Giovanna Zaniolo (Figure 1a,b) is a researcher who has made significant contributions to the study of the tunicate Botryllus schlosseri in Italy, as part of a flourishing national community with a rich history dating back to the eighteenth century (Manni et al., 2019). Born in 1942 in Vicenza (Italy), Zaniolo enrolled in Biological Science at the University of Padova (Italy) in the early 1960s. She graduated in 1967 with a thesis titled “Observations on the maturation, fertilization and first developmental stages of the Botryllus egg (Ascidiacea)” (Zaniolo, 1967; Figure 1c–e; Figure 2a–e). Her mentor during this period was Armando Sabbadin, professor emeritus of the University of Padova (Figure 1b). Shortly after completing her degree, Zaniolo joined the Comparative Anatomy Laboratory at the University of Padova, as a lab assistant. Within 2 years she advanced to the position of lab technician and in 1974 she became an assistant professor of Comparative Anatomy of Vertebrates. In 2002 she achieved the rank of full professor. Zaniolo primarily taught Comparative Anatomy of Vertebrates where she demonstrated her passion for the subject. She was a dedicated teacher, devoted and rigorous evolutionary biologist, and from the early days of her academic career she enthusiastically joined the budding field of Evolutionary and Developmental Biology (Evo-Devo).
