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Changing While Staying the Same: Preservation of Structural Continuity During Limb Evolution by Developmental

Rio Tsutsumi¹, Mai P Tran¹, Kimberly L Cooper¹

¹Division of Biological Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093-0380, USA.

Integrative and Comparative Biology

|October 10, 2017

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Evolutionary developmental biology explains complex structures like bat wings. Tissue interdependence and mechanical responsiveness during development simplify the genetic changes needed for evolution.

Area of Science:

Evolutionary developmental biology
Genetics
Morphological evolution

Background:

Darwin's theory of gradual evolution by natural selection struggles to explain the rapid emergence of complex structures.
The specific genetic mutations driving complex morphological evolution remain largely unidentified.

Purpose of the Study:

To explore how developmental genetics and tissue mechanics can reconcile gradual evolution with the sudden appearance of complex traits.
To investigate the role of tissue interdependence and mechanical responsiveness in limb development.

Main Methods:

Experimental manipulations in laboratory model systems.
Analysis of developmental genetics and tissue mechanics.

Main Results:

Related Experiment Videos

Findings suggest that tissue interdependence and mechanical responsiveness during limb development can reduce the genetic complexity required for significant structural changes.
This provides a framework for understanding how complex structures evolve gradually.

Conclusions:

Developmental processes, particularly tissue interdependence and mechanical feedback, offer a plausible mechanism for the evolution of complex structures.
This research bridges the gap between evolutionary theory and empirical evidence in evolutionary developmental biology.