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SUMMARY:The Choanoflagellates: Sister Group to Metazoa - Barry SC Leadbeat
 er\, University of Birmingham
DTSTART:20100210T130000Z
DTEND:20100210T140000Z
UID:TALK22496@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:Anastasios (Tassos) Pavlopoulos
DESCRIPTION:The Choanoflagellates are a distinctive group of singled-celle
 d Protozoa universally distributed in aquatic habitats. Their cell morphol
 ogy resembles that of Sponge choanocytes and for this reason they have tra
 ditionally been considered to be the unicellular ancestors of Sponges. Rec
 ent molecular phylogenetic studies also show the choanoflagellates to be c
 losely related to Metazoa.\n\nChoanoflagellate biology is paradoxical in t
 hat the morphology and function of the cell is uniform and highly conserve
 d whereas the external structures have diversified thereby allowing cells 
 to inhabit an extensive range of aquatic (freshwater and marine) habitats.
  One group of marine species has developed a ‘basket-like’ exo-skeleto
 n made up of silica ribs. Variations in the size\, shape and pattern of th
 is skeleton have been essential in adapting cells to benthic and planktoni
 c environments. During the course of evolution\, the mechanism of skeleton
  production and cell division must have ‘suddenly’ inverted thereby pr
 oducing a novel and highly successful lineage.  Evidence for this conclusi
 on will be presented together with a general review of the group. \n
LOCATION:Part II Lecture Theatre\, Department of Zoology
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