1
|
Gai Z, Li Q, Ferrón HG, Keating JN, Wang J, Donoghue PCJ, Zhu M. Galeaspid anatomy and the origin of vertebrate paired appendages. Nature 2022; 609:959-963. [PMID: 36171376 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-022-04897-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2021] [Accepted: 05/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Paired fins are a major innovation1,2 that evolved in the jawed vertebrate lineage after divergence from living jawless vertebrates3. Extinct jawless armoured stem gnathostomes show a diversity of paired body-wall extensions, ranging from skeletal processes to simple flaps4. By contrast, osteostracans (a sister group to jawed vertebrates) are interpreted to have the first true paired appendages in a pectoral position, with pelvic appendages evolving later in association with jaws5. Here we show, on the basis of articulated remains of Tujiaaspis vividus from the Silurian period of China, that galeaspids (a sister group to both osteostracans and jawed vertebrates) possessed three unpaired dorsal fins, an approximately symmetrical hypochordal tail and a pair of continuous, branchial-to-caudal ventrolateral fins. The ventrolateral fins are similar to paired fin flaps in other stem gnathostomes, and specifically to the ventrolateral ridges of cephalaspid osteostracans that also possess differentiated pectoral fins. The ventrolateral fins are compatible with aspects of the fin-fold hypothesis for the origin of vertebrate paired appendages6-10. Galeaspids have a precursor condition to osteostracans and jawed vertebrates in which paired fins arose initially as continuous pectoral-pelvic lateral fins that our computed fluid-dynamics experiments show passively generated lift. Only later in the stem lineage to osteostracans and jawed vertebrates did pectoral fins differentiate anteriorly. This later differentiation was followed by restriction of the remaining field of fin competence to a pelvic position, facilitating active propulsion and steering.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zhikun Gai
- Key CAS Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origins, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Beijing, China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Life and Paleoenvironment, Beijing, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Qiang Li
- Key CAS Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origins, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Beijing, China
- Research Center of Natural History and Culture, Qujing Normal University, Qujing, China
| | - Humberto G Ferrón
- Bristol Palaeobiology Group, School of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
- Instituto Cavanilles de Biodiversidad i Biología Evolutiva, Universitat de València, Valencia, Spain
| | - Joseph N Keating
- Bristol Palaeobiology Group, School of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Junqing Wang
- Key CAS Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origins, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Beijing, China
| | - Philip C J Donoghue
- Bristol Palaeobiology Group, School of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.
| | - Min Zhu
- Key CAS Laboratory of Vertebrate Evolution and Human Origins, Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Beijing, China.
- CAS Center for Excellence in Life and Paleoenvironment, Beijing, China.
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Whittington CM, Van Dyke JU, Liang SQT, Edwards SV, Shine R, Thompson MB, Grueber CE. Understanding the evolution of viviparity using intraspecific variation in reproductive mode and transitional forms of pregnancy. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2022; 97:1179-1192. [PMID: 35098647 PMCID: PMC9064913 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12836] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2021] [Revised: 01/18/2022] [Accepted: 01/20/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
How innovations such as vision, flight and pregnancy evolve is a central question in evolutionary biology. Examination of transitional (intermediate) forms of these traits can help address this question, but these intermediate phenotypes are very rare in extant species. Here we explore the biology and evolution of transitional forms of pregnancy that are midway between the ancestral state of oviparity (egg-laying) and the derived state, viviparity (live birth). Transitional forms of pregnancy occur in only three vertebrates, all of which are lizard species that also display intraspecific variation in reproductive phenotype. In these lizards (Lerista bougainvillii, Saiphos equalis, and Zootoca vivipara), geographic variation of three reproductive forms occurs within a single species: oviparity, viviparity, and a transitional form of pregnancy. This phenomenon offers the valuable prospect of watching 'evolution in action'. In these species, it is possible to conduct comparative research using different reproductive forms that are not confounded by speciation, and are of relatively recent origin. We identify major proximate and ultimate questions that can be addressed in these species, and the genetic and genomic tools that can help us understand how transitional forms of pregnancy are produced, despite predicted fitness costs. We argue that these taxa represent an excellent prospect for understanding the major evolutionary shift between egg-laying and live birth, which is a fundamental innovation in the history of animals.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Camilla M. Whittington
- School of Life and Environmental SciencesThe University of SydneyHeydon‐Laurence Building A08SydneyNSW2006
| | - James U. Van Dyke
- Department of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, School of Molecular SciencesLa Trobe UniversityBuilding 4WodongaVIC3689Australia
| | - Stephanie Q. T. Liang
- School of Life and Environmental SciencesThe University of SydneyHeydon‐Laurence Building A08SydneyNSW2006
| | - Scott V. Edwards
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary BiologyHarvard University, and Museum of Comparative ZoologyCambridgeMA02138U.S.A.
| | - Richard Shine
- Department of Biological SciencesMacquarie UniversityNorth RydeNSW2109Australia
| | - Michael B. Thompson
- School of Life and Environmental SciencesThe University of SydneyHeydon‐Laurence Building A08SydneyNSW2006
| | - Catherine E. Grueber
- School of Life and Environmental SciencesThe University of SydneyHeydon‐Laurence Building A08SydneyNSW2006
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Yasuoka Y. Enhancer evolution in chordates: Lessons from functional analyses of cephalochordate cis‐regulatory modules. Dev Growth Differ 2020; 62:279-300. [DOI: 10.1111/dgd.12684] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2020] [Revised: 05/25/2020] [Accepted: 05/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Yuuri Yasuoka
- Laboratory for Comprehensive Genomic Analysis RIKEN Center for Integrative Medical Sciences Tsurumi‐ku Japan
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Filowitz GL, Rajakumar R, O’Shaughnessy KL, Cohn MJ. Cartilaginous Fishes Provide Insights into the Origin, Diversification, and Sexually Dimorphic Expression of Vertebrate Estrogen Receptor Genes. Mol Biol Evol 2018; 35:2695-2701. [DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msy165] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Grant L Filowitz
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, UF Genetics Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL
| | - Rajendhran Rajakumar
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, UF Genetics Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL
| | - Katherine L O’Shaughnessy
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, UF Genetics Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL
| | - Martin J Cohn
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, UF Genetics Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL
- Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Wood TWP, Nakamura T. Problems in Fish-to-Tetrapod Transition: Genetic Expeditions Into Old Specimens. Front Cell Dev Biol 2018; 6:70. [PMID: 30062096 PMCID: PMC6054942 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2018.00070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2018] [Accepted: 06/15/2018] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The fish-to-tetrapod transition is one of the fundamental problems in evolutionary biology. A significant amount of paleontological data has revealed the morphological trajectories of skeletons, such as those of the skull, vertebrae, and appendages in vertebrate history. Shifts in bone differentiation, from dermal to endochondral bones, are key to explaining skeletal transformations during the transition from water to land. However, the genetic underpinnings underlying the evolution of dermal and endochondral bones are largely missing. Recent genetic approaches utilizing model organisms—zebrafish, frogs, chickens, and mice—reveal the molecular mechanisms underlying vertebrate skeletal development and provide new insights for how the skeletal system has evolved. Currently, our experimental horizons to test evolutionary hypotheses are being expanded to non-model organisms with state-of-the-art techniques in molecular biology and imaging. An integration of functional genomics, developmental genetics, and high-resolution CT scanning into evolutionary inquiries allows us to reevaluate our understanding of old specimens. Here, we summarize the current perspectives in genetic programs underlying the development and evolution of the dermal skull roof, shoulder girdle, and appendages. The ratio shifts of dermal and endochondral bones, and its underlying mechanisms, during the fish-to-tetrapod transition are particularly emphasized. Recent studies have suggested the novel cell origins of dermal bones, and the interchangeability between dermal and endochondral bones, obscuring the ontogenetic distinction of these two types of bones. Assimilation of ontogenetic knowledge of dermal and endochondral bones from different structures demands revisions of the prevalent consensus in the evolutionary mechanisms of vertebrate skeletal shifts.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Thomas W P Wood
- Department of Genetics, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ, United States
| | - Tetsuya Nakamura
- Department of Genetics, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ, United States
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
A conserved Shh cis-regulatory module highlights a common developmental origin of unpaired and paired fins. Nat Genet 2018; 50:504-509. [PMID: 29556077 PMCID: PMC5896732 DOI: 10.1038/s41588-018-0080-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2017] [Accepted: 02/02/2018] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Despite their evolutionary, developmental, and functional importance the origin of vertebrate paired appendages remains uncertain. In mice, a single enhancer termed ZRS is solely responsible for Shh expression in limbs. Here, zebrafish and mouse transgenic assays trace the functional equivalence of ZRS across the gnathostome phylogeny. CRISPR/Cas9-mediated deletion of the medaka-ZRS and enhancer assays reveal the existence of ZRS shadow enhancers in both teleost and human genomes. Deletion of both ZRS and shadow ZRS abolish shh expression and completely truncate pectoral fin formation. Strikingly, deletion of ZRS results in an almost complete ablation of the dorsal fin. This finding indicates that a ZRS-Shh regulatory module is shared by paired and median fins, and that paired fins likely emerged by the co‐option of developmental programs established in the median fins of stem gnathostomes. Shh function was later reinforced in pectoral fin development with the recruitment of shadow enhancers, conferring additional robustness.
