ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies
James Cook University Townsville
Queensland 4811 Australia
Phone: 61 7 4781 4000
Email: info@coralcoe.org.au
Corals sit near the base of the tree of animal life – along with sea anemones, they are about as simple as a true animal gets. However, looks are misleading and our recent studies have established that corals have as many genes as mammals, and have much the same set of genes as man – nominally the pinnacle of animal evolution. Surprisingly, most of the widely studied invertebrates have fewer genes in common with man than does the humble coral. These findings have led to the idea that most ‘animal’ genes arose very early in evolution, and that genes have subsequently been lost at different rates in the various animal lineages.
Professor David Miller will discuss the evidence for ‘ancestral genetic complexity’, and its implications for animal evolution and coral biology.
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A new study raises questions on whether current conservation science and policy for protected areas could be saving more biodiversity—with political and economic expediency often having taken prece
A new study reveals the strategies that stop bandits from illegally fishing in Australian waters—but warns there is a cost to the region’s poorer countries. Co-author Dr Brock Bergseth, from th
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Partner Research Institutions
ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies
James Cook University Townsville
Queensland 4811 Australia
Phone: 61 7 4781 4000
Email: info@coralcoe.org.au
