The Santagata Lab

Research Interests

As an evolutionary biologist with broad interests in the development, evolution, and ecology of aquatic invertebrates some of my research has focused on marine invertebrate larvae because their diverse forms serve as unique models for understanding the evolutionary and ecological relationships among multicellular animals. I am especially interested in morphological and developmental studies on invertebrate animals with enigmatic evolutionary origins such as the phoronids, brachiopods, and ectoprocts (bryozoans). These animal groups are intriguing due to their extraordinarily divergent morphological traits as compared to other related spiralian taxa such as annelids and mollusks. Publications resulting from this work have covered a variety of topics such as reproductive biology, neuromuscular anatomy, biogeography, phylogeny, and metamorphosis. Currently, my laboratory is focusing on using transcriptomic information from various species of Antarctic and Sub-tropical ectoprocts (bryozoans) to resolve phylogenetic and evolutionary questions about how these animals adapt to disparate environmental conditions.

Recent Publications

• Santagata S. (2021). Phyla: Ectoprocta and Phoronida. Chapter 22 in Invertebrate Zoology: A Tree of Life Approach, 1^st edition. DeSalle R., and Schiewater B., editors. CRS Press. pp 1-16.

• Santagata, S. (2021). Genes with evidence of positive selection as potentially related to coloniality and the evolution of morphological features among the lophophorates and entoprocts. Invited Research Paper for the Journal of Experimental Zoology Part B: Molecular and Developmental Evolution 336:267-280.

• Santagata et al. (2018). Compositional Differences in the Habitat-Forming Bryozoan Communities of the Antarctic Shelf. Front. Ecol. Evol.6, 49. doi:10.3389/fevo.2018.00116.

• Santagata S. (2016 and 2021). Phylum Phoronida. Co-editor/contributor Chapter 17 in: Invertebrates, 3^rd and 4^theditions. Brusca R.C., Moore W., and Schuster S.M., editors. Sinauer Associates, Sunderland, MA. pp. 635-644.

• Santagata S. (2015a). Phoronida. Chapters 10 in: Evolutionary Developmental Biology of Invertebrates. Vol. 2: Spiralia, Andreas Wanninger, editor. Springer-Verlag Press. pp. 231-246.

• Santagata S. (2015b). Ectoprocta. Chapters 11 in: Evolutionary Developmental Biology of Invertebrates. Vol. 2: Spiralia, Andreas Wanninger, editor. Springer-Verlag Press. pp. 247-262.

• Santagata S. (2015c). Brachiopoda. Chapters 12 in: Evolutionary Developmental Biology of Invertebrates. Vol. 2: Spiralia, Andreas Wanninger, editor. Springer-Verlag Press. pp. 263-277.

• Santagata S., Resh C., Hejnol A., Martindale M.Q., Passamaneck Y.J. (2012). Development of the larval anterior neurogenic domains of Terebratalia transversa (Brachiopoda) provides insights into the diversification of larval apical organs and the spiralian nervous system. EvoDevo 3:3, open access.

• Santagata, S. (2011). Evaluating neurophylogenetic patterns in the larval nervous systems of brachiopods and their evolutionary significance to other bilaterian phyla. J Morphol 272:1153-1169.

• Santagata, S. and Cohen, B. L. (2009). Phoronid phylogenetics (Brachiopoda; Phoronata): evidence from morphological cladistics, small and large subunit rDNA sequences, and mitochondrial cox1. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 157: 34-50.

• Santagata, S. (2009). The Phoronida of the Gulf of Mexico. Chapter 65 in: Gulf of Mexico--Origins, Waters, and Biota. Felder and Camp, editors. Texas A&M University Press.

• Santagata S. and Tunnell JW. Jr. (2009). The Brachiopoda of the Gulf of Mexico. Chapter 66 in: Gulf of Mexico--Origins, Waters, and Biota. Felder and Camp, editors. Texas A&M University Press.

• Santagata, S. et al. (2009). Concentrated sodium chloride brine solutions as an additional treatment for preventing the introduction of non-indigenous species in the ballast tanks of ships declaring no ballast on board. Environmental Toxicology & Chemistry 28: 346-353.

• Santagata, S. (2008). Evolutionary and structural diversification of the larval nervous system among marine bryozoans. Biological Bulletin 215: 3-23. Cover Photograph.