Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Commentary
  • Published:

The zootype and the phylotypic stage

Nature volume 361, pages 490–492 (1993)Cite this article

What is it that defines an animal? The definition provided here, made on the basis of developmental biology, suggests methods for resolving phylogenetic problems.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Relevant articles

Open Access articles citing this article.

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on Springer Link
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

References

  1. McGinnis, W. & Krumlauf, R. Cell 68, 283–302 (1992).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Lewis, E. B. Nature 276, 565–570 (1978).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Lawrence, P. A. The Making of a Fly (Blackwell, Oxford, 1992).

    Google Scholar 

  4. Scott, M. P., Tamkun, J. W. & Hartzell, G. W. Biochim. biophys. Acta 989, 25–48 (1989).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Gehring, W. G. et al. Trends Genet. 6, 323–329 (1990).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Carrasco, A. E., McGinnis, W., Gehring, W. J. & De Robertis, E. M. Cell 37, 409–414 (1984).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Slack, J. M. W. Nature 310, 364–365 (1984).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Graham, A., Papalopulu, N. & Krumlauf, R. Cell 57, 367–378 (1989).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Duboule, D. & Dollé, P. EMBO J 8, 1497–1505 (1989).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Shashikant, C. S. et al. Crit. Rev. Eukaryotic Gene Expression 1, 207–245 (1991).

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. De Robertis, E. M., Morita, E. A. & Cho, K. W. Y. Development 112, 669–678 (1991).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Krumlauf, R. Bioessays 14, 245–252 (1992).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Scott, M. Cell 71, 551–553 (1992).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Simeone, A., Acampora, D., Guilsano, M., Stornaiuolo, A. & Boncinelli, E. Nature 358, 687–690 (1992).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Gans C. & Northcutt, R. G. Science 220, 268–274 (1983).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Patel, N. H., Ball, E. E. & Goodman, C. S. Nature 357, 339–342 (1992).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Frasch, M., Hoey, T., Rushlow, C., Doyle, H. & Levine, M. EMBO J. 6, 749–759 (1987).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Holland, P. W. H., Holland, L. Z., Williams, N. A. & Holland, N. D. Development 116, 653–661 (1992).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Wysocks-Diller, J., Aisemberg, G. O., Baaumgarten, M., Levine, M. & Macagno, E. R. Nature 341, 760–763 (1989).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  20. Nardelli-Haefliger D. & Shankland, M. Development 116, 697–710 (1992).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. Costa, M., Weir, M., Coulson, A., Sulston, J. & Kenyon, C. Cell 55, 747–756 (1988).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Cowing, D. W. & Kenyon, C. Development 116, 481–490 (1992).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  23. Kessel, M. Development 115, 487–501 (1992).

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. Wolpert, L. J. theor. Biol. 25, 1–47 (1969).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Schummer, M., Scheurlen, I., Schaller, C. & Galliot, B. EMBO J. 11, 1815–1825 (1992).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Slack, J. M. W. J. theor. Biol. 82, 105–140 (1980).

    Article  MathSciNet  CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. Webster, P. J. & Mansour, T. E. Mech. Dev. 38, 25–32 (1992).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. Brusca, R. C. & Brusca, G. J. Invertebrates (Sinauer, Sunderland, Massachusetts, 1990).

    Google Scholar 

  29. Seidel, F. Zool. Anz. 164, 245–305 (1960).

    Google Scholar 

  30. Sander, K. in Development and Evolution (eds Goodwin, B. C., Holder, N. & Wylie, C. C.) 137–159C Cambridge University Press, 1983).

    Google Scholar 

  31. Hamilton, W. J. & Mossman, H. W. Human Embryology (Macmillan, London, 1976).

    Google Scholar 

  32. Sander, K. Adv. Insect Physiol. 12, 125–238 (1976).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  33. Ballard, W. W. Am. Zool. 21, 391–3991 (1981).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  34. Margulis, L. & Schwartz, K. V. Five Kingdoms. An Illustrated Guide to the Phyla of Life on Earth 2nd edn (Freeman, New York, 1988).

    Google Scholar 

  35. Willmer, P. Invertebrate Relationships. Patterns in Animal Evolution. (Cambridge University Press, 1990).

    Book  Google Scholar 

  36. Raff, R. A. Devl Biol. 119, 6–19 (1987).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  37. Hall, B. K. Evolutionary Developmental Biology (Chapman and Hall, London, 1992).

    Book  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Author notes

  1. J. M. W. Slack: J. M. W.S. is in the ICRF Development biology unit.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. the Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, 0X1 3PS, UK

    J. M. W. Slack, P. W. H. Holland & C. F. Graham

Authors
  1. J. M. W. Slack
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. P. W. H. Holland
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. C. F. Graham
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Slack, J., Holland, P. & Graham, C. The zootype and the phylotypic stage. Nature 361, 490–492 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1038/361490a0

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/361490a0

This article is cited by

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing