Understanding the Evolution of Ontogenies Through Growth Trajectory Analysis

本研究的主要目的是建立描述生长模式的数学模型，并开发不同物种之间生长模式比较的替代方法。长期以来，人们一直认为，生长过程在通过进化产生动物外观变化方面起着重要作用。一个主要的理论是，生长时间或速度的变化会对动物的外观产生深远的影响。研究人员建议用数学模型来模拟生长时间的变化。这将使用来自现代动物的三维数据来完成，提供结构如何随时间变化的真实表现。利用他们开发的数学模型和生物结构的三维数据，研究人员将预测如果以规定的方式改变生长模式，这种形式会是什么样子。这些方法可以用来测试关于现代动物的结构是如何从更原始的形式出现的想法。

The primary objective of this research is to develop mathematical models that describe growth patterns and to develop alternate methods for the comparison of growth patterns between different species of animals. It has long been thought that the process of growth plays an important role in producing the changes in appearance of animals through evolution. One major theory is that changes in either the timing or rate of growth can produce profound changes in the appearance of an animal. The investigators propose to mathematically model changes in the timing of growth. This will be done using three-dimensional data from modern animals, providing a realistic representation of how structure changes through time. Using the mathematical models that they develop and three-dimensional data on the structure of living forms, the researchers will predict what that form would look like if it's growth pattern was changed in a prescribed way. These methods can be used to test ideas about how the structure of modern animals emerged from more primitive forms.