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Fragoso Vargas NA, Berthaume MA. Easy to gain but hard to lose: the evolution of the knee sesamoid bones in Primates-a systematic review and phylogenetic meta-analysis. Proc Biol Sci 2024; 291:20240774. [PMID: 39255841 PMCID: PMC11387069 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2024.0774] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2024] [Revised: 06/28/2024] [Accepted: 07/22/2024] [Indexed: 09/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Sesamoids are variably present skeletal elements found in tendons and ligaments near joints. Variability in sesamoid size, location and presence/absence is hypothesized to enable skeletal innovation, yet sesamoids are often ignored. Three knee sesamoids-the cyamella, medial fabella and lateral fabella-are present in primates, but we know little about how they evolved, if they are skeletal innovations, or why they are largely missing from Hominoidea. Our phylogenetic comparative analyses suggest that sesamoid presence/absence is highly phylogenetically structured and contains phylogenetic signal. Models suggest that it is easy to gain but difficult/impossible to lose knee sesamoids and that the fabellae may have similar developmental/evolutionary pathways that are distinct from the cyamella. Sesamoid presence/absence is uncorrelated to the mode of locomotion, suggesting that sesamoid biomechanical function may require information beyond sesamoid presence, such as size and location. Ancestral state reconstructions were largely uninformative but highlighted how reconstructions using parsimony can differ from those that are phylogenetically informed. Interestingly, there may be two ways to evolve fabellae, with humans evolving fabellae differently from most other primates. We hypothesize that the 're-emergence' of the lateral fabella in humans may be correlated with the evolution of a unique developmental pathway, potentially correlated with the evolution of straight-legged, bipedal locomotion.
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Dobreva MP, Camacho J, Abzhanov A. Time to synchronize our clocks: Connecting developmental mechanisms and evolutionary consequences of heterochrony. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL ZOOLOGY. PART B, MOLECULAR AND DEVELOPMENTAL EVOLUTION 2022; 338:87-106. [PMID: 34826199 DOI: 10.1002/jez.b.23103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2021] [Revised: 09/27/2021] [Accepted: 10/12/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Heterochrony, defined as a change in the timing of developmental events altering the course of evolution, was first recognized by Ernst Haeckel in 1866. Haeckel's original definition was meant to explain the observed parallels between ontogeny and phylogeny, but the interpretation of his work became a source of controversy over time. Heterochrony took its modern meaning following the now classical work in the 1970-80s by Steven J. Gould, Pere Alberch, and co-workers. Predicted and described heterochronic scenarios emphasize the many ways in which developmental changes can influence evolution. However, while important examples of heterochrony detected with comparative morphological methods have multiplied, the more mechanistic understanding of this phenomenon lagged conspicuously behind. Considering the rapid progress in imaging and molecular tools available now for developmental biologists, this review aims to stress the need to take heterochrony research to the next level. It is time to synchronize the different levels of heterochrony research into a single analysis flow: from studies on organismal-level morphology to cells to molecules and genes, using complementary techniques. To illustrate how to achieve a more comprehensive understanding of phyletic morphological diversification associated with heterochrony, we discuss several recent case studies at various phylogenetic scales that combine morphological, cellular, and molecular analyses. Such a synergistic approach offers to more fully integrate phylogenetic and ontogenetic dimensions of the fascinating evolutionary phenomenon of heterochrony.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jasmin Camacho
- Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, Missouri, USA
| | - Arkhat Abzhanov
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, Ascot, UK
- Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, London, UK
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Howenstine AO, Sadier A, Anthwal N, Lau CL, Sears KE. Non-model systems in mammalian forelimb evo-devo. Curr Opin Genet Dev 2021; 69:65-71. [PMID: 33684847 PMCID: PMC8364859 DOI: 10.1016/j.gde.2021.01.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2020] [Revised: 01/26/2021] [Accepted: 01/28/2021] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Mammal forelimbs are highly diverse, ranging from the elongated wing of a bat to the stout limb of the mole. The mammal forelimb has been a long-standing system for the study of early developmental patterning, proportional variation, shape change, and the reduction of elements. However, most of this work has been performed in mice, which neglects the wide variation present across mammal forelimbs. This review emphasizes the critical role of non-model systems in limb evo-devo and highlights new emerging models and their potential. We discuss the role of gene networks in limb evolution, and touch on functional analyses that lay the groundwork for further developmental studies. Mammal limb evo-devo is a rich field, and here we aim to synthesize the findings of key recent works and the questions to which they lead.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aidan O Howenstine
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, United States
| | - Alexa Sadier
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, United States
| | - Neal Anthwal
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, United States; Centre for Craniofacial and Regenerative Biology, King's CollegeLondon, 27th Floor Guy's Tower, London, SE1 9RT, UK
| | - Clive Lf Lau
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, United States
| | - Karen E Sears
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, United States.
