The evolution of vertebrate gastrulation

The availability of molecular markers now permits the analysis of the common elements of vertebrate gastrulation. While gastrulation appears to be very diverse in the vertebrates, by analyzing a head-organizer marker, goosecoid, and a marker common to all forming mesoderm, Brachyury, we attempt to identify homologous structures and equivalent stages in Xenopus, zebrafish, chick and mouse gastrulation. Using a tail-organizer marker, Xnot-2, we also discuss how the late stages of gastrulation lead to the formation of the postanal tail, a structure characteristic of the chordates.