M. J. O'Connell

Bursts of novel composite gene families at major nodes in animal evolution

The paper identifies composite gene families in animals, showing they emerge abruptly at major evolutionary nodes and are independently evolved in multiple clades.

Improving orthologous signal and model fit in datasets addressing the root of the animal phylogeny.

The paper re-examines animal phylogeny datasets to improve orthologous signal and model fit, finding that dataset construction and model fit influence root inference.

Placental mammal derived microRNAs alter pathways in the endometrial epithelia important for endometrial function.

This study identifies placental mammal-specific miRNAs and their targets in endometrial epithelial cells, showing their role in implantation and potential involvement in recurrent pregnancy loss.

Caecilian genomes reveal molecular basis of adaptation and convergent evolution of limblessness in snakes and caecilians.

The paper analyzes caecilian genomes to identify molecular mechanisms underlying limblessness and convergent evolution with snakes, finding shared genetic targets involved in limb development.

Enriching for orthologs increases support for Xenacoelomorpha and Ambulacraria sister relationship

The paper assesses hidden paralogy's impact on Xenacoelomorpha placement, finding orthology enrichment supports Xenambulacraria but does not conclusively resolve the phylogeny.

A burst of regulatory and protein innovation at the origin of placental mammals drove the emergence of placenta and underpins divergent early pregnancy strategies in modern mammals.

The paper identifies a core miRNA network that originated in placental mammals and explains the evolution of placenta and diverse pregnancy strategies.

The role of CAPG in molecular communication between the embryo and the uterine endometrium: Is its function conserved in species with different implantation strategies?

This study shows that CAPG, a conserved protein, induces transcriptional changes in endometrial cells of humans and cattle, potentially aiding implantation across species with different implantation strategies.

Ribosome heterogeneity in Drosophila melanogaster gonads through paralog-switching

The paper characterizes ribosome heterogeneity in Drosophila melanogaster gonads, showing paralog-switching contributes to specialized ribosome populations that may regulate translation.