The genome project of the nemertean Notospermus geniculatus and the phoronid Phoronis australis

Nemerteans and phoronids are closely related lophotrochozoans, yet they carry distinct feeding apparatuses and lifestyles. They are poorly studied despite their importance in ecology, evolution, and paleontology. As a result, the genetic basis of their evolutionary origins and body plans have been obscure. Since the Cambrian explosion ~540 million years ago, animal forms have greatly diversified. One fundamental question of animal evolution is how these diverse morphologies are formed. While animals share many developmental toolkit genes, they also possess novel genes and expansion of gene families in a lineage-specific manner. How lineage-specific genes and changes of genomic features contribute to morphological novelties is still a challenge in understanding animal evolution. Also, whether common toolkit genes are involved in patterning these novelties at the genomic level is not well understood. In this genome project, we present the genomes of the nemertean Notospermus geniculatus and the phoronid Phoronis australis together with multiple transcriptomes, providing a comparative platform to understand the evolution of animal genomes and the origin of lophotrochozoans.