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Kavanagh KD, Bailey CS, Sears KE. Evidence of five digits in embryonic horses and developmental stabilization of tetrapod digit number. Proc Biol Sci 2020; 287:20192756. [PMID: 32019446 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2019.2756] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Previous work comparing the developmental mechanisms involved in digit reduction in horses with other mammals reported that horses have only a 'single digit', with two flanking metapodials identified as remnants of digit II and IV. Here we show that early Equus embryos go through a stage with five digit condensations, and that the flanking splint metapodials result from fusions of the two anterior digits I and II and the two posterior digits IV and V, in a striking parallel between ontogeny and phylogeny. Given that even this most extreme case of digit reduction exhibits primary pentadactyly, we re-examined the initial stages of digit condensation of all digit-reduced tetrapods where data are available and found that in all cases, five or four digits initiate (four with digit I missing). The persistent pentadactyl initiation in the horse and other digit-reduced modern taxa underscores a durable developmental stability at the initiation of digits. The digit evodevo model may help illuminate the biological circumstances under which organ systems become highly stabilized versus highly plastic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathryn D Kavanagh
- Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, Dartmouth, MA, USA
| | - C Scott Bailey
- Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27607, USA
| | - Karen E Sears
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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Hartstone-Rose A, Dickinson E, Boettcher ML, Herrel A. A primate with a Panda's thumb: The anatomy of the pseudothumb of Daubentonia madagascariensis. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2019; 171:8-16. [PMID: 31633197 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.23936] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2019] [Revised: 08/08/2019] [Accepted: 09/11/2019] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Accessory digits have evolved independently within several mammalian lineages. Most notable among these is the pseudothumb of the giant panda, which has long been considered one of the most extraordinary examples of contingent evolution. To date, no primate has been documented to possess such an adaptation. Here, we investigate the presence of this structure within the aye-aye (Daubentonia madagascariensis), a species renowned for several other specialized morphological adaptations in the hand, including a morphologically unique third digit. MATERIALS AND METHODS We combine physical dissection techniques with digital imaging processes across a sample of seven individuals (six adults and one immature individual) to describe and visualize the anatomy of the wrist and hand within the aye-aye. RESULTS A distinct pseudothumb, which consists of both a bony component (an expanded radial sesamoid) and a dense cartilaginous extension (the "prepollex") was observed in all specimens. We demonstrate that this pseudodigit receives muscular attachments from three muscles, which collectively have the potential to enable abduction, adduction, and opposition. Finally, we demonstrate that the pseudothumb possesses its own distinct pad within the palm, complete with independent dermatoglyphs. DISCUSSION Pseudothumbs have been suggested to improve palmar dexterity in taxa with overly -generalized first digits (e.g., pandas) and to widen the hand for digging (e.g., some fossorial moles), but the aye-aye's pseudothumb represents what we believe is a heretofore unrecognized third functional role: its accessory digit compensates for overspecialization of its fingers for non-gripping functions (in this case, the aye-aye's unique "tap foraging" practices).
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam Hartstone-Rose
- Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina
| | - Edwin Dickinson
- Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina
| | - Marissa L Boettcher
- Department of Biological Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina
| | - Anthony Herrel
- UMR7179 CNRS/MNHN, Department Adaptations du Vivant, Paris, France
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Echeverría AI, Abdala V, Longo MV, Vassallo AI. Functional morphology and identity of the thenar pad in the subterranean genus Ctenomys (Rodentia, Caviomorpha). J Anat 2019; 235:940-952. [PMID: 31373388 DOI: 10.1111/joa.13049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/02/2019] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
As in many other fossorial tetrapods, the most obvious adaptations to scratch-digging in the subterranean tuco-tuco (Rodentia, Ctenomyidae, Ctenomys) are found in the hands, which among other adaptations, present the mesaxonic condition; i.e. the central digits are more developed, and also their claws, which are curved and elongated. The thumb is atrophied and aligned with the rest of the digits, showing a small and flat claw. This configuration of digits and claws seems to be in accordance with what it is expected for rodents: rudimentary movements when handling food items. However, on the palmar side of the hand, tuco-tucos have several pads, the thenar (located under the thumb) being the most developed. In this study, we investigated the functional morphology of the thenar pad through different approaches: musculoskeletal anatomy, histology and functionality. The analysis of radiographs and clarified and double-stained hand samples of Ctenomys talarum and C. australis showed that the thenar pad is supported by a paddle-shaped bone that articulates with a protrusion in the scapholunate bone. This bone, flat and long, continues in a flat cartilaginous structure, with a shape similar to a claw. Dissections showed that the thenar pad has several associated muscles: the m. palmaris longus, the m. abductor pollicis longus, and a massive muscular complex located between the thumb and the thenar pad. By topology it might be inferred that this complex is formed by the m. abductor pollicis brevis, the m. flexor pollicis brevis and the