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Evolution and development of the vertebrate neck.

Rolf Ericsson¹, Robert Knight, Zerina Johanson

¹Department of Palaeontology, Natural History Museum, London, UK. neoceratodus@gmail.com

Journal of Anatomy

|June 16, 2012

Summary

Vertebrate neck muscles like the cucullaris have diverse origins. Research in chicks shows cucullaris muscles derive from lateral plate mesoderm, unlike hypobranchials, prompting studies in basal vertebrates.

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Area of Science:

Developmental biology
Comparative anatomy
Evolutionary developmental biology

Background:

The vertebrate neck's functional evolution is linked to lobe-finned fishes, but neck muscles originated earlier.
Neck muscles include the cucullaris and hypobranchials, with distinct developmental origins observed in chick embryos.
The cucullaris muscle in chicks shows genetic similarities to head musculature, not trunk muscles.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the embryonic origin of the cucullaris muscle in basal vertebrates.
To determine if the cucullaris muscle originates from lateral plate mesoderm or somites in species like sharks and zebrafish.
To ascertain the ancestral condition of cucullaris muscle development in vertebrates.

Main Methods:

Comparative embryology
Analysis of gene expression patterns
Histological examination of muscle development in model organisms.

Main Results:

In chick embryos, hypobranchial muscles originate from somites.
Cucullaris muscles in chicks derive from anterior lateral plate mesoderm (associated with somites 1-3).
Genetic pathways for cucullaris development in chicks resemble those of head muscles.

Conclusions:

The cucullaris muscle's lateral plate mesoderm origin in chicks may represent an early vertebrate trait.
Investigating cucullaris development in basal vertebrates (sharks, zebrafish) is crucial for understanding its evolutionary history.
A lateral plate mesoderm origin for the cucullaris could imply co-evolution with the appendicular skeleton, enhancing head mobility.