple co-existing invaders on native ecosystems, and this information could be precious for management.
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Gabbott, Sarah E., Philip C. J. Donoghue, Robert S. Sansom, Jakob Vinther, Andrei Dolocan, and Mark A. Purnell. "Pigmented anatomy in Carboniferous cyclostomes and the evolution of the vertebrate eye." Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 283, no. 1836 (August 17, 2016): 20161151. http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2016.1151.
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The success of vertebrates is linked to the evolution of a camera-style eye and sophisticated visual system. In the absence of useful data from fossils, scenarios for evolutionary assembly of the vertebrate eye have been based necessarily on evidence from development, molecular genetics and comparative anatomy in living vertebrates. Unfortunately, steps in the transition from a light-sensitive ‘eye spot’ in invertebrate chordates to an image-forming camera-style eye in jawed vertebrates are constrained only by hagfish and lampreys (cyclostomes), which are interpreted to reflect either an intermediate or degenerate condition. Here, we report—based on evidence of size, shape, preservation mode and localized occurrence—the presence of melanosomes (pigment-bearing organelles) in fossil cyclostome eyes. Time of flight secondary ion mass spectrometry analyses reveal secondary ions with a relative intensity characteristic of melanin as revealed through principal components analyses. Our data support the hypotheses that extant hagfish eyes are degenerate, not rudimentary, that cyclostomes are monophyletic, and that the ancestral vertebrate had a functional visual system. We also demonstrate integument pigmentation in fossil lampreys, opening up the exciting possibility of investigating colour patterning in Palaeozoic vertebrates. The examples we report add to the record of melanosome preservation in Carboniferous fossils and attest to surprising durability of melanosomes and biomolecular melanin.
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Adachi, Noritaka, Molly Robinson, Aden Goolsbee, and Neil H. Shubin. "Regulatory evolution of Tbx5 and the origin of paired appendages." Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 113, no. 36 (August 8, 2016): 10115–20. http://dx.doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1609997113.
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The diversification of paired appendages has been a major factor in the evolutionary radiation of vertebrates. Despite its importance, an understanding of the origin of paired appendages has remained elusive. To address this problem, we focused on T-box transcription factor 5 (Tbx5), a gene indispensable for pectoral appendage initiation and development. Comparison of gene expression in jawless and jawed vertebrates reveals that the Tbx5 expression in jawed vertebrates is derived in having an expression domain that extends caudal to the heart and gills. Chromatin profiling, phylogenetic footprinting, and functional assays enabled the identification of a Tbx5 fin enhancer associated with this apomorphic pattern of expression. Comparative functional analysis of reporter constructs reveals that this enhancer activity is evolutionarily conserved among jawed vertebrates and is able to rescue the finless phenotype of tbx5a mutant zebrafish. Taking paleontological evidence of early vertebrates into account, our results suggest that the gain of apomorphic patterns of Tbx5 expression and regulation likely contributed to the morphological transition from a finless to finned condition at the base of the vertebrate lineage.
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Poncelet, Guillaume, and Sebastian M. Shimeld. "The evolutionary origins of the vertebrate olfactory system." Open Biology 10, no. 12 (December 2020): 200330. http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rsob.200330.
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Vertebrates develop an olfactory system that detects odorants and pheromones through their interaction with specialized cell surface receptors on olfactory sensory neurons. During development, the olfactory system forms from the olfactory placodes, specialized areas of the anterior ectoderm that share cellular and molecular properties with placodes involved in the development of other cranial senses. The early-diverging chordate lineages amphioxus, tunicates, lampreys and hagfishes give insight into how this system evolved. Here, we review olfactory system development and cell types in these lineages alongside chemosensory receptor gene evolution, integrating these data into a description of how the vertebrate olfactory system evolved. Some olfactory system cell types predate the vertebrates, as do some of the mechanisms specifying placodes, and it is likely these two were already connected in the common ancestor of vertebrates and tunicates. In stem vertebrates, this evolved into an organ system integrating additional tissues and morphogenetic processes defining distinct olfactory and adenohypophyseal components, followed by splitting of the ancestral placode to produce the characteristic paired olfactory organs of most modern vertebrates.