m. adductor pollicis brevis. Longitudinal histological sections of the thenar pad stained with hematoxylin-eosin showed a thick layer of keratin at the distal end, external face. The observation of live specimens of C. talarum foraging on two food items of different size and filmed at 300 fps showed that the thenar pad acts as an opposable thumb, with digit-like movements. Tuco-tucos are able to perform more precise movements than expected, and to grasp and manipulate the food with one hand. In previous studies, it was suggested that the thenar pad was supported by a 'palmar ossicle', or 'prepollex' (= radial sesamoid bone). Our results suggest that this sesamoid underwent a radical change on its morphology, making the thenar pad a part of the food handling system in Ctenomys, so the thenar pad might be considered a 'false thumb', rather than a palmar pad. It is suggested to advance on the description and functional analysis of the thenar pad, redefining the structure, since the terms used so far to define it would not be accurate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alejandra Isabel Echeverría
- Grupo Morfología Funcional y Comportamiento, Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras (IIMyC, UNMdP-CONICET), Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata (UNMdP), Mar del Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina.,Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Mar del Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Virginia Abdala
- Instituto de Biodiversidad Neotropical (IBN, UNT-CONICET), Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Tucumán (UNT), Tucumán, Argentina
| | - María Victoria Longo
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Mar del Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina.,Grupo Histología e Histoquímica, Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras (IIMyC, UNMdP-CONICET), Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata (UNMdP), Mar del Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Aldo Iván Vassallo
- Grupo Morfología Funcional y Comportamiento, Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras (IIMyC, UNMdP-CONICET), Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata (UNMdP), Mar del Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina.,Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Mar del Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina
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7
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Abdala V, Vera MC, Amador LI, Fontanarrosa G, Fratani J, Ponssa ML. Sesamoids in tetrapods: the origin of new skeletal morphologies. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2019; 94:2011-2032. [PMID: 31359608 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12546] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2019] [Revised: 06/24/2019] [Accepted: 06/26/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Along with supernumerary bones, sesamoids, defined as any organized intratendinous/intraligamentous structure, including those composed of fibrocartilage, adjacent to an articulation or joint, have been frequently considered as enigmatic structures associated with the joints of the skeletal system of vertebrates. This review allows us to propose a dynamic model to account for part of skeletal phenotypic diversity: during evolution, sesamoids can become displaced, attaching to and detaching from the long bone epiphyses and diaphysis. Epiphyses, apophyses and detached sesamoids are able to transform into each other, contributing to the phenotypic variability of the tetrapod skeleton. This dynamic model is a new paradigm to delineate the contribution of sesamoids to skeletal diversity. Herein, we first present a historical approach to the study of sesamoids, discussing the genetic versus epigenetic theories of their genesis and growth. Second, we construct a dynamic model. Third, we present a summary of literature on sesamoids of the main groups of tetrapods, including veterinary and human clinical contributions, which are the best-studied aspects of sesamoids in recent decades. Finally, we discuss the identity of certain structures that have been labelled as sesamoids despite insufficient formal testing of homology. We also propose a new definition to help the identification of sesamoids in general. This review is particularly timely, given the recent increasing interest and research activity into the developmental biology and mechanics of sesamoids. With this updated and integrative discussion, we hope to pave the way to improve the understanding of sesamoid biology and evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Virginia Abdala
- Cátedra de Biología General, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales e IML, UNT, Miguel Lillo 205, 4000, San Miguel de Tucumán, Argentina.,Instituto de Biodiversidad Neotropical, CONICET- UNT, Horco Molle s/n Yerba Buena, 4107, Tucumán, Argentina
| | - Miriam C Vera
- Instituto de Biología Subtropical (CONICET-UNaM), Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Químicas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Misiones, Félix de Azara 1552, CPA N3300LQF, Posadas, Argentina
| | - Lucila I Amador
- Unidad Ejecutora Lillo, FML-CONICET, Miguel Lillo 251, 4000, San Miguel de Tucumán, Argentina
| | - Gabriela Fontanarrosa
- Instituto de Biodiversidad Neotropical, CONICET- UNT, Horco Molle s/n Yerba Buena, 4107, Tucumán, Argentina
| | - Jessica Fratani
- Unidad Ejecutora Lillo, FML-CONICET, Miguel Lillo 251, 4000, San Miguel de Tucumán, Argentina
| | - María L Ponssa
- Unidad Ejecutora Lillo, FML-CONICET, Miguel Lillo 251, 4000, San Miguel de Tucumán, Argentina
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8
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Cordero GA, Liu H, Wimalanathan K, Weber R, Quinteros K, Janzen FJ. Gene network variation and alternative paths to convergent evolution in turtles. Evol Dev 2018; 20:172-185. [DOI: 10.1111/ede.12264] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Gerardo A. Cordero
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal BiologyIowa State UniversityAmesIowa
| | - Haibo Liu
- Program in Bioinformatics and Computational BiologyIowa State UniversityAmesIowa
| | | | - Rachel Weber
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal BiologyIowa State UniversityAmesIowa
