A new study provides many new insights into the biology of the prehistoric gigantic shark megalodon (megatooth shark), which ...

Model vertebrates are extensively studied non-human vertebrates (species with a notochord, or vertebral column) chosen for the ease of investigating particular biological phenomena in areas such ...

These large, mysterious creatures are the longest-living vertebrates on the planet—and their genomes could contain clues to ...

A major event in vertebrate evolution was the transition from aquatic to terrestrial life, made possible by the emergence of new structures such as limbs and the neck. In an article published in ...

A fossil analysis suggests that the yunnanozoan, a wormlike fish that flourished around 520 million years ago, sported structures that were the precursors of the head and jaws of modern vertebrates.

This story appears in the October 2017 issue of National Geographic magazine. From scales to feathers to fur, vertebrates clothe themselves in a dazzling variety of textures and hues. But ...

Challenging the long-standing belief that fibroblasts produce skin collagen, researchers have investigated collagen formation in the 'glass-skinned' amphibian axolotl and other vertebrates. They ...

The face is one of the most distinctive features of vertebrates, diverged widely among species while maintaining a highly ...

Jawed vertebrates known as gnathostomes appear to be the first creatures with the synovial joints, according to Shubin. These joint cavities can be seen in cartilaginous fish such as skates or sharks.

Marine vertebrates must surface to transmit data (Holland et al. 2009). Tri-axial accelerometer tags record detailed three-dimensional movements of tagged animals. This generates a thorough ...

While the exterior of vertebrate bodies appears bilaterally symmetrical, internal organ positioning and morphology frequently exhibit left-right (L-R) asymmetries. In several vertebrates, including ...