Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 17, 2026
08:25
Imaging and Analysis of Tissue Orientation and Growth Dynamics in the Developing Drosophila Epithelia During Pupal Stages
Published on: June 2, 2020
Developmental plasticity and the evolution of animal complex life cycles
Alessandro Minelli1, Giuseppe Fusco
1Department of Biology, University of Padova, Via U. Bassi 58/B, I-35131 Padova, Italy. alessandro.minelli@unipd.it
Summary
Complex animal life cycles may evolve through genetic assimilation of environmentally triggered phenotypes. Comparing developmental stages and alternative phenotypes can reveal evolutionary mechanisms driving phenotypic diversity.
Area of Science:
- Evolutionary biology
- Developmental biology
- Genetics
Background:
- Metazoan life cycles exhibit complexity with sequential phenotypes and reproductive events.
- Phenotypic and reproductive choices depend on organismal and environmental factors.
- Phenotypic variation is common in many animal species.
Purpose of the Study:
- To hypothesize that diverse phenotypes in animal life cycles evolve via genetic assimilation.
- To explore the role of environmental cues in triggering alternative phenotypes.
- To investigate the developmental mechanisms underlying phenotypic plasticity.
Main Methods:
- Comparing transcription profiles across different life cycle stages.
- Analyzing alternative phenotypes in closely related polyphenic animals.
- Evaluating developmental mechanisms of phenotype change and alternative phenotype determination.
Main Results:
- Similarities observed between developmental mechanisms for phenotype change and alternative phenotype determination.
- Common ecological conditions favor both forms of phenotypic variation.
- Transcription profile comparisons are proposed for evidence gathering.
Conclusions:
- Genetic assimilation of environmentally induced alternative phenotypes is a plausible evolutionary pathway for complex life cycles.
- Developmental and environmental factors play crucial roles in shaping phenotypic diversity.
- Further research comparing transcription profiles will provide critical evidence.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
01:29Life Histories
Constrained by limited energy and resources, organisms must compromise between offspring quantity and parental investment. This trade-off is represented by two primary reproductive strategies; K-strategists produce few offspring but provide substantial parental support, whereas r-strategists produce much progeny that receives little care. These strategies are related to an organism’s survival likelihood across its lifespan, which is represented by a survivorship curve. Three general types of...
02:35What is Evolutionary History?
Scientists record evolutionary history by analyzing fossil, morphological, and genetic data. The fossil record documents the history of life on Earth and provides evidence for evolution. However, both fossil and living organisms offer evidence that outlines Earth’s evolutionary history.Phylogenetic trees illustrate the evolutionary relationships among these organisms. Scientists infer organisms’ common ancestry by evaluating shared morphological and genetic characteristics. Together, the fossil...
02:55The Evidence for Evolution
Genetic variations accumulating within populations over generations give rise to biological evolution. Evolutionary changes can result in the formation of novel varieties and entire new species. These changes are responsible for the diverse forms of life inhabiting the planet. The evidence for evolution suggests that all living organisms descended from common ancestors.The collection of fossils within sedimentary rocks give a record of common ancestry and often depicts the history of evolution.
02:22The Colonization of Land
Changes in the environment of the early Earth drove the evolution of organisms. As prokaryotic organisms in the oceans began to photosynthesize, they produced oxygen. Eventually, oxygen saturated the oceans and entered the air, resulting in an increase in atmospheric oxygen concentration, known as the oxygen revolution approximately 2.3 billion years ago. Therefore, organisms that could use oxygen for cellular respiration had an advantage. More than 1.5 years ago, eukaryotic cells and...
01:24Evolution of New Traits in Microbes
Microorganisms evolve rapidly due to their large population sizes and short generation times, often exhibiting measurable changes within days under laboratory conditions. Natural selection acts on standing genetic variation, enabling the retention and amplification of beneficial traits that confer fitness advantages in changing environments.Adaptive Pigment Regulation in RhodobacterIn Rhodobacter, a genus of purple non-sulfur bacteria, light-harvesting pigments such as bacteriochlorophyll and...
01:23Characteristics of Life
Biology is a natural science that studies life and living organisms, including their structure, function, development, interactions, evolution, distribution, and taxonomy. The field's scope is extensive and divided into several specialized disciplines, such as anatomy, physiology, ethology, genetics, and many more. All living things share a few key traits, including cellular organization, heritable genetic material and the ability to adapt/evolve, metabolism to regulate energy needs, the...