The enigmatic Placozoa part 2: Exploring evolutionary controversies and promising questions on earth and in space

Abstract

The placozoan Trichoplax adhaerens has been bridging gaps between research disciplines like no other animal. As outlined in part 1, placozoans have been subject of hot evolutionary debates and placozoans have challenged some fundamental evolutionary concepts. Here in part 2 we discuss the exceptional genetics of the phylum Placozoa and point out some challenging model system applications for the best known species, Trichoplax adhaerens.

Keywords: Placozoa; Trichoplax; genomics; gravitaxis; mitochondrial genome evolution; model system; urmetazoon.