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Updated: Mar 1, 2026
08:07
A Morphometric and Cellular Analysis Method for the Murine Mandibular Condyle
Published on: January 11, 2018
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CORRELATED RESPONSE IN THE DEVELOPMENTAL CHOREOGRAPHIES OF THE MOUSE MANDIBLE TO SELECTION FOR BODY COMPOSITION
William R Atchley1, David E Cowley1, E J Eisen2
1Department of Genetics, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, 27695.
Summary
Selective breeding for fatness and leanness in mice significantly altered mandible development over 13 generations. These changes in growth patterns resulted in distinct mandible shapes and varied differences among mouse strains at different ages.
Area of Science:
- Evolutionary biology
- Developmental biology
- Animal genetics
Background:
- Understanding the genetic basis of complex traits like fatness and leanness is crucial.
- Investigating the developmental plasticity of skeletal traits in response to selection offers insights into evolutionary processes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the correlated responses of 11 mandible traits to 13 generations of selection for fatness and leanness in mice.
- To analyze the ontogenetic patterns of mandible growth and their alterations due to directional selection.
Main Methods:
- Utilized five selection lines (high fat, low fat, high lean, low lean) and a randomly selected control strain in mice.
- Analyzed 11 mandible traits across 13 generations, focusing on ontogenetic patterns and age-specific phenotypic covariances.
- Employed multivariate statistical analyses to assess temporal strain differences.
Main Results:
- Directional selection systematically altered mandible growth patterns compared to the control strain.
- Significant differences in mandible morphology emerged among strains, influenced by age-specific growth spurts (e.g., between 12-15 weeks in LF and LL strains).
- Phenotypically similar strains exhibited distinct yet correlated patterns of divergence, indicating multidimensional temporal differences.
Conclusions:
- Long-term selection for fatness and leanness profoundly impacts mandible development and morphology in mice.
- The study highlights the complex interplay between genetic selection, developmental timing, and phenotypic evolution.
- Mandible shape evolution is influenced by age-dependent growth modifications, leading to varied divergence patterns among selected lines.
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