The National Natural Science Foundation of China under contact No.32270434.
All vertebrates have a definitive thyroid gland,or thyroid for short.As a critical organ for growth,development and metabolism,its origin and evolution have long received attention.On the basis of anatomical position,...
supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 30470203,2006CB101805, and 2008AA09Z411) ;Ministry of Sci-ence and Technology of China.
Protochordate amphioxus is an extant invertebrate regarded quite recently as a basal chordate. It has a vertebrate-like body plan including a circulation system with an organization similar to that of vertebrates. How...