Vertebrates built new head from old parts, study conducted by Daniel Medeiros' lab finds. The findings, which appeared in the February 26th issue of the journal Nature suggest that the appearance of the vertebrate head skeleton "did not depend on evolution of a new skeletal tissue, as is commonly thought, but on the spread of this tissue throughout the head’. The findings demystify the evolutionary path from invertebrates to vertebrates, specifically the formation of the vertebrate head skeleton. Co-authors on the report include Medeiros lab postdoctoral fellows David Jandzik and Aaron Garnett, technician Maria Cattell, and graduate student Tyler Square. To read more about the work, see this feature in the Arts & Sciences Magazine.
