vertebrate

“Living gigantic sharks, such as the whale shark and basking shark, as well as many other gigantic aquatic vertebrates like whales have slender bodies because large stocky bodies are hydrodynamically inefficient for swimming,” Shimada said.

By contrast, most aquatic vertebrates have a lateral line that is streamlined near the animal’s tail and only becomes complex near their head.

Can a single protein-encoding gene determine whether a vertebrate embryo develops normally?

Not only must successful blood-suckers be able to find a compatible vertebrate, they need to have evolved senses that let them hone in on their targets.

These are ventures — often one-person crusades — that celebrate fast food, Finnish folk art, Skid Row, skateboarding, vertebrate zoology and more.