Symposium: Physical and Genetic Mechanisms for Evolutionary Novelty

In recent years, developmental biophysics and developmental molecular genetics have begun to merge within the discipline of EvoDevo. This integration has been fostered by new knowledge molecular pathways in both animals and plants as well as advances by in mathematical and computational modeling of complex systems. Despite recent efforts at integration, challenges remain in finding common themes among these “physico-genetic” approaches that would permit integration into the mainstream of biological science. The goal of this symposium is to promote such an integration by bringing together researchers who are using a diversity of approaches to tackle the common challenge of explaining the evolutionary origin of novel morphologies.

This symposium will feature two sessions. In the morning, speakers will present a variety of approaches to understanding novelty and the vertebrate limb. Speakers in the afternoon carry the conversation to a diversity of systems where the causes of evolutionary novelty are being teased apart. Research presented in this session will include work on the origin of the cephalopod body plan, epithelial novelties, plant morphogenesis, and insect variability.

Sponsors: Division for Comparative Biomechanics, Division of Evolutionary Developmental Biology, and Division of Phylogenetics & Comparative Biology
John Templeton Foundation

Organizers

• Thomas A. Stewart, Yale University
• Stuart A. Newman, New York Medical College
• Günter P. Wagner, Yale University

Speakers

S10-1 Sunday, Jan. 8, 07:45 NEWMAN, SA*; STEWART, TA; WAGNER, GP:

Introduction to the symposium Physical and Genetic Mechanisms for Evolutionary Novelty

S10-2 Sunday, Jan. 8, 08:00 BHAT, Ramray*; GLIMM, Tilmann; NEWMAN, Stuart A; BHAT, Ramray:

Reaction, diffusion and adhesion by lectins in limb development: Taking it up a Notch

S10-3 Sunday, Jan. 8, 08:30 SHARPE, J.:

Changing while staying the same: Self-organized patterning allows a deeply-conserved gene circuit to produce varying skeletal arrangements during limb evolution.

S10-4 Sunday, Jan. 8, 09:00 YOUNG, Nathan M:

Evolutionary integration of the amniote limb

S10-5 Sunday, Jan. 8, 10:00 STEWART, T.S.*; NOONAN, J.P; SANGER, T.J.; WAGNER, G.P.:

The genetic basis of digit identity and evolution of the avian wing

S10-6 Sunday, Jan. 8, 10:30 VARGAS, AO*; RUIZ-FLORES, M; NúñEZ-LEóN, D; SMITH-PAREDES, D; ACOSTA HOSPITALECHE, C; HAIDR, N:

The role of embryonic muscular activity in the skeletal evolution of vertebrates

S10-7 Sunday, Jan. 8, 11:00 TRAN, Mai; TSUTSUMI, Rio; COOPER, Kimberly L*:

Musculoskeletal integration in hindlimb evolution of the bipedal three-toed jerboa

S10-9 Sunday, Jan. 8, 13:30 ALBERTIN, C.B.*; RAGSDALE, C.W.:

Conservation, convergence, and novelty in Octopus bimaculoides embryogenesis

S10-10 Sunday, Jan. 8, 14:00 BARTLETT, ME*; AYHAN, D; KLEIN, H; HANDAKUMBURA, P; WHIPPLE, CJ; BABBITT, C:

Novelty in grass flowers: making the links between molecules and morphology

S10-11 Sunday, Jan. 8, 14:30 MOUSTAKAS-VERHO, JE*; ZIMM, R; BENTLEY, B; WYNEKEN, J:

Evolutionary innovations and developmental experiments in organs of skin

S10-12 Sunday, Jan. 8, 15:00 NIJHOUT, H.F.*; MCKENNA, K.Z.; REED, M.C.:

The origin of novelty through the evolution of scaling relationships