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Developmental processes in Ediacara macrofossils.

Scott D Evans1, Mary L Droser2, Douglas H Erwin1

  • 1Department of Paleobiology MRC-121, National Museum of Natural History, Washington, DC 20013-7012, USA.

Proceedings. Biological Sciences
|February 24, 2021
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Summary

The Ediacara Biota fossils reveal early complex animals likely possessed genetic pathways for key traits like multicellularity and a nervous system. However, they lacked distinct organs or appendages, suggesting independent evolution of these features in later lineages.

Keywords:
Ediacara biotaEdiacaranMetazoadevelopmentevolutionregulatory genes

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Area of Science:

  • Paleontology
  • Developmental Biology
  • Evolutionary Biology

Background:

  • The Ediacara Biota represents the earliest known complex multicellular organisms (metazoans).
  • Phylogenetic placement of Ediacaran taxa remains challenging due to their unique morphology.
  • Understanding their developmental pathways is crucial for insights into early animal evolution.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate developmentally controlled characters in Ediacaran fossils.
  • To compare these characters with genetic regulatory mechanisms in extant organisms.
  • To refine the phylogenetic positioning of key Ediacara taxa.

Main Methods:

  • Identification of developmentally controlled traits in Ediacaran fossils from the White Sea assemblage.
  • Comparative analysis of these traits with genetic pathways in modern animals.
  • Assessment of evidence for specific anatomical features like organs, appendages, and sensory structures.

Main Results:

  • Evidence suggests the presence of genetic pathways for multicellularity, axial polarity, musculature, and a nervous system in some Ediacaran animals.
  • Absence of evidence for major differentiation into distinct organs, localized sensory organs, or appendages.
  • Lack of heads with concentrated sensory organs or ventral nerve cords in studied taxa.

Conclusions:

  • The findings constrain the phylogenetic position of several Ediacara taxa.
  • Early metazoan evolution involved the presence of complex genetic toolkits but potentially simpler body plans.
  • The independent evolution of heads and ventral nerve cords in different bilaterian clades is supported.