Hosted by the School of Biological Sciences
My research is focused on the evolution of early animal life forms at the molecular level and its impact on current animal diversity. In order to obtain deeper insights into the origin and evolution of animals, I study a wider repertoire of extant species such as non-bilaterian animals representing lineages that diverged more than 600 million years ago from the rest of the animal groups. These include sponges, ctenophores (comb jellies), placozoans (Trichoplax) and cnidarians (sea anemones, corals, hydroids, and jellyfish). In this talk, I will present two research topics: (1) Evolution of a cnidarian neurosensory structure (apical organ), key for larval behaviour and settlement; and (2) an unusual plant-like behaviour in a photosymbiotic sea anemone - heliotropism (or solar-tracking).