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Evolution and Development of the Vertebrate Cranium

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Evolutionary Developmental Biology

Abstract

The cranium represents a derived trait that defines vertebrates; two different cell lineages, the NC and the mesoderm, are involved in its development. Functionally, the cranium can be divided into the neurocranium and the viscerocranium. However, this division does not reflect the developmental origins of the cells in jawed vertebrates. Developmental specification of the cranial primordium is mediated by coordinated expression of homeobox genes, established through tissue interactions. Comparison with cyclostome embryonic patterns shows that the cranium of jawed vertebrates appears to have undergone a series of changes in developmental program, making this structure highly complicated.

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Correspondence to Shigeru Kuratani .

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Kuratani, S. (2019). Evolution and Development of the Vertebrate Cranium. In: Nuno de la Rosa, L., Müller, G. (eds) Evolutionary Developmental Biology. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-33038-9_187-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-33038-9_187-1

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  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-33038-9

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-33038-9

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