Inherency and homomorphy in the evolution of development

Area of Science:

• Developmental biology
• Biophysics
• Evolutionary developmental biology

Background:

• Organismal development relies on gene expression to generate physical forces shaping multicellular structures.
• Materials possess inherent morphological properties, with liquids and crystalline solids being well-studied.
• The evolution of animals (Metazoa) involved the acquisition of liquid-like and liquid-crystalline tissue properties.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore how material properties of developing tissues influence organismal form.
• To understand the physical basis for the evolution of complex animal bodies and organs.
• To investigate the mechanisms underlying homomorphy in descendent organisms.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of physical forces and material properties during multicellular development.
• Comparative study of developmental mechanisms across related organisms.
• Investigating the role of basal laminae in tissue stiffening and structural development.

Main Results:

• Developing animal tissues exhibit liquid-like and liquid-crystalline properties, distinct from their relatives.
• The capacity for stiff basal laminae production facilitated the formation of complex bodies and organs.
• Homomorphy arises from transformed developmental mechanisms, despite conserved structures.

Conclusions:

• The material nature of developing tissues is a key determinant of animal form and complexity.
• Evolutionary innovations in tissue material properties drove the origin of Metazoa.
• Homomorphy highlights the plasticity of developmental mechanisms in shaping biological structures.