A Morphospace Exploration Using a General Model of Development Reveals a Basic Set of Morphologies for Early Animal...

Area of Science:

• Developmental Biology
• Evolutionary Zoology
• Computational Biology

Background:

• Understanding the emergence of diverse animal morphologies during evolution is a fundamental zoological question.
• Previous approaches often lack a mechanistic link between genetic regulation and observable form.
• Developmental processes are driven by genetic control over cell properties and behaviors.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose a novel approach to evolutionary morphology based on first developmental principles.
• To identify which basic animal morphologies are developmentally plausible given simple genetic regulation.
• To explore the relationship between genetic networks, cell behaviors, and emergent morphologies.

Main Methods:

• Utilized EmbryoMaker, a computational model simulating gene networks regulating cell properties (adhesion, contraction) and interactions.
• Initiated simulations with spherical conditions representing anterior and dorsal territories.
• Systematically altered cell properties and behaviors within simulated territories to observe resulting morphologies.

Main Results:

• Identified a set of basic, developmentally possible animal morphologies.
• Simulations suggest elongation, invagination, evagination, condensation, and anisotropic growth are probable morphogenetic outcomes.
• Observed parallels between simulated morphologies and those of simple animals, early developmental stages, and fossil records.

Conclusions:

• Morphogenesis is fundamentally linked to the genetic regulation of cell properties and behaviors.
• Simple changes in cell properties can lead to a range of basic animal forms.
• This developmental modeling approach provides insights into the evolutionary possibilities of early animal life.