Combining experimental embryology and geometric morphometrics to uncover the evolution of vertebral variability in Lake Malawi cichlids

结合实验胚胎学和几何形态测量学来揭示马拉维湖慈鲷脊椎变异的进化

基本信息

批准号：
2445747
负责人：
金额：
--
依托单位：
University of Oxford
依托单位国家：
英国
项目类别：
Studentship
财政年份：
2020
资助国家：
英国
起止时间：
2020 至无数据
项目状态：
未结题

来源：
https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=studentship-2445747
关键词：
Combining experimental embryology geometric morphometrics

项目摘要

The axial skeleton is of great functional importance for locomotion in vertebrates. Vertebrae are critical skeletal bones and have modified multiple times during the evolution of vertebrate animals. The evolutionary change of number, proportion (the ratio of one vertebrae type over another) and shape of vertebrae has been modified during vertebrate diversification to permit the emergence of varied body forms. For example, large numbers of thoracic (chest) vertebrae support the elongated body axis of snakes. In contrast, giraffes increase the growth-rate of their cervical (neck) vertebrae, relative to their other vertebrae, to support their extraordinarily long necks. Diverse vertebral counts and proportions are found in Lake Malawi cichlids, a morphologically, ecologically, and behaviourally diverse ray-finned fish family that have radiated from a single common ancestor over the last one million years. This is particularly remarkable given that Lake Malawi cichlids are extremely closely related, differing genetically by an average of just 0.19-0.27%, lower than genetic difference between human populations. Understanding how developmental mechanisms underpinning vertebral morphology have been modified, in a background with limited genetic variation and in short evolutionary time, is important in determining how vertebrates have evolved remarkable body plan diversity.The research falls into the following BBSRC priority areas:Data driven biologySystems approaches to the biosciences

轴向骨架对于脊椎动物的运动具有极大的功能重要性。椎骨是关键的骨骼骨骼，在脊椎动物进化过程中多次修饰。数量的进化变化，比例（一种椎骨与另一种椎骨的比率）和椎骨的形状在脊椎动物多样化期间已修改，以允许出现各种体形的形式。例如，大量的胸椎（胸部）椎骨支撑蛇的细长体轴。相比之下，长颈鹿相对于其他椎骨增加了颈椎（颈）椎骨的生长速率，以支撑其非常长的颈部。在马拉维湖丽鱼科学家中发现了各种椎骨数量和比例，这是一种在形态学，生态和行为上多样化的射线污染鱼类家族，在过去的一百万年中从一个共同的祖先中散发出来。鉴于马拉维湖丽鱼科非常紧密相关，这一点尤其值得注意，遗传上的平均值仅为0.19-0.27％，低于人类种群之间的遗传差异。了解基于遗传变化有限的背景和短期进化时间的背景，如何修改了支撑椎骨形态的发展机制，对于确定脊椎动物如何发展出显着的身体计划多样性至关重要。该研究属于以下BBSRC优先级：数据驱动生物学系统接近生物系统的方法