BIOLOGICAL HIERARCHIES AND THE CONCEPT OF HOMOLOGY
BIOLOGICAL HIERARCHIES AND THE CONCEPT OF HOMOLOGY
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DOI：
10.1159/000114387
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发表时间：
1991-10-01
影响因子：
1.7
通讯作者：
NORTHCUTT, RG
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
STRIEDTER, GF;NORTHCUTT, RG
尽管大多数生物学家同意同源性必须根据共同祖先来定义，但这一定义的细节仍然存在争议。我们简要地回顾了关于同源的正式定义和用于确定同源的具体情况的方法的分歧。然而，我们的主要焦点是第三个分歧领域：形态特征是否可以同源，即使它们的发育和遗传基础不是同源的；行为特征是否可以同源，即使它们的形态基础不是同源的。我们认为，将行为同源性还原为形态同源性，将形态同源性还原为遗传和发育同源性的尝试是错误的，并且是基于未能认识到生物组织的层次性。基因、发育过程、形态结构、生理功能和行为都构成了不同层次的生物组织。这些关卡是相互关联的，但不同关卡中的角色之间并没有一对一的对应关系。此外，在进化过程中，不同层次性状之间的因果关系也可能发生变化。因此，高级别字符可能是同源的，即使它们的一些组成低级别字符是同源的。不是同源。为了支持这一论断，我们提供了几个基于非同源发育前体和过程的同源形态特征的例子，以及基于非同源形态结构的同源行为特征的例子。在允许人们认识到在任何组织水平上的同源性，独立于其他水平上的同源性的同时，同源的层次概念也允许人们提出关于在不同组织水平上的进化变化是如何相互关联的重要问题。
Although most biologists agree that homology must be defined in terms of common ancestry, the details of this definition remain controversial. We review briefly the disagreements concerning the formal definition of homology and the methodology used to establish specific cases of homology. Our principal focus, however, is a third area of disagreement: whether morphological characters can be homologous even if their developmental and genetic bases are not homologous, and whether behavioral characters can be homologous even if their morphological substrates are not homologous. We contend that attempts to reduce behavioral homology to morphological homologies, and morphological homology to genetic and developmental homologies, are misguided and based on a failure to recognize the hierarchical nature of biological organization. Genes, developmental processes, morphological structures, physiological functions and behaviors all constitute different levels of biological organization. These levels are causally interrelated, but there is no one-to-one correspondence between characters at different levels. Furthermore, the causal relationships between characters at different levels may change during the course of evolution. As a result, higher level characters may be homologous, even though some of their constituent lower level characters are.not homologous. In support of this assertion, we provide several examples of homologous morphological characters that are based on non-homologous developmental precursors and processes, and of homologous behavioral characters that are based on non-homologous morphological structures. In allowing one to recognize homologies at any level of organization, independently of homologies at other levels, the hierarchical concept of homology also allows one to ask important questions about how evolutionary changes at the various levels of organization are related to one another.