| | - Kevin Quinteros
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal BiologyIowa State UniversityAmesIowa
| | - Fredric J. Janzen
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal BiologyIowa State UniversityAmesIowa
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9
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Bard JBL. Tinkering and the Origins of Heritable Anatomical Variation in Vertebrates. BIOLOGY 2018; 7:E20. [PMID: 29495378 PMCID: PMC5872046 DOI: 10.3390/biology7010020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2017] [Revised: 02/16/2018] [Accepted: 02/18/2018] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Evolutionary change comes from natural and other forms of selection acting on existing anatomical and physiological variants. While much is known about selection, little is known about the details of how genetic mutation leads to the range of heritable anatomical variants that are present within any population. This paper takes a systems-based view to explore how genomic mutation in vertebrate genomes works its way upwards, though changes to proteins, protein networks, and cell phenotypes to produce variants in anatomical detail. The evidence used in this approach mainly derives from analysing anatomical change in adult vertebrates and the protein networks that drive tissue formation in embryos. The former indicate which processes drive variation-these are mainly patterning, timing, and growth-and the latter their molecular basis. The paper then examines the effects of mutation and genetic drift on these processes, the nature of the resulting heritable phenotypic variation within a population, and the experimental evidence on the speed with which new variants can appear under selection. The discussion considers whether this speed is adequate to explain the observed rate of evolutionary change or whether other non-canonical, adaptive mechanisms of heritable mutation are needed. The evidence to hand suggests that they are not, for vertebrate evolution at least.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan B L Bard
- Department of Anatomy, Physiology & Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford OX313QX, UK.
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10
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Tickle C, Towers M. Sonic Hedgehog Signaling in Limb Development. Front Cell Dev Biol 2017; 5:14. [PMID: 28293554 PMCID: PMC5328949 DOI: 10.3389/fcell.2017.00014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 108] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2016] [Accepted: 02/08/2017] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The gene encoding the secreted protein Sonic hedgehog (Shh) is expressed in the polarizing region (or zone of polarizing activity), a small group of mesenchyme cells at the posterior margin of the vertebrate limb bud. Detailed analyses have revealed that Shh has the properties of the long sought after polarizing region morphogen that specifies positional values across the antero-posterior axis (e.g., thumb to little finger axis) of the limb. Shh has also been shown to control the width of the limb bud by stimulating mesenchyme cell proliferation and by regulating the antero-posterior length of the apical ectodermal ridge, the signaling region required for limb bud outgrowth and the laying down of structures along the proximo-distal axis (e.g., shoulder to digits axis) of the limb. It has been shown that Shh signaling can specify antero-posterior positional values in limb buds in both a concentration- (paracrine) and time-dependent (autocrine) fashion. Currently there are several models for how Shh specifies positional values over time in the limb buds of chick and mouse embryos and how this is integrated with growth. Extensive work has elucidated downstream transcriptional targets of Shh signaling. Nevertheless, it remains unclear how antero-posterior positional values are encoded and then interpreted to give the particular structure appropriate to that position, for example, the type of digit. A distant cis-regulatory enhancer controls limb-bud-specific expression of Shh and the discovery of increasing numbers of interacting transcription factors indicate complex spatiotemporal regulation. Altered Shh signaling is implicated in clinical conditions with congenital limb defects and in the evolution of the morphological diversity of vertebrate limbs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cheryll Tickle
- Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of BathBath, UK
| | - Matthew Towers
- Department of Biomedical Science, The Bateson Centre, University of SheffieldWestern Bank, Sheffield, UK
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11
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Bickelmann C, van der Vos W, de Bakker MAG, Jiménez R, Maas S, Sánchez-Villagra MR. Hoxgene expression in the specialized limbs of the Iberian mole (Talpa occidentalis). Evol Dev 2017; 19:3-8. [DOI: 10.1111/ede.12216] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Constanze Bickelmann
- Museum für Naturkunde; Leibniz-Institut für Evolutions- und Biodiversitätsforschung; Invalidenstrasse 43 10115 Berlin Germany
- Paläontologisches Institut und Museum; University of Zurich; Karl-Schmid-Strasse 4 8006 Zurich Switzerland
| | - Wessel van der Vos
- Museum für Naturkunde; Leibniz-Institut für Evolutions- und Biodiversitätsforschung; Invalidenstrasse 43 10115 Berlin Germany
- Institute of Biology Leiden; Leiden University; Sylviusweg 70 2333 BE Leiden The Netherlands
| | - Merijn A. G. de Bakker
- Institute of Biology Leiden; Leiden University; Sylviusweg 70 2333 BE Leiden The Netherlands
| | - Rafael Jiménez
- Departamento de Génetica; University of Granada; Avenida del Conocimiento Granada Armilla 18100 Spain
| | - Saskia Maas
- Central Animal Facility; Leiden University Medical Center Leiden; 2300 RC Leiden The Netherlands
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12
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Lin Y, Chappuis A, Rice S, Dumont ER. The effects of soil compactness on the burrowing performance of sympatric eastern and hairy‐tailed moles. J Zool (1987) 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/jzo.12418] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Y.‐F. Lin
