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Acoel development indicates the independent evolution of the bilaterian mouth and anus

Author

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  • Andreas Hejnol

    (Kewalo Marine Laboratory, PBRC, University of Hawaii, 41 Ahui Street, Honolulu, Hawaii 96813, USA)

  • Mark Q. Martindale

    (Kewalo Marine Laboratory, PBRC, University of Hawaii, 41 Ahui Street, Honolulu, Hawaii 96813, USA)

Abstract

The evolving gut: top and tail Most bilaterian animals have a 'through' gut, with a mouth at one end and an anus at the other. It is commonly believed that in the transition from radial to bilaterial symmetry, both openings evolved simultaneously by the partial, lateral closure of a slit-like blastopore. This idea is called into question by work on acoel flatworms, primitive bilaterians with a mouth but no anus. In studies of the acoel Convolutriloba longifissura, Andreas Hejnol and Mark Martindale use molecular markers to show that the its mouth does indeed correspond with a generic mouth, and that molecular markers characteristic of the hind end of the gut cluster at the (blind) end of the body, in a posterior domain associated with a gonopore. This suggests that the anus evolved many times independently, in association with reproductive structures.

Suggested Citation

  • Andreas Hejnol & Mark Q. Martindale, 2008. "Acoel development indicates the independent evolution of the bilaterian mouth and anus," Nature, Nature, vol. 456(7220), pages 382-386, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:456:y:2008:i:7220:d:10.1038_nature07309
    DOI: 10.1038/nature07309
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    Cited by:

    1. Ryan E. Hulett & Julian O. Kimura & D. Marcela Bolaños & Yi-Jyun Luo & Carlos Rivera-López & Lorenzo Ricci & Mansi Srivastava, 2023. "Acoel single-cell atlas reveals expression dynamics and heterogeneity of adult pluripotent stem cells," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-15, December.

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