KOCHER, Thomas D; University of New Hampshire: From Natural Systems to Laboratory Models: Comparative Genomics of Teleost Fishes The thousands of species of cichlid fishes in the lakes of East Africa are not only an evolutionary wonder, but also a natural mutant screen for phenotypes ranging from morphology to behavior. To facilitate genetic analysis of […]

COOPER, Mark S*; VIRTA, Valerie M; University of Washington; University of Washington: Evolution of Gastrulation in the Actinopterygian (Ray-Finned) Fishes This presentation reviews evolutionary changes in the gastrulation of ancient lineages of Actinopterygian fish. Cellular features of zebrafish gastrulation will be interpreted from an evolutionary perspective, focusing on the ontogenetic innovations that resulted in the […]

WEBB, J.F.; Villanova University: Development of the Lateral Line System in Teleost Fishes: Zebrafish and Beyond The lateral line system of teleost fishes provides many opportunities for the investigation of fundamental questions in evolutionary developmental biology. The lateral line system is composed of, not a bilateral pair of cranial sensory organs, but a spatial array […]

POSTLETHWAIT, John/H*; YAN, Yi-Lin; AMORES, Angel; CRESKO, Bill; SINGER, Amy; RUBIN, David; University of Oregon, Eugene, OR; Illinois State University, Normal, IL: Consequences of genome duplication for the evolution of developmental mechanisms in teleost fish Genome amplification, probably as a result of genome duplication, occurred prior to two key nodes of chordate evolution: the origin […]

Meeting Abstract S2-1.4  Jan. 4  Why cavefish lost their eyes? �Natural Selection or Neutral Theory” YAMAMOTO, Yoshiyuki*; JEFFERY, William; University College London, London, UK; University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA yoshiyuki.yamamoto@ucl.ac.uk The question of why cave animals have lost their eyes is currently unresolved. There are two possible hypotheses: Neutral Theory and Selection hypothesis. Neutral Theory […]

Meeting Abstract S2-1.3  Jan. 4  Unraveling the basis for species-specific facial form HELMS, J.A.*; BRUGMANN, S.; ALLEN, N.; YOUNG, N.M.; Stanford University; Stanford University; Stanford University; Stanford University jhelms@stanford.edu The human face shows remarkable variability and because of this it is oftentimes the singular feature used to distinguish and discriminate among individuals. Despite this exclusivity, the structural […]

Meeting Abstract S2-1.2  Jan. 4  Pecking at the origin of avian morphological variation ABZHANOV, Arhat; Harvard University aabzhano@genetics.med.harvard.edu The features of the vertebrate face are often readily recognizable as it displays a number of species-specific characteristics. The beaks of birds in addition to the ordinary masticatory function also serve as important tools and display stunning adaptive variation. […]

Meeting Abstract S2-1.8  Jan. 4  Links between the genetic architecture and functional morphology of the canid skeleton LARK, K/G*; CHASE, K; CARRIER, D/R; University of Utah; University of Utah; University of Utah lark@bioscience.utah.edu Complex phenotypes, such as the size and shape of the mammalian skeleton, are composed of many individual polygenic components, Quantitative Traits. Purebred dog breeds […]

Meeting Abstract S2-1.7  Jan. 4  Linking the Evolution of Genes with the Evolution of Morphological Characters WAGNER, G. P. ; Yale University gunter.wagner@yale.edu There are two types of questions implied by the title of our symposium: �Linking Genes and Morphology.� At the one hand there is the question what role a certain gene plays in the development […]

Meeting Abstract S2-1.5  Jan. 4  How old genes make a new head � recent insights into development and evolution of neural crest and placodes in vertebrates SCHLOSSER, Gerhard; University of Bremen gschloss@uni-bremen.de Two embryonic tissues – neural crest and cranial placodes – give rise to most evolutionary novelties of the vertebrate head. While many cellular and molecular […]