M. J. Telford

Dollo parsimony overestimates ancestral gene content reconstructions

This study compares Dollo parsimony and maximum likelihood methods for ancestral gene content reconstruction, finding Dollo parsimony overestimates ancestral gene content, especially near the root of the tree.

Single-cell atlases of two lophotrochozoan larvae highlight their complex evolutionary histories

The paper generates single-cell atlases of two lophotrochozoan larvae to compare cell types and infer evolutionary relationships.

Single cell atlas of Xenoturbella bocki highlights the limited cell-type complexity of a non-vertebrate deuterostome lineage

This study presents a single-cell RNA-seq atlas of Xenoturbella bocki, revealing limited cell-type complexity and shared features with cnidarians and protostomes.

The slow evolving genome of the xenacoelomorph worm Xenoturbella bocki

This study analyzes the genome of Xenoturbella bocki to assess its phylogenetic position and genomic complexity, finding it has a complex genome similar to other bilaterians.

Systematic errors in orthology inference: a bug or a feature for evolutionary analyses?

The paper simulates orthology errors to show they increase with evolutionary rates and affect phylogenetic analyses and phylostratigraphy.

Lack of support for Deuterostomia prompts reinterpretation of the first Bilateria.

The paper reevaluates the monophyly of Deuterostomia using phylogenomic datasets, finding weak support and suggesting systematic errors may explain apparent support.

Spermiogenesis in the acoel Symsagittifera roscoffensis: nucleus-plasma membrane contact sites and microtubules.

This study describes two new contact sites formed during spermiogenesis in Symsagittifera roscoffensis and characterizes axonemal microtubule structures in the resulting spermatozoa.

Studying early embryogenesis in the flatworm Maritigrella crozieri indicates a unique modification of the spiral cleavage program in polyclad flatworms

This study examines early embryogenesis in Maritigrella crozieri, revealing deviations from the canonical spiral cleavage pattern, including unique cleavage events and blebbing associated with micromere formation.

Extraocular, rod-like photoreceptors in a flatworm express xenopsin photopigment

The paper identifies xenopsin photopigment expression in extraocular, rod-like photoreceptors in flatworms and shows its function in phototransduction.