Fossils and plant evolution: structural fingerprints and modularity in the evo-devo paradigm

Area of Science:

• Paleobotany
• Evolutionary Developmental Biology (evo-devo)

Background:

• Fossils are crucial for testing evolutionary hypotheses derived from living organisms.
• Traditional methods focused on fossil sequences; newer approaches integrate developmental biology.
• Structural fingerprints, reflecting gene deployment during development, offer new insights.

Purpose of the Study:

• To demonstrate how integrating fossil data with developmental biology advances understanding of plant evolution.
• To highlight the utility of "structural fingerprints" within an evolutionary (paleo-evo-devo) framework.
• To discuss specific advances in understanding plant evolution through this integrated approach.

Main Methods:

• Tracking "structural fingerprints" and their underlying regulatory modules across fossil and extant plant lineages.
• Analyzing the role of specific developmental processes (e.g., auxin regulation, modularity) in evolutionary patterns.
• Applying an evolutionary developmental biology (evo-devo) framework to fossil data.

Main Results:

• Polar auxin regulation influences secondary xylem patterning and parallel evolution of arborescence.
• Modularity and hierarchical regulation are key to parallel evolution of leaves and venation patterns.
• Mosaic deployment of regulatory modules explains diverse secondary growth and reproductive morphology evolution.

Conclusions:

• Integrating plant fossils into the evo-devo paradigm significantly enhances understanding of evolutionary processes.
• This approach provides powerful insights into growth patterns, body plans, homology, and reproductive system evolution.
• Tracking structural fingerprints and regulatory modules across lineages is a robust method for studying plant evolution.