Skip to main content
Fig. 13 | BMC Evolutionary Biology

Fig. 13

From: Comparison of ventral organ development across Pycnogonida (Arthropoda, Chelicerata) provides evidence for a plesiomorphic mode of late neurogenesis in sea spiders and myriapods

Fig. 13

Gross architecture of the VNC of different sea spider families evaluated against the backbone of pycnogonid phylogeny. ad Fluorescent stereomicroscope images of partially dissected nervous systems after labeling with the lipophilic marker FM 1-43FX. ef Fluorescent stereomicroscope images of nervous systems with nuclear labeling. Note that all species feature an anatomically separate walking leg ganglion 1, even though it is always close to the subesophageal ganglion. a Nymphon gracile, adult CNS, dorsal view. b Parapallene australiensis, adult VNC, dorsal view. c Endeis spinosa, adult VNC, dorsal view. d Cilunculus japonicus, adult CNS, dorsal view. e Propallene sp., adult VNC, dorsal view. f Pantopipetta armoricana, CNS of late juvenile, ventral view. g The bipartite subesophageal ganglion is resolved as plesiomorphic condition of Pycnogonida after mapping on current hypotheses of pycnogonid relationships and parsimony-based reconstruction. Abbreviations: br – brain, seg – subesophageal ganglion, wlg – walking leg ganglion

Back to article page