Collapse
|
7
|
Sheth R, Barozzi I, Langlais D, Osterwalder M, Nemec S, Carlson HL, Stadler HS, Visel A, Drouin J, Kmita M. Distal Limb Patterning Requires Modulation of cis-Regulatory Activities by HOX13. Cell Rep 2017; 17:2913-2926. [PMID: 27974206 PMCID: PMC5697718 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2016.11.039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2016] [Revised: 11/08/2016] [Accepted: 11/11/2016] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
The combinatorial expression of Hox genes along the body axes is a major determinant of cell fate and plays a pivotal role in generating the animal body plan. Loss of HOXA13 and HOXD13 transcription factors (HOX13) leads to digit agenesis in mice, but how HOX13 proteins regulate transcriptional outcomes and confer identity to the distal-most limb cells has remained elusive. Here, we report on the genome-wide profiling of HOXA13 and HOXD13 in vivo binding and changes of the transcriptome and chromatin state in the transition from the early to the late-distal limb developmental program, as well as in Hoxa13−/−; Hoxd13−/−limbs. Our results show that proper termination of the early limb transcriptional program and activation of the late-distal limb program are coordinated by the dual action of HOX13 on cis-regulatory modules.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rushikesh Sheth
- Laboratory of Genetics and Development, Institut de Recherches Cliniques de Montréal (IRCM), 110 avenue des Pins Ouest, Montréal, QC H2W1R7, Canada.
| | - Iros Barozzi
- Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - David Langlais
- Department of Biochemistry, McGill University, 3649 Promenade Sir-William-Osler, Montréal, H3G0B1 QC, Canada
| | | | - Stephen Nemec
- Laboratory of Molecular Genetics, Institut de Recherches Cliniques de Montréal (IRCM), 110 avenue des Pins Ouest, Montréal, H2W1R7 QC, Canada
| | - Hanqian L Carlson
- Department of Skeletal Biology, Shriners Hospital for Children, 3101 SW Sam Jackson Park Road, Portland, OR 97239, USA
| | - H Scott Stadler
- Department of Skeletal Biology, Shriners Hospital for Children, 3101 SW Sam Jackson Park Road, Portland, OR 97239, USA
| | - Axel Visel
- Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA; U.S. Department of Energy Joint Genome Institute, Walnut Creek, CA 94598, USA; School of Natural Sciences, University of California, Merced, CA 95340, USA
| | - Jacques Drouin
- Laboratory of Molecular Genetics, Institut de Recherches Cliniques de Montréal (IRCM), 110 avenue des Pins Ouest, Montréal, H2W1R7 QC, Canada; Department of Medicine, Université de Montréal, Montréal, H3T1J4 QC, Canada
| | - Marie Kmita
- Laboratory of Genetics and Development, Institut de Recherches Cliniques de Montréal (IRCM), 110 avenue des Pins Ouest, Montréal, QC H2W1R7, Canada; Department of Medicine, Université de Montréal, Montréal, H3T1J4 QC, Canada.
