Описание:The present course offers a thoroughgoing exploration of the field of invertebrate comparative embryology, with the aim of providing students with a comprehensive understanding of the diversity of developmental strategies observed across major animal phyla. The course will commence with the establishment of fundamental embryological concepts, including the processes of gametogenesis, fertilisation, and the intricacies of cleavage patterns and their implications for cell fate determination. The course will then proceed to examine different modes of gastrulation and the formation of germ layers, highlighting their variations and evolutionary significance. A substantial portion of the course will be devoted to the analysis of larval development, with a focus on the diverse array of larval forms encountered in invertebrates and their adaptations to specific ecological niches. The developmental processes of representative taxa will be examined, including the basal groups of Porifera, Ctenophora and Cnidaria, the spiralian groups of Annelida and Mollusca, the ecdysozoan development of Nematoda and Arthropoda, and the deuterostome development of Echinodermata and Tunicata. By comparing and contrasting these developmental pathways, we will explore how evolutionary pressures have shaped embryonic and larval morphogenesis, thereby illuminating the phylogenetic relationships between these invertebrate groups and their contribution to our broader understanding of Metazoan evolution. Furthermore, the course will emphasise the close relationship between the developmental biology of each group and its ecological context.