Echinoderm Enigma Solved: Starfish Bodies Resemble Heads, New Study Finds

The recent research involving the University of Southampton, published in Nature, offers groundbreaking insights into the evolution and body structure of echinoderms, a group that includes starfish, sea urchins, and sand dollars. This study, led by Laurent Formery and Professor Chris Lowe at Stanford University, in collaboration with Professor Dan Rokhsar at UC Berkeley and Pacific BioSciences, marks a significant advancement in our understanding of these unique creatures. Echinoderms are known for their distinctive ‘fivefold symmetric’ body plan, which is a stark contrast to their bilateral ancestors. Bilateral organisms, like humans, have a left and right side that mirror each … Continue reading Echinoderm Enigma Solved: Starfish Bodies Resemble Heads, New Study Finds