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Nemec S, Luxey M, Jain D, Huang Sung A, Pastinen T, Drouin J. Pitx1 directly modulates the core limb development program to implement hindlimb identity. Development 2017; 144:3325-3335. [PMID: 28807899 DOI: 10.1242/dev.154864] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2017] [Accepted: 08/04/2017] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Forelimbs (FLs) and hindlimbs (HLs) develop complex musculoskeletal structures that rely on the deployment of a conserved developmental program. Pitx1, a transcription factor gene with expression restricted to HL and absent from FL, plays an important role in generating HL features. The genomic mechanisms by which Pitx1 effects HL identity remain poorly understood. Here, we use expression profiling and analysis of direct Pitx1 targets to characterize the HL- and FL-restricted genetic programs in mouse and situate the Pitx1-dependent gene network within the context of limb-specific gene regulation. We show that Pitx1 is a crucial component of a narrow network of HL-restricted regulators, acting on a developmental program that is shared between FL and HL. Pitx1 targets sites that are in a similar chromatin state in FL and HL and controls expression of patterning genes as well as the chondrogenic program, consistent with impaired chondrogenesis in Pitx1-/- HL. These findings support a model in which multifactorial actions of a limited number of HL regulators redirect the generic limb development program in order to generate the unique structural features of the limb.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Stephen Nemec
- Institut de Recherches Cliniques de Montréal, Montréal, QC, H2W 1R7 Canada.,Department of Experimental Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, QC, H4A 3J1 Canada
| | - Maëva Luxey
- Institut de Recherches Cliniques de Montréal, Montréal, QC, H2W 1R7 Canada
| | - Deepak Jain
- Institut de Recherches Cliniques de Montréal, Montréal, QC, H2W 1R7 Canada.,Department of Biochemistry, McGill University, Montreal, QC, H3G 1Y6 Canada
| | - Aurélie Huang Sung
- Institut de Recherches Cliniques de Montréal, Montréal, QC, H2W 1R7 Canada
| | - Tomi Pastinen
- Department of Human Genetics, McGill University and Genome Quebec Innovation Centre, Montreal, QC, H3A 0G1 Canada
| | - Jacques Drouin
- Institut de Recherches Cliniques de Montréal, Montréal, QC, H2W 1R7 Canada .,Department of Experimental Medicine, McGill University, Montreal, QC, H4A 3J1 Canada.,Department of Biochemistry, McGill University, Montreal, QC, H3G 1Y6 Canada
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Jablonski D. Approaches to Macroevolution: 1. General Concepts and Origin of Variation. Evol Biol 2017; 44:427-450. [PMID: 29142333 PMCID: PMC5661017 DOI: 10.1007/s11692-017-9420-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2017] [Accepted: 05/26/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Approaches to macroevolution require integration of its two fundamental components, i.e. the origin and the sorting of variation, in a hierarchical framework. Macroevolution occurs in multiple currencies that are only loosely correlated, notably taxonomic diversity, morphological disparity, and functional variety. The origin of variation within this conceptual framework is increasingly understood in developmental terms, with the semi-hierarchical structure of gene regulatory networks (GRNs, used here in a broad sense incorporating not just the genetic circuitry per se but the factors controlling the timing and location of gene expression and repression), the non-linear relation between magnitude of genetic change and the phenotypic results, the evolutionary potential of co-opting existing GRNs, and developmental responsiveness to nongenetic signals (i.e. epigenetics and plasticity), all requiring modification of standard microevolutionary models, and rendering difficult any simple definition of evolutionary novelty. The developmental factors underlying macroevolution create anisotropic probabilities-i.e., an uneven density distribution-of evolutionary change around any given phenotypic starting point, and the potential for coordinated changes among traits that can accommodate change via epigenetic mechanisms. From this standpoint, "punctuated equilibrium" and "phyletic gradualism" simply represent two cells in a matrix of evolutionary models of phenotypic change, and the origin of trends and evolutionary novelty are not simply functions of ecological opportunity. Over long timescales, contingency becomes especially important, and can be viewed in terms of macroevolutionary lags (the temporal separation between the origin of a trait or clade and subsequent diversification); such lags can arise by several mechanisms: as geological or phylogenetic artifacts, or when diversifications require synergistic interactions among traits, or between traits and external events. The temporal and spatial patterns of the origins of evolutionary novelties are a challenge to macroevolutionary theory; individual events can be described retrospectively, but a general model relating development, genetics, and ecology is needed. An accompanying paper (Jablonski in Evol Biol 2017) reviews diversity dynamics and the sorting of variation, with some general conclusions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- David Jablonski
