1992/08/07 by David W. Stock, Gregory S. Whitt · 178 citations
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology · Environmental Science · #Biology #Clade #Evolutionary biology #Gene #Genetic diversity and population structure #Genetics #Genomics and Phylogenetic Studies #Ichthyology and Marine Biology #Monophyly #Phylogenetic tree #Vertebrate #Zoology
paper · doi:10.1126/science.1496398
published in Science 257(5071), 787-789 (American Association for the Advancement of Science)
openalex publication_date 1992/08/07 · openalex created_date 2016/06/24 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/23
Lampreys and hagfishes (cyclostomes) traditionally were considered to be a natural (monophyletic) group. Recently, the consensus of opinion, based largely on morphological analyses, has shifted to a view that lampreys are more closely related to jawed vertebrates (gnathostomes) than to hagfishes. Phylogenetic comparisons of 18S ribosomal RNA sequences from two hagfishes, two lampreys, a tunicate, a lancelet, and a number of gnathostomes support the monophyly of the cyclostomes. These data force a reassessment of several features of early vertebrate evolution.