Meeting Abstract

P1-38  Thursday, Jan. 4 15:30 – 17:30  Not content with sequence alone: Independent evidence for the positions of ctenophores and sponges using expanded gene content HERNANDEZ, AM*; SCHULTZ , DT; FRANCIS, WR; KOREN, S; SCHNITZLER, CE; MARTINDALE , MQ; HADDOCK, SHD ; RYAN, JF; Whitney Laboratory for Marine Bioscience, St. Augustine, FL; Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, Moss Landing, CA; Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, Moss Landing, CA; National Human Genome Research Institute, Bethesda, MD; Whitney Laboratory for Marine Bioscience, St. Augustine, FL; Whitney Laboratory for Marine Bioscience, St. Augustine, FL; Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, Moss Landing, CA; Whitney Laboratory for Marine Bioscience, University of Florida ahernandez6@ufl.edu

Resolving phylogenetic relationships during the early evolution of animals has remained challenging due to taxonomic representation and use of differing data types and methodologies. The central disagreement has been focused on the placement of ctenophores (comb jellies) and sponges in differing phylogenomic studies, i.e., ctenophores as the sister group to all other animals, or sponges as the sister group to all other animals. The placement of ctenophores as the sister group to all other animals complicates questions surrounding the origins of true epithelia, nervous systems, muscles, and guts. In this study, we attempt to resolve the early evolution of animals by analyzing gene content data with expanded taxon sampling using both maximum-likelihood and Bayesian approaches and applying hypothesis testing. Using these approaches, we provide a hypothesis for the relationship of ctenophores, sponges, and the rest of animals that is independent of sequence-based methods.