Convergent evolution of animal photosymbiosis through co-option of ancestral endodermal programs
Tosuke Sakagami, i-Jung Kao, Thomas D. Lewin, Yi‐Ling Chiu, Chun-Ting Lin, Jia-Yang Su, Shih-Han Wen, Ming-Yen Wu, Asuka Arimoto, Kunifumi Tagawa, Bailly Xavier, Tsai-Ming Lu, Yi‐Jyun Luo
This study shows that photosymbiosis in different animals uses ancestral endodermal programs and lineage-specific innovations, revealing a general cellular principle for complex symbiosis evolution.
bioRxiv · Oct 23, 2026 · PreprintEvolutionary Biology