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Grant, Marianne A., David L. Beeler, Katherine C. Spokes, Junmei Chen, Harita Dharaneeswaran, Tracey E. Sciuto, Ann M. Dvorak, Gianluca Interlandi, José A. Lopez, and William C. Aird. "Identification of extant vertebrate Myxine glutinosa VWF: evolutionary conservation of primary hemostasis." Blood 130, no. 23 (December 7, 2017): 2548–58. http://dx.doi.org/10.1182/blood-2017-02-770792.
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Key Points The extant vertebrate hagfish, M glutinosa, has a single, functional vwf gene, structurally simpler than in higher vertebrates. VWF appeared in an ancestral vertebrate as a hemostatic protein lacking functional domains required for primary hemostasis under high flow.
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Woinarski, JCZ. "The Vertebrate Fauna of Broombush Melaleuca-Uncinata Vegetation in Northwestern Victoria, With Reference to Effects of Broombush Harvesting." Wildlife Research 16, no. 2 (1989): 217. http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/wr9890217.
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The vertebrate fauna of broombush Melaleuca uncinata vegetation in north-western Victoria was assessed by censusing in marked quadrats, trapping and wide-ranging observations. Most species of vertebrates known to occur in mallee shrublands in Victoria we recorded in broombush (those recorded included four amphibian, 42 reptile, 126 bird and 18 mammal species). This high diversity resulted from a substantial variation in vertebrate (particularly reptile and bird) species composition between broombush of differing ages (0-80 years). Some floristic variation between broombush stands and the local presence within these stands of particular plant species (notably Triodia irritans and Banksia ornata) also added to vertebrate species diversity. Locally, broombush patches were characteristically simple in structure and of low floristic diversity. Bird species diversity and density were low (<3 individuals per ha). Broombush is being harvested at an accelerating rate in Victoria. The effects of this industry on vertebrates generally are minor. No vertebrate species is restricted to broombush, and most vertebrate species recorded in this survey were found in harvested areas. Nonetheless, broombush is an important habitat for several species (e.g. Ctenophorus pictus, Ctenotus uber, C. brooksi, Leipoa ocellata, Pachycephala rufogularis, Psophodes nigrogularis, Drymodes brunneopygia, Cercartetus lepidus and Notomys mitchelli). Information on the ecology of most species of vertebrates living in the mallee is very limited, and some species may be affected by broombush cutting through a decrease in area of habitat of suitable age.
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Harington, C. Richard. "Quaternary Vertebrates of Québec: a Summary." Géographie physique et Quaternaire 57, no. 1 (February 10, 2005): 85–94. http://dx.doi.org/10.7202/010332ar.
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Abstract The only representative of the extinct North American megafauna known from Québec is an American mastodon from Pointe de Chambord, Lac-Saint-Jean. Marine mammals have played a prominent part in our knowledge of the Quaternary vertebrates of Québec since Per Kalm was informed of a whale skeleton found inland from the St. Lawrence River about 1749. Five species of whales particularly adapted to inshore conditions have been reported from Late-glacial deposits of Champlain Sea age. The bones represent mainly white whales, but also narwhals, harbour porpoise, humpback, common finback and bowhead whales. Seals (ringed, harp, bearded and harbour) have also been discovered, and walrus remains are known from Sainte-Julienne-de-Montcalm and Saint-Nicolas. Sandpits at Saint-Nicolas (bottom-dwelling fishes, seabirds, ringed seal and white whale) and Saint-Césaire (fish, eider duck, ringed seal and white whale) have yielded important Champlain Sea vertebrate fossils, as well as paleoenvironmental information. Many well-preserved vertebrate remains have been found in calcareous nodules from Eardley and Breckenridge in the Gatineau area. Perhaps cave faunas will become increasingly important in sorting out the Quaternary vertebrate faunal sequence in Québec. The finds from caves near Saint-Elzéar and La Rédemption in Gaspésie, as well as Mine and Laflèche caves in the Gatineau region have already yielded fascinating insights. A list of radiocarbon dates on Quaternary vertebrates from Québec is provided.
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Berná, Luisa, Fernando Alvarez-Valin, and Giuseppe D'Onofrio. "How Fast Is the Sessile Ciona?" Comparative and Functional Genomics 2009 (2009): 1–6. http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2009/875901.