- Graduate Program in Organismic and Evolutionary Biology University of Massachusetts Amherst Amherst MA USA
| | - A. Chappuis
- Department of Biology Commonwealth Honors College University of Massachusetts Amherst Amherst MA USA
| | - S. Rice
- Department of Biology Commonwealth Honors College University of Massachusetts Amherst Amherst MA USA
| | - E. R. Dumont
- Department of Biology University of Massachusetts Amherst Amherst MA USA
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13
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Oyston JW, Hughes M, Wagner PJ, Gerber S, Wills MA. What limits the morphological disparity of clades? Interface Focus 2015; 5:20150042. [PMID: 26640649 DOI: 10.1098/rsfs.2015.0042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The morphological disparity of species within major clades shows a variety of trajectory patterns through evolutionary time. However, there is a significant tendency for groups to reach their maximum disparity relatively early in their histories, even while their species richness or diversity is comparatively low. This pattern of early high-disparity suggests that there are internal constraints (e.g. developmental pleiotropy) or external restrictions (e.g. ecological competition) upon the variety of morphologies that can subsequently evolve. It has also been demonstrated that the rate of evolution of new character states decreases in most clades through time (character saturation), as does the rate of origination of novel bodyplans and higher taxa. Here, we tested whether there was a simple relationship between the level or rate of character state exhaustion and the shape of a clade's disparity profile: specifically, its centre of gravity (CG). In a sample of 93 extinct major clades, most showed some degree of exhaustion, but all continued to evolve new states up until their extinction. Projection of states/steps curves suggested that clades realized an average of 60% of their inferred maximum numbers of states. Despite a weak but significant correlation between overall levels of homoplasy and the CG of clade disparity profiles, there were no significant relationships between any of our indices of exhaustion curve shape and the clade disparity CG. Clades showing early high-disparity were no more likely to have early character saturation than those with maximum disparity late in their evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jack W Oyston
- The Milner Centre for Evolution , Department of Biology & Biochemistry, University of Bath , Bath BA2 7AY , UK
| | - Martin Hughes
- Department of Life Sciences , The Natural History Museum , London SW7 5BD , UK
| | - Peter J Wagner
- Department of Paleobiology, National Museum of Natural History , Smithsonian Institution , Washington, DC 20013-7012 , USA
| | - Sylvain Gerber
- Department of Earth Sciences , University of Cambridge , Cambridge CB2 3EQ , UK
| | - Matthew A Wills
- The Milner Centre for Evolution , Department of Biology & Biochemistry, University of Bath , Bath BA2 7AY , UK
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14
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Hayashi S, Kobayashi T, Yano T, Kamiyama N, Egawa S, Seki R, Takizawa K, Okabe M, Yokoyama H, Tamura K. Evidence for an amphibian sixth digit. ZOOLOGICAL LETTERS 2015; 1:17. [PMID: 26605062 PMCID: PMC4657212 DOI: 10.1186/s40851-015-0019-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2014] [Accepted: 05/26/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Despite the great diversity in digit morphology reflecting the adaptation of tetrapods to their lifestyle, the number of digits in extant tetrapod species is conservatively stabilized at five or less, which is known as the pentadactyl constraint. RESULTS We found that an anuran amphibian species, Xenopus tropicalis (western clawed frog), has a clawed protrusion anteroventral to digit I on the foot. To identify the nature of the anterior-most clawed protrusion, we examined its morphology, tissue composition, development, and gene expression. We demonstrated that the protrusion in the X. tropicalis hindlimb is the sixth digit, as is evident from anatomical features, development, and molecular marker expression. CONCLUSION Identification of the sixth digit in the X. tropicalis hindlimb strongly suggests that the prehallux in other Xenopus species with similar morphology and at the same position as the sixth digit is also a vestigial digit. We propose here that the prehallux seen in various species of amphibians generally represents a rudimentary sixth digit.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shinichi Hayashi
- />Department of Developmental Biology and Neurosciences, Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University, Sendai, 980-8578 Japan
| | - Takuya Kobayashi
- />Department of Developmental Biology and Neurosciences, Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University, Sendai, 980-8578 Japan
| | - Tohru Yano
- />Department of Anatomy, The Jikei University School of Medicine, Tokyo, 105-8461 Japan
| | - Namiko Kamiyama
- />Department of Developmental Biology and Neurosciences, Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University, Sendai, 980-8578 Japan
| | - Shiro Egawa
- />Department of Developmental Biology and Neurosciences, Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University, Sendai, 980-8578 Japan
| | - Ryohei Seki
- />Department of Developmental Biology and Neurosciences, Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University, Sendai, 980-8578 Japan
- />Mammalian Genetics Laboratory, Genetic Strains Research Center, National Institute of Genetics, 1111 Yata, Mishima, Shizuoka 411-8540 Japan
| | - Kazuki Takizawa
- />Department of Developmental Biology and Neurosciences, Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University, Sendai, 980-8578 Japan
| | - Masataka Okabe
- />Department of Anatomy, The Jikei University School of Medicine, Tokyo, 105-8461 Japan
| | - Hitoshi Yokoyama
- />Department of Developmental Biology and Neurosciences, Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University, Sendai, 980-8578 Japan
- />Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Agriculture and Life Science, Hirosaki University, Hirosaki, 036-8561 Japan
| | - Koji Tamura
