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Cell size versus body size in geophilomorph centipedes
Marco Moretto1, Alessandro Minelli, Giuseppe Fusco
1Department of Biology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy.
Die Naturwissenschaften
|March 27, 2015
Summary
Epidermal cell size varies significantly across centipede species, but it does not correlate with body size evolution. Cell size appears to be a taxon-specific trait, not a primary driver of body size changes in these arthropods.
Area of Science:
- Evolutionary Biology
- Comparative Zoology
- Developmental Biology
Background:
- Animal body size variation results from cell number and cell size.
- Cell size's role in body size evolution is understudied in comparative analyses.
- Centipedes (Geophilomorpha) exhibit a wide range of body sizes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the correlation between epidermal cell size and body size in geophilomorph centipedes.
- To determine if cell size is a significant factor in the evolutionary diversification of centipede body size.
Main Methods:
- Examined epidermal cell size using cuticle micro-sculptures (scutes) in 29 geophilomorph centipede species.
- Analyzed variation in scute area across different taxonomic levels (suprageneric, generic, within-species).
- Performed regression analyses correlating scute area with body size and segment number.
Main Results:
- Significant variation in average scute area was observed between and within higher taxa, indicating taxon-specific cell sizes.
- Neither body size nor the number of leg-bearing segments explained the variation in scute area.
- Miniaturized species showed scute sizes within the expected range for their lineage.
Conclusions:
- Average epidermal cell size is largely taxon-specific in geophilomorph centipedes.
- Cell size is not a primary target for body size evolution in this group of arthropods.
- Recent evolutionary transitions to smaller body sizes are not necessarily linked to changes in epidermal cell size.
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