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Genomewide analyses of distances between orthologous gene pairs from the ascidian speciesCiona intestinalisandCiona savignyiwere compared with those of vertebrates. Combining this data with a detailed and careful use of vertebrate fossil records, we estimated the time of divergence between the two ascidians nearly 180 My. This estimation was obtained after correcting for the different substitution rates found comparing several groups of chordates; indeed we determine here that on average Ciona species evolve 50% faster than vertebrates.
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Witter, Menno P., Heidi Kleven, and Asgeir Kobro Flatmoen. "Comparative Contemplations on the Hippocampus." Brain, Behavior and Evolution 90, no. 1 (2017): 15–24. http://dx.doi.org/10.1159/000475703.
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The hippocampus in mammals is a morphologically well-defined structure, and so are its main subdivisions. To define the homologous structure in other vertebrate clades, using these morphological criteria has been difficult, if not impossible, since the typical mammalian morphology is absent. Although there seems to be consensus that the most medial part of the pallium represents the hippocampus in all vertebrates, there is no consensus on whether all mammalian hippocampal subdivisions are present in the derivatives of the medial pallium in all vertebrate groups. The aim of this paper is to explore the potential relevance of connections to define the hippocampus across vertebrates, with a focus on mammals, reptiles, and birds.
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Dreborg, Susanne, Görel Sundström, Tomas A. Larsson, and Dan Larhammar. "Evolution of vertebrate opioid receptors." Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 105, no. 40 (October 1, 2008): 15487–92. http://dx.doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0805590105.
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The opioid peptides and receptors have prominent roles in pain transmission and reward mechanisms in mammals. The evolution of the opioid receptors has so far been little studied, with only a few reports on species other than tetrapods. We have investigated species representing a broader range of vertebrates and found that the four opioid receptor types (delta, kappa, mu, and NOP) are present in most of the species. The gene relationships were deduced by using both phylogenetic analyses and chromosomal location relative to 20 neighboring gene families in databases of assembled genomes. The combined results show that the vertebrate opioid receptor gene family arose by quadruplication of a large chromosomal block containing at least 14 other gene families. The quadruplication seems to coincide with, and, therefore, probably resulted from, the two proposed genome duplications in early vertebrate evolution. We conclude that the quartet of opioid receptors was already present at the origin of jawed vertebrates ≈450 million years ago. A few additional opioid receptor gene duplications have occurred in bony fishes. Interestingly, the ancestral receptor gene duplications coincide with the origin of the four opioid peptide precursor genes. Thus, the complete vertebrate opioid system was already established in the first jawed vertebrates.
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Pasquesi, Giulia I. M., Blair W. Perry, Mike W. Vandewege, Robert P. Ruggiero, Drew R. Schield, and Todd A. Castoe. "Vertebrate Lineages Exhibit Diverse Patterns of Transposable Element Regulation and Expression across Tissues." Genome Biology and Evolution 12, no. 5 (April 9, 2020): 506–21. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/gbe/evaa068.
Full textAbstract:
Abstract Transposable elements (TEs) comprise a major fraction of vertebrate genomes, yet little is known about their expression and regulation across tissues, and how this varies across major vertebrate lineages. We present the first comparative analysis integrating TE expression and TE regulatory pathway activity in somatic and gametic tissues for a diverse set of 12 vertebrates. We conduct simultaneous gene and TE expression analyses to characterize patterns of TE expression and TE regulation across vertebrates and examine relationships between these features. We find remarkable variation in the expression of genes involved in TE negative regulation across tissues and species, yet consistently high expression in germline tissues, particularly in testes. Most vertebrates show comparably high levels of TE regulatory pathway activity across gonadal tissues except for mammals, where reduced activity of TE regulatory pathways in ovarian tissues may be the result of lower relative germ cell densities. We also find that all vertebrate lineages examined exhibit remarkably high levels of TE-derived transcripts in somatic and gametic tissues, with recently active TE families showing higher expression in gametic tissues. Although most TE-derived transcripts originate from inactive ancient TE families (and are likely incapable of transposition), such high levels of TE-derived RNA in the cytoplasm may have secondary, unappreciated biological relevance.
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Zhao, Shuqing, Jingyun Fang, Changhui Peng, and Zhiyao Tang. "The relationships between terrestrial vertebrate species richness in China’s nature reserves and environmental variables." Canadian Journal of Zoology 84, no. 9 (September 2006): 1368–74. http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/z06-132.
