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Developmental regulatory genes and echinoderm evolution.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Wray, GA; Lowe, CJ
Published in: Systematic biology
March 2000

Modified interactions among developmental regulatory genes and changes in their expression domains are likely to be an important part of the developmental basis for evolutionary changes in morphology. Although developmental regulatory genes are now being studied in an increasing number of taxa, there has been little attempt to analyze the resulting data within an explicit phylogenetic context. Here we present comparative analyses of expression data from regulatory genes in the phylum Echinodermata, considering the implications for understanding both echinoderm evolution as well as the evolution of regulatory genes in general. Reconstructing the independent evolutionary histories of regulatory genes, their expression domains, their developmental roles, and the structures in which they are expressed reveals a number of distinct evolutionary patterns. A few of these patterns correspond to interpretations common in the literature, whereas others have received little prior mention. Together, the analyses indicate that the evolution of echinoderms involved: (1) the appearance of many apomorphic developmental roles and expression domains, some of which have plesiomorphic bilateral symmetry and others of which have apomorphic radial symmetry or left-right asymmetry; (2) the loss of some developmental roles and expression domains thought to be plesiomorphic for Bilateria; and (3) the retention of some developmental roles thought to be plesiomorphic for Bilateria, although with modification in expression domains. Some of the modifications within the Echinodermata concern adult structures; others, transient larval structures. Some changes apparently appeared early in echinoderm evolution (> 450 Ma), whereas others probably happened more recently (< 50 Ma). Cases of likely convergence in expression domains suggest caution when using developmental regulatory genes to make inferences about homology among morphological structures of distantly related taxa.

Duke Scholars

Published In

Systematic biology

DOI

EISSN

1076-836X

ISSN

1063-5157

Publication Date

March 2000

Volume

49

Issue

1

Start / End Page

28 / 51

Related Subject Headings

  • Phylogeny
  • Genes, Regulator
  • Evolutionary Biology
  • Echinodermata
  • Biological Evolution
  • Animals
  • 3105 Genetics
  • 3104 Evolutionary biology
  • 3103 Ecology
  • 0604 Genetics
 

Citation

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MLA
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Wray, G. A., & Lowe, C. J. (2000). Developmental regulatory genes and echinoderm evolution. Systematic Biology, 49(1), 28–51. https://doi.org/10.1080/10635150050207375
Wray, G. A., and C. J. Lowe. “Developmental regulatory genes and echinoderm evolution.Systematic Biology 49, no. 1 (March 2000): 28–51. https://doi.org/10.1080/10635150050207375.
Wray GA, Lowe CJ. Developmental regulatory genes and echinoderm evolution. Systematic biology. 2000 Mar;49(1):28–51.
Wray, G. A., and C. J. Lowe. “Developmental regulatory genes and echinoderm evolution.Systematic Biology, vol. 49, no. 1, Mar. 2000, pp. 28–51. Epmc, doi:10.1080/10635150050207375.
Wray GA, Lowe CJ. Developmental regulatory genes and echinoderm evolution. Systematic biology. 2000 Mar;49(1):28–51.
Journal cover image

Published In

Systematic biology

DOI

EISSN

1076-836X

ISSN

1063-5157

Publication Date

March 2000

Volume

49

Issue

1

Start / End Page

28 / 51

Related Subject Headings

  • Phylogeny
  • Genes, Regulator
  • Evolutionary Biology
  • Echinodermata
  • Biological Evolution
  • Animals
  • 3105 Genetics
  • 3104 Evolutionary biology
  • 3103 Ecology
  • 0604 Genetics