- />Department of Developmental Biology and Neurosciences, Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University, Sendai, 980-8578 Japan
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15
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Porto A, Sebastião H, Pavan SE, VandeBerg JL, Marroig G, Cheverud JM. Rate of evolutionary change in cranial morphology of the marsupial genus Monodelphis is constrained by the availability of additive genetic variation. J Evol Biol 2015; 28:973-85. [PMID: 25818173 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.12628] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2014] [Revised: 03/18/2015] [Accepted: 03/20/2015] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
We tested the hypothesis that the rate of marsupial cranial evolution is dependent on the distribution of genetic variation in multivariate space. To do so, we carried out a genetic analysis of cranial morphological variation in laboratory strains of Monodelphis domestica and used estimates of genetic covariation to analyse the morphological diversification of the Monodelphis brevicaudata species group. We found that within-species genetic variation is concentrated in only a few axes of the morphospace and that this strong genetic covariation influenced the rate of morphological diversification of the brevicaudata group, with between-species divergence occurring fastest when occurring along the genetic line of least resistance. Accounting for the geometric distribution of genetic variation also increased our ability to detect the selective regimen underlying species diversification, with several instances of selection only being detected when genetic covariances were taken into account. Therefore, this work directly links patterns of genetic covariation among traits to macroevolutionary patterns of morphological divergence. Our findings also suggest that the limited distribution of Monodelphis species in morphospace is the result of a complex interplay between the limited dimensionality of available genetic variation and strong stabilizing selection along two major axes of genetic variation.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Porto
- Department of Biology, Washington University in St Louis, St Louis, MO, USA
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16
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Bard J. Generating anatomical variation through mutations in networks - implications for evolution. J Anat 2014; 225:123-31. [PMID: 24934180 DOI: 10.1111/joa.12205] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/30/2014] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Genetic mutation leads to anatomical variation only indirectly because many proteins involved in generating anatomical structures in embryos operate cooperatively within molecular networks. These include gene-regulatory or control networks (CNs) for timing, signaling and patterning together with the process networks (PNs) for proliferation, apoptosis, differentiation and morphogenesis that they control. This paper argues that anatomical variation is achieved through a two-stage process: mutation alters the outputs of CNs and perhaps the proliferation network, and such changed outputs alter the ways that PNs construct tissues. This systems-biology approach has several implications: first, because networks contain many cooperating proteins, they amplify the effects of genetic variation so enabling mutation to generate a wider range of phenotypes than a single changed protein acting alone could. Second, this amplification helps explain how novel phenotypes can be produced relatively rapidly. Third, because even organisms with novel anatomical phenotypes derive from variants in standard networks, there is no genetic barrier to their producing viable offspring. This approach also clarifies a terminological difficulty: classical evolutionary genetics views genes in terms of phenotype heritability rather than as DNA sequences. This paper suggests that the molecular phenotype of the classical concept of a gene is often a protein network, with a mutation leading to an alteration in that network's dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan Bard
- Department of Physiology, Anatomy & Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
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17
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On the Unique Perspective of Paleontology in the Study of Developmental Evolution and Biases. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2013. [DOI: 10.1007/s13752-013-0115-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
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18
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Reno PL, Horton WE, Lovejoy CO. Metapodial or phalanx? An evolutionary and developmental perspective on the homology of the first ray's proximal segment. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL ZOOLOGY PART B-MOLECULAR AND DEVELOPMENTAL EVOLUTION 2013; 320:276-85. [PMID: 23640850 DOI: 10.1002/jez.b.22506] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2013] [Revised: 03/29/2013] [Accepted: 04/01/2013] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
The first mammalian metapodial (MP1) has periodically been argued to actually be a phalanx, because the first ray has one less element than the four posterior rays, and because the MP1 growth plate is proximal like those of all phalanges, rather than distal as in metapodials 2-5. However, growth plates are formed at both ends in non-therian tetrapod metapodials, and phylogenetic analysis demonstrates that growth plate loss is a therian synapomorphy that postdates the establishment of the mammalian phalangeal formula. These data, along with results of developmental and morphological studies, suggest that the MP1 is not a phalanx. The singular, proximal growth plates in MPs 2-5 are likely to be an adaptation to dynamic erect quadrupedal gait which was characterized by conversion of the posterior metapodials into rigid struts with the carpus/tarsus. While the adaptive significance of the reversed ossification of MP1 is less clear, we present three functional/developmental hypotheses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philip L Reno
- Department of Anthropology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA.