Full textAbstract:
Explaining species richness patterns over broad geographic scales is a central issue of biogeography and macroecology. In this study, we took spatial autocorrelation into account and used terrestrial vertebrate species richness data from 211 nature reserves, together with climatic and topographical variables and reserve area, to explain terrestrial vertebrate species richness patterns in China and to test two climatically based hypotheses for animals. Our results demonstrated that species richness patterns of different terrestrial vertebrate taxa were predicted by the environmental variables used, in a decreasing order, as reptiles (56.5%), followed by amphibians (51.8%), mammals (42%), and birds (19%). The endothermic vertebrates (mammals and birds) were closely correlated with net primary productivity (NPP), which supports the productivity hypothesis, whereas the ectothermic vertebrates (amphibians and reptiles) were strongly associated with both water and energy variables but weakly with NPP, which supports the physiologically based ambient climate hypothesis. The differences in the dependence of endothermic and ectothermic vertebrates on productivity or ambient climate may be due in part to their different thermoregulatory mechanisms. Consistent with earlier studies, mammals were strongly and positively related to geomorphologic heterogeneity, measured by elevation range, implying that the protection of mountains may be especially important in conserving mammalian diversity.
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Arendt, D., and K. Nubler-Jung. "Comparison of early nerve cord development in insects and vertebrates." Development 126, no. 11 (June 1, 1999): 2309–25. http://dx.doi.org/10.1242/dev.126.11.2309.
Full textAbstract:
It is widely held that the insect and vertebrate CNS evolved independently. This view is now challenged by the concept of dorsoventral axis inversion, which holds that ventral in insects corresponds to dorsal in vertebrates. Here, insect and vertebrate CNS development is compared involving embryological and molecular data. In insects and vertebrates, neurons differentiate towards the body cavity. At early stages of neurogenesis, neural progenitor cells are arranged in three longitudinal columns on either side of the midline, and NK-2/NK-2.2, ind/Gsh and msh/Msx homologs specify the medial, intermediate and lateral columns, respectively. Other pairs of regional specification genes are, however, expressed in transverse stripes in insects, and in longitudinal stripes in the vertebrates. There are differences in the regional distribution of cell types in the developing neuroectoderm. However, within a given neurogenic column in insects and vertebrates some of the emerging cell types are remarkably similar and may thus be phylogenetically old: NK-2/NK-2.2-expressing medial column neuroblasts give rise to interneurons that pioneer the medial longitudinal fascicles, and to motoneurons that exit via lateral nerve roots to then project peripherally. Lateral column neuroblasts produce, among other cell types, nerve root glia and peripheral glia. Midline precursors give rise to glial cells that enwrap outgrowing commissural axons. The midline glia also express netrin homologs to attract commissural axons from a distance.
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Shimeld, Sebastian M., and Nicholas D. Holland. "Amphioxus molecular biology: insights into vertebrate evolution and developmental mechanisms." Canadian Journal of Zoology 83, no. 1 (January 1, 2005): 90–100. http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/z04-155.
Full textAbstract:
The cephalochordate amphioxus is the best available proxy for the last common invertebrate ancestor of the vertebrates. During the last decade, the developmental genetics of amphioxus have been extensively examined for insights into the evolutionary origin and early evolution of the vertebrates. Comparisons between expression domains of homologous genes in amphioxus and vertebrates have strengthened proposed homologies between specific body parts. Molecular genetic studies have also highlighted parallels in the developmental mechanisms of amphioxus and vertebrates. In both groups, a similar nested pattern of Hox gene expression is involved in rostrocaudal patterning of the neural tube, and homologous genes also appear to be involved in dorsoventral neural patterning. Studies of amphioxus molecular biology have also hinted that the protochordate ancestor of the vertebrates included cell populations that modified their developmental genetic pathways during early vertebrate evolution to yield definitive neural crest and neurogenic placodes. We also discuss how the application of expressed sequence tag and gene-mapping approaches to amphioxus have combined with developmental studies to advance our understanding of chordate genome evolution. We conclude by considering the potential offered by the sequencing of the amphioxus genome, which was completed in late 2004.