Projects per year
Personal profile
Biography
My research focuses on the origin and diversification of body plans found in the superphylum Panarthropoda (Arthropoda, Onychophora, Tardigrada)--a lineage renowned for its diversity of segmental body plans. In order to investigate body plan evolution in this lineage, I have built an integrative research program that combines comparative approaches to developmental genetics, genomics, and morphology. My approach allows me to reconstruct body plans of ancient panarthropod ancestors and elucidate the developmental changes that led to modern forms. My goal is to identify the developmental principles that govern the origin and diversification of segmented body plans. My recent studies have focused on the tardigrade Hypsibius dujardini. At UNF, I am continuing my investigations of H. dujardini and working to establish distant tardigrade relatives of this species for comparative studies.
Related documents
Education/Academic qualification
PhD, University of Connecticut
… → 2013
BS, University of Rhode Island
… → 2007
Projects
- 1 Finished
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RUI: Investigating tardigrade development to unravel the evolution of animal body plans
Smith, F. W. (PI)
2/1/20 → 1/31/24
Project: Research project
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Evolution: Molting regulation by ecdysone is conserved in Tardigrada
Smith, F. W., Dec 16 2024, In: Current Biology. 34, 24, p. R1225-R1227Research output: Contribution to journal › Commentary/debate › peer-review
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Expression of distal limb patterning genes in Hypsibius exemplaris indicate regionalization and suggest distal identity of tardigrade legs
Mapalo, M. A., Game, M., Smith, F. W. & Ortega-Hernández, J., Dec 2024, In: EvoDevo. 15, 1, p. 15 15.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open Access -
Cambrian lobopodians shed light on the origin of the tardigrade body plan
Kihm, J. H., Smith, F. W., Kim, S., Rho, H. S., Zhang, X., Liu, J. & Park, T. Y. S., Jul 11 2023, In: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 120, 28, e2211251120.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open Access -
Developmental and genomic insight into the origin of the tardigrade body plan
Smith, F. W., Game, M., Mapalo, M. A., Chavarria, R. A., Harrison, T. R. & Janssen, R., Sep 18 2023, In: Evolution and Development. 26, 4, p. e12457 e12457.Research output: Contribution to journal › Review article › peer-review
Open Access -
The embryonic origin of primordial germ cells in the tardigrade Hypsibius exemplaris
Heikes, K. L., Game, M., Smith, F. W. & Goldstein, B., May 2023, In: Developmental Biology. 497, p. 42-58 17 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open Access
Datasets
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Extensive loss of Wnt genes in Tardigrada
Chavarria, R. A. (Creator), Game, M. (Creator), Arbelaez, B. (Creator), Ramnarine, C. (Creator), Snow, Z. K. (Creator) & Smith, F. W. (Creator), figshare, 2021
DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.c.5767959.v1, https://springernature.figshare.com/collections/Extensive_loss_of_Wnt_genes_in_Tardigrada/5767959/1
Dataset
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Electronic supplementary material, table S1 from Loss of intermediate regions of perpendicular body axes contributed to miniaturization of tardigrades.
Game, M. (Creator) & Smith, F. W. (Creator), 2020
DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.12659422.v1, https://rs.figshare.com/articles/Electronic_supplementary_material_table_S1_from_Loss_of_intermediate_regions_of_perpendicular_body_axes_contributed_to_miniaturization_of_tardigrades_/12659422/1
Dataset
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MOESM5 of Analyses of nervous system patterning genes in the tardigrade Hypsibius exemplaris illuminate the evolution of panarthropod brains
Smith, F. W. (Creator), Cumming, M. (Creator) & Goldstein, B. (Creator), figshare, 2018
DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.6880124, https://springernature.figshare.com/articles/MOESM5_of_Analyses_of_nervous_system_patterning_genes_in_the_tardigrade_Hypsibius_exemplaris_illuminate_the_evolution_of_panarthropod_brains/6880124
Dataset
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Additional file 2 of Extensive loss of Wnt genes in Tardigrada
Chavarria, R. A. (Creator), Game, M. (Creator), Arbelaez, B. (Creator), Ramnarine, C. (Creator), Snow, Z. K. (Creator) & Smith, F. W. (Creator), figshare, 2021
DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.17696352.v1, https://springernature.figshare.com/articles/dataset/Additional_file_2_of_Extensive_loss_of_Wnt_genes_in_Tardigrada/17696352/1
Dataset
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Electronic supplementary material, figure S1 from Loss of intermediate regions of perpendicular body axes contributed to miniaturization of tardigrades.
Game, M. (Creator) & Smith, F. W. (Creator), 2020
DOI: 10.6084/m9.figshare.12659437.v1, https://rs.figshare.com/articles/Electronic_supplementary_material_figure_S1_from_Loss_of_intermediate_regions_of_perpendicular_body_axes_contributed_to_miniaturization_of_tardigrades_/12659437/1
Dataset