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Experimental Manipulation of Body Size to Estimate Morphological Scaling Relationships in Drosophila
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Morphogenetic evolution with physical influences.

Tzu-Yi Huang1, Steffen Lemke2, Yu-Chiun Wang1

  • 1Laboratory for Epithelial Morphogenesis, RIKEN Center for Biosystems Dynamics Research, Kobe, Japan.

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Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Physical mechanisms, not just genes, drive morphogenesis and evolution. A new model suggests physical factors may precede and shape genetic programs, facilitating evolutionary innovation.

Keywords:
Mechanical instabilitiesMorphogenetic phase transitionSelf-organizationStochasticity‘Leap-and-patch’ evolution‘Mechanics/physics-first’ evolution

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Area of Science:

  • Developmental Biology
  • Evolutionary Biology
  • Biophysics

Background:

  • Morphogenesis, the development of biological form, is traditionally attributed to genetic control.
  • Recent research highlights the significant role of physical mechanisms in parallel with, or independent of, genetic programs.
  • This interplay raises questions about the evolutionary influence of physical factors on morphogenesis.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the contribution of physical factors and mechanical processes to morphogenesis.
  • To explore whether physical mechanisms may have predated and influenced the evolution of genetic programs.
  • To propose a conceptual framework, the 'leap-and-patch' model, for understanding physical influences on evolutionary transitions.

Main Methods:

  • Review of empirical and theoretical studies on physical mechanisms in morphogenesis.
  • Analysis of conceptual frameworks for physical factors influencing evolutionary dynamics.
  • Development of the 'leap-and-patch' model to describe phenotypic shifts and genetic accommodation.

Main Results:

  • Physical factors are critical contributors to morphogenetic mechanisms.
  • Physical mechanisms may have played a role prior to and in shaping genetic programs.
  • The 'leap-and-patch' model illustrates how physical parameter changes can drive evolutionary innovation.

Conclusions:

  • Physical factors are integral to morphogenesis and may act as evolutionary facilitators.
  • Physical influences could precede genetic control, shaping evolutionary trajectories.
  • The 'leap-and-patch' model provides a new perspective on physical forces driving evolutionary transitions in biological form.