IngentaConnect Comparative methods in developmental biologyPresented at the 94th...

Authors: Richardson M.K.¹; Jeffery J.E.¹; Coates M.I.^{2, 3}; Bininda-Emonds O.R.P.¹

Source: Zoology, Volume 104, Numbers 3-4, February 2002 , pp. 278-283(6)

Abstract:

The need for a phylogenetic framework is becoming appreciated in many areas of biology. Such a framework has found limited use in developmental studies. Our current research program is therefore directed to applying comparative and phylogenetic methods to developmental data. In this paper, we examine the concepts underlying this work, discuss potential difficulties, and identify some solutions. While developmental biologists frequently make cross-species comparisons, they usually adopt a phenetic approach, whereby degrees of overall similarity in development are sought. Little emphasis is placed on reconstructing the evolutionary divergence in developmental characters. Indeed, developmental biologists have historically concentrated on apparently ‘conserved] or ‘universal] developmental mechanisms. Thus, there has been little need for phylogenetic methodologies which analyse specialised features shared only within a subset of species (i.e., synapomorphies). We discuss the potential value of such methodologies, and argue that difficulties in adapting them to developmental studies fall into three interlinked areas: One concerns the nature and definition of developmental characters. Another is the difficulty of identifying equivalent developmental stages in different species. Finally the phylogenetic non-independence of developmental characters presents real problems under some protocols. These problems are not resolved. However, it is clear that the application of phylogenetic methodology to developmental data is both necessary and fundamental to research into the relationship between evolution and development.

Keywords: phylogeny reconstruction; comparative embryology; evolution; development

Language: English

Document Type: Miscellaneous

DOI: 10.1078/0944-2006-00033

Affiliations: 1: Institute of Evolutionary and Ecological Sciences, Leiden University, The Netherlands 2: Biology Department, Darwin Building, University College London, UK 3: Current address: Dept. Organismal Biology and Anatomy, The University of Chicago, USA

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Comparative methods in developmental biologyPresented at the 94th Annual Meeting of the Deutsche Zoologische Gesellschaft in Osnabrück, June 4–8, 2001

Comparative methods in developmental biology
Presented at the 94th Annual Meeting of the Deutsche Zoologische Gesellschaft in Osnabrück, June 4–8, 2001