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19
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Bickelmann C, Jiménez R, Richardson MK, Sánchez-Villagra MR. Humerus development in moles (Talpidae, Mammalia). ACTA ZOOL-STOCKHOLM 2013. [DOI: 10.1111/azo.12024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Constanze Bickelmann
- Paleontological Museum and Institute; University of Zurich; Karl-Schmid-Strasse 4 Zurich 8006 Switzerland
| | - Rafael Jiménez
- Departamento de Genética; Universidad de Granada; Avenida del Conocimiento Granada, Armilla 18100 Spain
| | - Michael K. Richardson
- Institute of Biology; University of Leiden; Sylviusweg 72 Leiden 2333 BE The Netherlands
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20
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Prochel J, Begall S, Burda H. Morphology of the carpal region in some rodents with special emphasis on hystricognaths. ACTA ZOOL-STOCKHOLM 2013. [DOI: 10.1111/azo.12022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jan Prochel
- Zoologisches Institut; Spezielle Zoologie; Universität Tübingen; Auf der Morgenstelle 28 72076 Tübingen Germany
| | - Sabine Begall
- Abteilung Allgemeine Zoologie; Fakultät für Biologie; Universität Duisburg-Essen; Universitätsstr. 5 45141 Essen Germany
| | - Hynek Burda
- Abteilung Allgemeine Zoologie; Fakultät für Biologie; Universität Duisburg-Essen; Universitätsstr. 5 45141 Essen Germany
- Department of Forest Protection and Wildlife Management; Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences; Czech University of Life Sciences; 16521 Praha 6 Czech Republic
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21
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Sánchez-Villagra MR. Why are There Fewer Marsupials than Placentals? On the Relevance of Geography and Physiology to Evolutionary Patterns of Mammalian Diversity and Disparity. J MAMM EVOL 2012. [DOI: 10.1007/s10914-012-9220-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
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22
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Bickelmann C, Mitgutsch C, Richardson MK, Jiménez R, de Bakker MA, Sánchez-Villagra MR. Transcriptional heterochrony in talpid mole autopods. EvoDevo 2012; 3:16. [PMID: 22873211 PMCID: PMC3441920 DOI: 10.1186/2041-9139-3-16] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2012] [Accepted: 07/04/2012] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Talpid moles show many specializations in their adult skeleton linked to fossoriality, including enlarged hands when compared to the feet. Heterochrony in developmental mechanisms is hypothesized to account for morphological evolution in skeletal elements. Methods The temporal and spatial distribution of SOX9 expression, which is an early marker of chondrification, is analyzed in autopods of the fossorial Iberian mole Talpa occidentalis, as well as in shrew (Cryptotis parva) and mouse (Mus musculus) for comparison. Results and discussion SOX9 expression is advanced in the forelimb compared to the hind limb in the talpid mole. In contrast, in the shrew and the mouse, which do not show fossorial specializations in their autopods, it is synchronous. We provide evidence that transcriptional heterochrony affects the development of talpid autopods, an example of developmental penetrance. We discuss our data in the light of earlier reported pattern heterochrony and later morphological variation in talpid limbs. Conclusion Transcriptional heterochrony in SOX9 expression is found in talpid autopods, which is likely to account for pattern heterochrony in chondral limb development as well as size variation in adult fore- and hind limbs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Constanze Bickelmann
- Paläontologisches Institut und Museum, Universität Zürich, Karl-Schmid-Strasse 4, Zürich 8006, Switzerland.
