The Sea Lamprey Petromyzon Marinus (IMAGE)
Caption
Vertebrates have long been perceived as more complex than their spineless relatives, but it has proven difficult to identify causal mechanisms underpinning the comparative complexity of even the most primitive living vertebrates such as the lamprey. The solution may be found in microRNAs, tiny non-coding RNA molecules that regulate the translation of messenger RNA during embryonic development. The diversity of microRNAs increased manyfold and at an unprecedented rate at the origin of vertebrates, coordinating the development of vertebrate evolutionary innovations.
Credit
Image courtesy of J. Ellen Marsden, University of Vermont
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