Vertebrate evolution: turning heads.
The skeleton of the neck and shoulders has undergone alterations during evolution, but muscle connectivity has not. A recent study suggests this is a result of neural crest cells defining attachment points and thus muscle connectivity.
Graham
Anthony
A
MRC Centre for Developmental Neurobiology, King's College, London SE1 1UL, UK. anthony.graham@kcl.ac.uk
D000818:Animals; D005075:Biological Evolution; D019521:Body Patterning / Q000502:physiology*; D008648:Mesoderm / Q000502:physiology; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000196:embryology / Q000502:physiology*; D009333:Neck / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000196:embryology; D009432:Neural Crest / Q000502:physiology*; D014714:Vertebrates / Q000033:anatomy & histology*