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Related Concept Videos

Synteny and Evolution02:31

Synteny and Evolution

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John H. Renwick first coined the term “synteny” in 1971, which refers to the genes present on the same chromosomes, even if they are not genetically linked. The species with common ancestry tend to show conserved syntenic regions. Therefore, the concept of synteny is nowadays used to describe the evolutionary relationship between species.
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The seminal work of Ohno in 1970 popularized the idea of gene duplication and divergence. DNA sequence comparison studies reveal that a large portion of the genes in bacteria, archaebacteria, and eukaryotes was  generated by gene duplication and divergence, indicating its critical role in evolution.
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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.
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Neurulation is the embryological process which forms the precursors of the central nervous system and occurs after gastrulation has established the three primary cell layers of the embryo: ectoderm, mesoderm, and endoderm. In humans, the majority of this system is formed via primary neurulation, in which the central portion of the ectoderm—originally appearing as a flat sheet of cells—folds upwards and inwards, sealing off to form a hollow neural tube. As development proceeds, the...
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Related Experiment Video

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Ex utero Electroporation and Whole Hemisphere Explants: A Simple Experimental Method for Studies of Early Cortical Development
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The evolution of cortical development: the synapsid-diapsid divergence.

Andre M Goffinet1

  • 1University of Louvain, Avenue Mounier, 73 Box B1.73.16, B1200 Brussels, Belgium angoffinet@uclouvain.be.

Development (Cambridge, England)
|November 16, 2017
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

The evolution of the cerebral cortex in mammals involved common amniote mechanisms and unique synapsid developments. Comparative neurobiology reveals insights into cortical development, neuronal migration, and folding.

Keywords:
Cajal-Retzius cellsCortical foldingNeural progenitorsNeural stem cellsReelin

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Area of Science:

  • Neurobiology
  • Evolutionary Biology
  • Comparative Anatomy

Background:

  • The cerebral cortex, crucial for cognition in higher mammals, features radially organized neuronal layers.
  • Understanding cortical development and evolution requires examining common and lineage-specific molecular mechanisms.
  • The cortex evolved divergently in synapsids (mammals) and diapsids (reptiles, birds) from stem amniotes.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review recent data on cortical neurogenesis, neuronal migration, and layer formation.
  • To analyze cortical folding in an evolutionary perspective.
  • To highlight key unanswered questions in comparative cortical development.

Main Methods:

  • Comparative studies across synapsid and diapsid lineages.
  • Review of recent research on neurogenesis and neuronal migration.
  • Analysis of cortical layer formation and folding mechanisms.

Main Results:

  • Common principles of cortical development may be inherited from stem amniotes.
  • Mammalian cortices exhibit unique features like increased size and multi-laminar organization post-divergence.
  • Cortical folding is a key evolutionary adaptation in mammals.

Conclusions:

  • Comparative studies reveal conserved and divergent mechanisms in cortical evolution.
  • Mammalian cortical expansion and folding are significant evolutionary innovations.
  • Further research is needed to address remaining questions in comparative neurobiology.