6533b7d6fe1ef96bd1266fd7

RESEARCH PRODUCT

Echinoderm evolution since 1972 and since the cambrian: tales from a dozen IECS.

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description

5 pages; International audience; Progress made since the first IEC - which took place in Washington, DC in 1972 has drastically altered some of our views on echinoderm evolution. In addition to publications in scientific journals, there are thousands of pages of peer-reviewed material in the proceedings of past IECs, and in Echinoderm Studies. These pages bear witness to some of the most outstanding milestones in this progress. This paper aims to highlight one third of a century of maturing ideas dealing with several key aspects of echinoderm evolution as witnessed by 12 IECs. Conceptual changes have taken place in a scientific milieu characterized by rapid adoption of new theoretical and pragmatic tools: the emergence of cladistics in late 70's, of molecular phylogenetics in the 80's, of "evo-devo" since the 90's, and of course, the computerization of all these endeavors. Standing on these foundations, we use 3 decades of IEC volumes to document the advancement of evolutionary approaches involving echinoderms.