The origin and evolution of cell types has emerged as a key topic in evolutionary biology.
Driven by rapidly accumulating single-cell datasets, recent attempts to infer cell type …

Background The recent combination of genomics and single cell transcriptomics has
allowed to assess a variety of non-conventional model organisms in much more depth …

In polymorphic organisms, a single genome is deployed to program numerous,
morphologically distinct body plans within a colony. This complex life history trait has …

Neuropeptides are ancient signaling molecules in animals but only few peptide receptors
are known outside bilaterians. Cnidarians possess a large number of G protein-coupled …

The common ancestor of all vertebrates had a highly sophisticated nervous system, but
questions remain about the evolution of vertebrate neural cell types. The amphioxus, a …

Among non-bilaterian animals, a larval apical sensory organ with integrated neurons is only
found in cnidarians. Within cnidarians, an apical organ with a ciliary tuft is mainly found in …

The evolutionary origin of the vertebrate brain remains a major subject of debate, as its
development from a dorsal tubular neuroepithelium is unique to chordates. To shed light on …

The evolutionary origin of the vertebrate brain is still a major subject of debate. Its distinctive
dorsal position and development from a tubular neuroepithelium are unique to the chordate …

Bilaterian animals have evolved complex sensory organs comprised of distinct cell types
that function coordinately to sense the environment. Each sensory unit has a defined …

Cnidarians have become valuable models for understanding many aspects of
developmental biology including the evolution of body plan diversity, novel cell type …