A reconstruction of sexual modes throughout animal evolution.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Although most extant animals have separate sexes, simultaneous hermaphrodites can be found in lineages throughout the animal kingdom. However, the sexual modes of key ancestral nodes including the last common ancestor (LCA) of all animals remain unclear. Without these data, it is difficult to infer the reproductive-state transitions that occurred early in animal evolution, and thus a broad understanding of the evolution of animal reproduction remains elusive. In this study, we use a composite phylogeny from four previously published studies, two alternative topologies (ctenophores or sponges as sister to the rest of animals), and multiple phylogenetic approaches to conduct the most extensive analysis to date of the evolution of animal sexual modes.

Results

Our ana

SUBMITTER: Sasson DA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5717846 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature