To illuminate the origins of chordate and vertebrates, we generated a draft of the protein - coding portion of the genome of the most studied ascidian, Ciona intestinalis. (science.sciencemag.org)
The modern ascidian tadpole represents a plausible approximation to these ancestral chordates. (science.sciencemag.org)
The ascidian genome has also acquired a number of lineage - specific innovations, including a group of genes engaged in cellulose metabolism that are related to those in bacteria and fungi. (science.sciencemag.org)