Awesome micrographs

Veliger larva of the gastropod, Fusitriton oregonensis by Louise Page Posterior of juvenile kinorhynch, Pycnophyes kielensis by Andreas Schnidt-Rhaesa

Copulatory organs of the acoel, Haplocelis dichona by Matthew Hooge

All images & captions from here

These remarkable images are produced by Confocal Laser Scanning Microscopy and show what amazing detail modern technology can reveal.

The images were presented at a conference called 'The New Microscopy: Novel Characters and the Importance of Morphology in Phylogenetic Analysis'. Several papers from this conference are now avilable from the journal Integrative and Comparative Biology which seems to be open access. Lots of interesting stuff has appeared in that journal, the archives are well worth a browse.

Here are the relavent papers:

Neurophylogeny: Architecture of the nervous system and a fresh view on arthropod phyologeny

Neurogenesis in myriapods and chelicerates and its importance for understanding arthropod relationships

Postembryonic development of dorsoventral and longitudinal musculature in Pycnophyes kielensis (Kinorhyncha, Homalorhagida)

Modern insights on gastropod development: Reevaluation of the evolution of a novel body plan

Polychaete nervous systems: Ground pattern and variations--cLS microscopy and the importance of novel characteristics in phylogenetic analysis

Embryogenesis in the glass sponge Oopsacas minuta: Formation of syncytia by fusion of blastomeres

Novel methodology utilizing confocal laser scanning microscopy for systematic analysis in arthropods (Insecta)

Challenging received wisdoms: Some contributions of the new microscopy to the new animal phylogeny

Concordance of molecular and morphological data: The example of the Acoela

What a couple of dimensions can do for you: Comparative developmental studies using 4D microscopy--examples from tardigrade development