Twins raised from separated blastomeres develop into sexually mature Strongylocentrotus purpuratus.
The first two blastomeres of Strongylocentrotus purpuratus embryos were separated and the resulting twins raised in pairs through larval life and to sexual maturity. We derive two conclusions from this study: changes in the pattern of specification of embryonic cell fates following blastomere separation result in the creation of two sets of fully functional coelomic pouches and imaginal rudiments, and sex determination in sea urchins is chromosomal, since the pairs of twins were always of the same sex.
Cameron
R A
RA
Division of Biology, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena 91125, USA.
Leahy
P S
PS
Davidson
E H
EH
D000818:Animals; D001757:Blastomeres; D012732:Sex Determination Analysis; D013320:Strongyloidea / Q000196:embryology*; D014427:Twins