Convergent Acquisition of Nonembryonic Development in Styelid Ascidians.

ABSTRACT: Asexual propagation and whole body regeneration are forms of nonembryonic development (NED) widespread across animal phyla and central in life history and evolutionary diversification of metazoans. Whereas it is challenging to reconstruct the gains or losses of NED at large phylogenetic scale, comparative studies could benefit from being conducted at more restricted taxonomic scale, in groups for which phylogenetic relationships are well established. The ascidian family of Styelidae encompasses strictly sexually reproducing solitary forms as well as colonial species that combine sexual reproduction with different forms of NED. To date, the phylogenetic relationships between colonial and solitary styelids remain controversial and so is the pattern of NED evolution. In this study, we built a

SUBMITTER: Alie A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5995219 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature