Peter Stadler, a professor of bioinformatics at the University of Leipzig in Germany, believes it is plausible that microRNAs, given their known role in gene regulation, could be responsible for the complex changes that took place between invertebrates and vertebrates. He is, however, not sure that they acted alone. "I would be reluctant to rely solely on gene phylogenies of a small number of microRNAs, given that there is still no definitive information on the relative timing of the lamprey–gnathostome [vertebrates with jaws] split and the two rounds of vertebrate-specific genome duplications," he says. "With more genomes becoming available for basal chordates [proto-vertebrates, like the sea squirt], it will be very interesting to elucidate in detail the interplay of genome duplications, protein innovations and restructuring of the microRNA inventory."

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