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 […]

Meeting Abstract S2-1.6  Jan. 4  Heads or tails? Amphioxus and the evolution of axial patterning in chordates YU, J-K.; ONAI, T.; HOLLAND, L. Z.*; California Institute of Technology , Univ. California, San Diego; Univ. California, San Diego; Univ. of California, San Diego lzholland@ucsd.edu Within the vertebrates, the mode of gastrulation is highly variable. Consequently, the evolutionary origin […]

Meeting Abstract S2-1.1  Jan. 4  Craniofacial evolution from a developmental perspective KURATANI, Shigeru; Center for Developmental Biology, RIKEN, Kobe, Japan saizo@cdb.riken.jp In the craniofacial development of vertebrates, some developmental stages are conserved across species, representing particular developmental constraints such as the Hox code clearly expressed in pharyngula. By this stage, primarily unsegmented cephalic mesoderm is subdivided by […]

Meeting Abstract S1-5.9  Jan. 6  Unraveling the Link between Muscle Activation Timing and Force BIEWENER, A.A.; Harvard University biewener@fas.harvard.edu The temporal relationship between muscle activation and tension development is critical for studies of muscle recruitment using electromyography (EMG), as well as for how EMGs may be used to interpret muscle function more generally. However, several factors influence […]

Meeting Abstract S1-5.8  Jan. 6  To make a valve you have to put your heart into it MILLER, L. A.; University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill miller@math.utah.edu The embryonic vertebrate hearts develops from a simple heart tube that moves blood with a wave of contraction to a valve and chambered pump through a series of complicated morphological […]