Modularity in Development and Evolution offers the first sustained exploration of modules
from developmental and evolutionary perspectives. Contributors discuss what modularity is …

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

Plants can have positive effects on each other. For example, the accumulation of nutrients,
provision of shade, amelioration of disturbance, or protection from herbivores by some …

How consciousness appeared much earlier in evolutionary history than is commonly
assumed, and why all vertebrates and perhaps even some invertebrates are conscious …

Left-right asymmetries in brains are usually minor or cryptic. We report brain asymmetries in
the tiny, dorsal tubular nervous system of the ascidian tadpole larva, Ciona intestinalis …

Abstract Lancelets ('amphioxus') are the modern survivors of an ancient chordate lineage,
with a fossil record dating back to the Cambrian period. Here we describe the structure and …

Dating the tree of life is a core endeavor in evolutionary biology. Rates of evolution are
fundamental to nearly every evolutionary model and process. Rates need dates. There is …

Vertebrate palaeontology is a lively field, with new discoveries reported every week... and
not only dinosaurs! This new edition reflects the international scope of vertebrate …

Acorn worms, also known as enteropneust (literally,'gut-breathing') hemichordates, are
marine invertebrates that share features with echinoderms and chordates. Together, these …

The origin of the pentaradial body plan of echinoderms from a bilateral ancestor is one of the
most enduring zoological puzzles,. Because echinoderms are defined by morphological …