- Department of Geophysical Sciences, University of Chicago, 5734 South Ellis Avenue, Chicago, IL 60637 USA
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Tickle C, Urrutia AO. Perspectives on the history of evo-devo and the contemporary research landscape in the genomics era. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2017; 372:20150473. [PMID: 27994116 PMCID: PMC5182407 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2015.0473] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/01/2016] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
A fundamental question in biology is how the extraordinary range of living organisms arose. In this theme issue, we celebrate how evolutionary studies on the origins of morphological diversity have changed over the past 350 years since the first publication of the Philosophical Transactions of The Royal Society Current understanding of this topic is enriched by many disciplines, including anatomy, palaeontology, developmental biology, genetics and genomics. Development is central because it is the means by which genetic information of an organism is translated into morphology. The discovery of the genetic basis of development has revealed how changes in form can be inherited, leading to the emergence of the field known as evolutionary developmental biology (evo-devo). Recent approaches include imaging, quantitative morphometrics and, in particular, genomics, which brings a new dimension. Articles in this issue illustrate the contemporary evo-devo field by considering general principles emerging from genomics and how this and other approaches are applied to specific questions about the evolution of major transitions and innovations in morphology, diversification and modification of structures, intraspecific morphological variation and developmental plasticity. Current approaches enable a much broader range of organisms to be studied, thus building a better appreciation of the origins of morphological diversity.This article is part of the themed issue 'Evo-devo in the genomics era, and the origins of morphological diversity'.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Cheryll Tickle
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Bath, Bath BA2 7AY, UK
| | - Araxi O Urrutia
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Bath, Bath BA2 7AY, UK
- Milner Centre for Evolution, University of Bath, Bath BA2 7AY, UK
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Abstract
The diversification of paired appendages has been a major factor in the evolutionary radiation of vertebrates. Despite its importance, an understanding of the origin of paired appendages has remained elusive. To address this problem, we focused on T-box transcription factor 5 (Tbx5), a gene indispensable for pectoral appendage initiation and development. Comparison of gene expression in jawless and jawed vertebrates reveals that the Tbx5 expression in jawed vertebrates is derived in having an expression domain that extends caudal to the heart and gills. Chromatin profiling, phylogenetic footprinting, and functional assays enabled the identification of a Tbx5 fin enhancer associated with this apomorphic pattern of expression. Comparative functional analysis of reporter constructs reveals that this enhancer activity is evolutionarily conserved among jawed vertebrates and is able to rescue the finless phenotype of tbx5a mutant zebrafish. Taking paleontological evidence of early vertebrates into account, our results suggest that the gain of apomorphic patterns of Tbx5 expression and regulation likely contributed to the morphological transition from a finless to finned condition at the base of the vertebrate lineage.
Collapse
|
12
|
Marcellini S, González F, Sarrazin AF, Pabón-Mora N, Benítez M, Piñeyro-Nelson A, Rezende GL, Maldonado E, Schneider PN, Grizante MB, Da Fonseca RN, Vergara-Silva F, Suaza-Gaviria V, Zumajo-Cardona C, Zattara EE, Casasa S, Suárez-Baron H, Brown FD. Evolutionary Developmental Biology (Evo-Devo) Research in Latin America. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL ZOOLOGY PART B-MOLECULAR AND DEVELOPMENTAL EVOLUTION 2016; 328:5-40. [PMID: 27491339 DOI: 10.1002/jez.b.22687] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2016] [Revised: 06/16/2016] [Accepted: 06/20/2016] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Famous for its blind cavefish and Darwin's finches, Latin America is home to some of the richest biodiversity hotspots of our planet. The Latin American fauna and flora inspired and captivated naturalists from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, including such notable pioneers such as Fritz Müller, Florentino Ameghino, and Léon Croizat who made a significant contribution to the study of embryology and evolutionary thinking. But, what are the historical and present contributions of the Latin American scientific community to Evo-Devo? Here, we provide the first comprehensive overview of the Evo-Devo laboratories based in Latin America and describe current lines of research based on endemic species, focusing on body plans and patterning, systematics, physiology, computational modeling approaches, ecology, and domestication. Literature searches reveal that Evo-Devo in Latin America is still in its early days; while showing encouraging indicators of productivity, it has not stabilized yet, because it relies on few and sparsely distributed laboratories. Coping with the rapid changes in national scientific policies and contributing to solve social and health issues specific to each region are among the main challenges faced by Latin American researchers. The 2015 inaugural meeting of the Pan-American Society for Evolutionary Developmental Biology played a pivotal role in bringing together Latin American researchers eager to initiate and consolidate regional and worldwide collaborative networks. Such networks will undoubtedly advance research on the extremely high genetic and phenotypic biodiversity of Latin America, bound to be an almost infinite source of amazement and fascinating findings for the Evo-Devo community.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sylvain Marcellini