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23
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Werneburg I, Tzika AC, Hautier L, Asher RJ, Milinkovitch MC, Sánchez-Villagra MR. Development and embryonic staging in non-model organisms: the case of an afrotherian mammal. J Anat 2012; 222:2-18. [PMID: 22537021 DOI: 10.1111/j.1469-7580.2012.01509.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Studies of evolutionary developmental biology commonly use 'model organisms' such as fruit flies or mice, and questions are often functional or epigenetic. Phylogenetic investigations, in contrast, typically use species that are less common and mostly deal with broad scale analyses in the tree of life. However, important evolutionary transformations have taken place at all taxonomic levels, resulting in such diverse forms as elephants and shrews. To understand the mechanisms underlying morphological diversification, broader sampling and comparative approaches are paramount. Using a simple, standardized protocol, we describe for the first time the development of soft tissues and some parts of the skeleton, using μCT-imaging of developmental series of Echinops telfairi and Tenrec ecaudatus, two tenrecid afrotherian mammals. The developmental timing of soft tissue and skeletal characters described for the tenrecids is briefly compared with that of other mammals, including mouse, echidna, and the opossum. We found relatively few heterochronic differences in development in the armadillo vs. tenrec, consistent with a close relationship of Xenarthra and Afrotheria. Ossification in T. ecaudatus continues well into the second half of overall gestation, resembling the pattern seen in other small mammals and differing markedly from the advanced state of ossification evident early in the gestation of elephants, sheep, and humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ingmar Werneburg
- Paläontologisches Institut und Museum, Universität Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
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24
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Koyabu D, Endo H, Mitgutsch C, Suwa G, Catania KC, Zollikofer CPE, Oda SI, Koyasu K, Ando M, Sánchez-Villagra MR. Heterochrony and developmental modularity of cranial osteogenesis in lipotyphlan mammals. EvoDevo 2011; 2:21. [PMID: 22040374 PMCID: PMC3247175 DOI: 10.1186/2041-9139-2-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2011] [Accepted: 11/01/2011] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Here we provide the most comprehensive study to date on the cranial ossification sequence in Lipotyphla, the group which includes shrews, moles and hedgehogs. This unique group, which encapsulates diverse ecological modes, such as terrestrial, subterranean, and aquatic lifestyles, is used to examine the evolutionary lability of cranial osteogenesis and to investigate the modularity of development. RESULTS An acceleration of developmental timing of the vomeronasal complex has occurred in the common ancestor of moles. However, ossification of the nasal bone has shifted late in the more terrestrial shrew mole. Among the lipotyphlans, sequence heterochrony shows no significant association with modules derived from developmental origins (that is, neural crest cells vs. mesoderm derived parts) or with those derived from ossification modes (that is, dermal vs. endochondral ossification). CONCLUSIONS The drastic acceleration of vomeronasal development in moles is most likely coupled with the increased importance of the rostrum for digging and its use as a specialized tactile surface, both fossorial adaptations. The late development of the nasal in shrew moles, a condition also displayed by hedgehogs and shrews, is suggested to be the result of an ecological reversal to terrestrial lifestyle and reduced functional importance of the rostrum. As an overall pattern in lipotyphlans, our results reject the hypothesis that ossification sequence heterochrony occurs in modular fashion when considering the developmental patterns of the skull. We suggest that shifts in the cranial ossification sequence are not evolutionarily constrained by developmental origins or mode of ossification.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daisuke Koyabu
- Paläontologisches Institut und Museum, Universität Zürich, Karl Schmid-Strasse 4, CH-8006 Zürich, Switzerland
- The University Museum, The University of Tokyo, Hongo 7-3-1, Bunkyo-ku, 113-0033 Tokyo, Japan
| | - Hideki Endo
- The University Museum, The University of Tokyo, Hongo 7-3-1, Bunkyo-ku, 113-0033 Tokyo, Japan
| | - Christian Mitgutsch
- Paläontologisches Institut und Museum, Universität Zürich, Karl Schmid-Strasse 4, CH-8006 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Gen Suwa
- The University Museum, The University of Tokyo, Hongo 7-3-1, Bunkyo-ku, 113-0033 Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kenneth C Catania
- Department of Biological Sciences, Vanderbilt University, VU Station B, Box 35-1634, Nashville, USA
| | - Christoph PE Zollikofer
- Anthropologisches Institut, Universität Zürich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Sen-ichi Oda
- Department of Zoology, Okayama University of Science, Ridaichou, Kita-ku, 700-0005 Okayama, Japan
| | - Kazuhiko Koyasu
- The Second Department of Anatomy, School of Dentistry, Aichi-Gakuin University, Kusumotochou 1-100, 464-8650 Nagoya, Japan
| | - Motokazu Ando
- Faculty of Agriculture, Tokyo University of Agriculture, Funako 1737, 243-0034 Atsugi, Japan
| | - Marcelo R Sánchez-Villagra
- Paläontologisches Institut und Museum, Universität Zürich, Karl Schmid-Strasse 4, CH-8006 Zürich, Switzerland
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