Model organisms, such as Drosophila melanogaster, provide powerful experimental tools for the study of development. However, approaches using model systems need to be complemented by comparative studies for us to gain a deeper understanding of the functional properties and evolution of developmental processes. New model organisms need to be established to enable such comparative work. The estab...

Reptilian viviparity evolves through selection for increasingly prolonged egg retention within the oviduct. In the majority of sceloporine lizard species, however, egg retention past the normal time of oviposition results in retarded or arrested embryonic development. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that the amount of embryonic development normally attained in utero is directly related ...

Although most plant species from algae to flowering plants use blue light for inducing phototropism and chloroplast movement, many ferns, some mosses, and green algae use red as well as blue light for the regulation of these responses, resulting in better sensitivity at low light levels. During their evolution, ferns have created a chimeric photoreceptor (phy3 in Adiantum) between phytochrome (...