- Laboratorio de Desarrollo y Evolución, Departamento de Biología Celular, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad de Concepción, Concepción, Chile
| | - Favio González
- Facultad de Ciencias, Instituto de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá, Colombia
| | - Andres F Sarrazin
- Instituto de Química, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, Valparaíso, Chile
| | | | - Mariana Benítez
- Laboratorio Nacional de Ciencias de la Sostenibilidad, Instituto de Ecología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, México
| | - Alma Piñeyro-Nelson
- Departamento de Producción Agrícola y Animal, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana, Xochimilco, Ciudad de México, México
| | - Gustavo L Rezende
- Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense, CBB, LQFPP, Campos dos Goytacazes, RJ, Brazil
| | - Ernesto Maldonado
- EvoDevo Lab, Unidad de Sistemas Arrecifales, Instituto de Ciencias del Mar y Limnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Puerto Morelos, Quintana Roo, México
| | | | | | - Rodrigo Nunes Da Fonseca
- Núcleo em Ecologia e Desenvolvimento SócioAmbiental de Macaé (NUPEM), Campus Macaé, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Macae, RJ, Brazil
| | | | | | | | | | - Sofia Casasa
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA
| | | | - Federico D Brown
- Departamento de Zoologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Miyake T, Kumamoto M, Iwata M, Sato R, Okabe M, Koie H, Kumai N, Fujii K, Matsuzaki K, Nakamura C, Yamauchi S, Yoshida K, Yoshimura K, Komoda A, Uyeno T, Abe Y. The pectoral fin muscles of the coelacanthLatimeria chalumnae: Functional and evolutionary implications for the fin-to-limb transition and subsequent evolution of tetrapods. Anat Rec (Hoboken) 2016; 299:1203-23. [DOI: 10.1002/ar.23392] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2015] [Accepted: 05/25/2016] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Tsutomu Miyake
- The Graduate School of Science and Technology; Keio University; Tokyo Japan
- Department of Anatomy; The Jikei University School of Medicine; Tokyo Japan
| | | | | | - Ryuichi Sato
- Institute of Biomechanical Control Systems; Kanazawa Institute of Technology; Hakusan Japan
| | - Masataka Okabe
- Department of Anatomy; The Jikei University School of Medicine; Tokyo Japan
| | - Hiroshi Koie
- Department of Veterinary Medicine; Nihon University; Fujisawa Japan
| | - Nori Kumai
- Research Center of Computational Mechanics (RCCM), Inc; Tokyo Japan
| | - Kenichi Fujii
- Aquamarine Fukushima; Marine Science Museum; Iwaki Japan
| | - Koji Matsuzaki
- Aquamarine Fukushima; Marine Science Museum; Iwaki Japan
| | - Chiho Nakamura
- Aquamarine Fukushima; Marine Science Museum; Iwaki Japan
| | | | - Kosuke Yoshida
- Aquamarine Fukushima; Marine Science Museum; Iwaki Japan
| | | | - Akira Komoda
- Aquamarine Fukushima; Marine Science Museum; Iwaki Japan
| | - Teruya Uyeno
- National Museum of Nature and Science; Tokyo Japan
| | - Yoshitaka Abe
- Aquamarine Fukushima; Marine Science Museum; Iwaki Japan
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Nagashima H, Sugahara F, Watanabe K, Shibata M, Chiba A, Sato N. Developmental origin of the clavicle, and its implications for the evolution of the neck and the paired appendages in vertebrates. J Anat 2016; 229:536-48. [PMID: 27279028 DOI: 10.1111/joa.12502] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/06/2016] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
In fish, the pectoral appendage is adjacent to the head, but during vertebrate evolution a long neck region emerged via caudal relocation of the pectoral appendage. The pectoral appendage is comprised of endochondral portions, such as the humerus and the scapula, and a dermal portion, such as the clavicle, that contributes to the shoulder girdle. In the search for clues to the mechanism of the caudal relocation of the pectoral appendage, the cell lineage of the rostral lateral plate mesoderm was analyzed in chickens. It was found that, despite the long neck region in chickens, the origin of the clavicle attached to the head mesoderm ranged between 1 and 14 somite levels. Because the pectoral limb bud and the endochondral pectoral appendage developed on 15-20 and 15-24 somite levels, respectively, the clavicle-forming region corresponds to the embryonic neck, which suggests that the relocation would have been executed by the expansion of the source of the clavicle. The rostral portion of the clavicle-forming region overlaps the source of the cucullaris muscle, embraces the pharyngeal arches caudally, and can be experimentally replaced with the head mesoderm to form the cucullaris muscle, which implies that the mesodermal portion could have been the head mesoderm and that the clavicle would have developed at the head/trunk boundary. The link between the head mesoderm and the presumptive clavicle appears to have been the developmental constraint needed to create the evolutionarily conserved musculoskeletal connectivities characterizing the gnathostome neck. In this sense, the dermal girdle of the ganathostomes would represent the wall of the branchial chamber into which the endochondral pectoral appendage appears to have attached since its appearance in evolution.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hiroshi Nagashima
