Specifically, the team found that the chordate nervous system, such as those in humans, evolved from an embryonic region of the ancestor that corresponds to echinoderm ciliary bands (Fig. 3).

Oikopleura has a characteristic chordate body plan, with a dorsal, hollow nerve cord, a notochord and pharyngeal gill slits. The fully grown adult has a head/trunk about 1 mm in length, and a ...

To address these questions, I am using the invertebrate chordate Ciona. Ciona with its fast development and fixed lineages, is an incredible model. During metamorphosis, most of the Ciona larval ...