Alfaro, M.E.*; Janovetz, J.; Blob, R.; Westneat, M.W.: Biting in Teleost Fishes Biting is a distinct means of feeding in fishes in which upper and lower jaws forcibly grasp, tear, or cut the prey. Biting is a common mode of feeding in many groups of fishes, including parrotfishes, wrasses, cichlids, triggerfishes, surgeonfishes, damselfishes, and characins, […]
Archives: Abstracts
Unpaired Fins Derived Genitalia in Fishes
Ghedotti, M.: Unpaired Fins: Derived Genitalia in Fishes A review of the diversity of genitalia derived from unpaired fins in actinopterygiian fishes is presented. The modifications of the anal fin and urogenital region among actinopterygiians are morphologiacally quite varied. The most commonly known and best understood anal-fin derived genitalia are those of the cyprinodontiform fishes. […]
REGENERATION SOMETHING OLD; SOMETHING NEW
Bryant, S.V.: REGENERATION: SOMETHING OLD; SOMETHING NEW Urodeles are unique among vertebrates in their ability to regenerate lost appendages as adults. Evidence from numerous studies indicates that regeneration is a biphasic process, with the first phase involving the transition to a blastema, and the second involving the control of growth and pattern formation within the […]
POSTERIOR HOX GENE EXPRESSION IN DEVELOPING GENITALIA
Podlasek, C.A.: POSTERIOR HOX GENE EXPRESSION IN DEVELOPING GENITALIA The process of development requires complex interactions of mesenchyme and epithelium to specify tissue identity and unique organ specific morphology. The Hox family of homeobox genes encode transcriptional regulators that are crucial for specification of positional identity during embryogenesis and which are expressed in a colinear […]
Molecular analysis of murine external genitalia formation Control of morphogenesis of genital tubercle by shh and FGF system
Yamada, G. Yamada: Molecular analysis of murine external genitalia formation: Control of morphogenesis of genital tubercle by shh and FGF system. Recent gene KO studies have suggested that the developmental process of the anlage, the genital tubercle (GT), has much in common with those of limb buds. However, except for some previous genetic studies, systematic […]
Integrative Biology and the Developing Limb Bud
Innis, J.W.: Integrative Biology and the Developing Limb Bud The identification or selective construction of mutations within genes has allowed researchers to explore the downstream effects of gene disruption. Much information has been generated and knowledge has advanced rapidly. However, a limitation in our assessment of the consequences of conditional changes, and thereby our understanding […]
Homology, limbs and genitalia
MINELLI, A.: Homology, limbs and genitalia Similarities in genetic control between the main body axis and its appendages have been generally explained in terms of genetic co-option. This extends to the parallels in the patterning of arthropod and vertebrate appendages, which have been explained either invoking a common ancestor already provided with patterned body outgrowths, […]
Genetic Cassettes and the Evolution of Regulatory Networks Patterning the Embryo
Tabin, T.: Genetic Cassettes and the Evolution of Regulatory Networks Patterning the Embryo As genetic regulatory networks underlying development have been uncovered in a variety of organisms, a recurring theme is that the same sets of genes often act in concert in different developmental pathways in the ontogeny of one organism and in both homologous […]
Fins to Limbs What the fossils say
Coates, M.I.: Fins to Limbs: What the fossils say The fin to limb transition is one of the pivotal morphological transformations in vertebrate history. Fossil outgroups of tetrapods bear fins with a simple iterative pattern oriented proximo-distally; several features of these fins are also present in extant lungfish. Certain examples of fossil fins long considered […]
Why do Desert Rodents Drum their Feet
RANDALL, J.A.: Why do Desert Rodents Drum their Feet? Vibrational signals are one of the more common modes of communication in rodents. Striking the feet on the ground to create mechanical vibrations seems to have evolved independently in several lineages of fossorial and semi-fossorial desert rodents on all continents except Australia. Footdrumming produces both substrate-borne […]