- Division of Gross Anatomy and Morphogenesis, Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata, Japan
| | - Fumiaki Sugahara
- Division of Biology, Hyogo College of Medicine, Nishinomiya, Hyogo, Japan
| | - Keisuke Watanabe
- Division of Gross Anatomy and Morphogenesis, Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata, Japan
| | - Masahiro Shibata
- Department of Morphological Sciences, Kagoshima University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Kagoshima, Japan
| | - Akina Chiba
- Division of Gross Anatomy and Morphogenesis, Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata, Japan
| | - Noboru Sato
- Division of Gross Anatomy and Morphogenesis, Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Gehrke AR, Shubin NH. Cis-regulatory programs in the development and evolution of vertebrate paired appendages. Semin Cell Dev Biol 2016; 57:31-39. [PMID: 26783722 DOI: 10.1016/j.semcdb.2016.01.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2015] [Revised: 01/07/2016] [Accepted: 01/11/2016] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
Differential gene expression is the core of development, mediating the genetic changes necessary for determining cell identity. The regulation of gene activity by cis-acting elements (e.g., enhancers) is a crucial mechanism for determining differential gene activity by precise control of gene expression in embryonic space and time. Modifications to regulatory regions can have profound impacts on phenotype, and therefore developmental and evolutionary biologists have increasingly focused on elucidating the transcriptional control of genes that build and pattern body plans. Here, we trace the evolutionary history of transcriptional control of three loci key to vertebrate appendage development (Fgf8, Shh, and HoxD/A). Within and across these regulatory modules, we find both complex and flexible regulation in contrast with more fixed enhancers that appear unchanged over vast timescales of vertebrate evolution. The transcriptional control of vertebrate appendage development was likely already incredibly complex in the common ancestor of fish, implying that subtle changes to regulatory networks were more likely responsible for alterations in phenotype rather than the de novo addition of whole regulatory domains. Finally, we discuss the dangers of relying on inter-species transgenesis when testing enhancer function, and call for more controlled regulatory swap experiments when inferring the evolutionary history of enhancer elements.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Andrew R Gehrke
- Department of Organismal Biology and Anatomy, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA.
| | - Neil H Shubin
- Department of Organismal Biology and Anatomy, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Fossil hominin shoulders support an African ape-like last common ancestor of humans and chimpanzees. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2015; 112:11829-34. [PMID: 26351685 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1511220112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Reconstructing the behavioral shifts that drove hominin evolution requires knowledge of the timing, magnitude, and direction of anatomical changes over the past ∼6-7 million years. These reconstructions depend on assumptions regarding the morphotype of the Homo-Pan last common ancestor (LCA). However, there is little consensus for the LCA, with proposed models ranging from African ape to orangutan or generalized Miocene ape-like. The ancestral state of the shoulder is of particular interest because it is functionally associated with important behavioral shifts in hominins, such as reduced arboreality, high-speed throwing, and tool use. However, previous morphometric analyses of both living and fossil taxa have yielded contradictory results. Here, we generated a 3D morphospace of ape and human scapular shape to plot evolutionary trajectories, predict ancestral morphologies, and directly test alternative evolutionary hypotheses using the hominin fossil evidence. We show that the most parsimonious model for the evolution of hominin shoulder shape starts with an African ape-like ancestral state. We propose that the shoulder evolved gradually along a single morphocline, achieving modern human-like configuration and function within the genus Homo. These data are consistent with a slow, progressive loss of arboreality and increased tool use throughout human evolution.
Collapse
|
17
|
The future of the fossil record: Paleontology in the 21st century. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2015; 112:4852-8. [PMID: 25901304 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1505146112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
|