Movers and shakers: evolution and development of the mesoderm

Area of Science:

• Developmental Biology
• Evolutionary Biology
• Comparative Genomics

Background:

• The evolutionary origin of mesoderm is a fundamental question in metazoan diversification.
• Understanding mesoderm patterning is key to explaining the evolution of diverse animal body plans.
• Limited synthesis exists for the growing body of research on mesoderm evolution.

Framework:

• A symposium, "Movers and Shakers: The Evolution and Development of Mesoderm," was convened at the 2006 Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology Conference.
• The symposium aimed to bridge the gap in synthesizing current research on mesoderm.
• This provided a platform for researchers to discuss diverse findings and approaches.

Implementation:

• Papers from the symposium cover a wide range of organisms.
• Diverse methodologies were employed, including molecular, genetic, and morphological approaches.
• Data integration across different research programs was a key focus.

Implications:

• The integration of diverse data is expected to generate novel hypotheses.
• Fostering collaborative efforts to address fundamental questions in mesoderm development and evolution.
• Advancing our understanding of how mesoderm contributes to the evolution of animal diversity.