Symposium: 'Starting from Fins: Parallelism in the Evolution of Limbs and Reproductive Structures', Chicago, IL, January 3-7, 2001

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Researchers studying evolution and development consider questions regarding the origins, development, and transitions of fins to limbs, digits and external reproductive structures to be one of the fundamental issues in their discipline. Although there are several theories regarding these issues in the transition of paired fins (pectoral) to fore limbs and paired fins (pelvic) to hind limbs, there are no theories regarding the transition of the median unpaired fin (anal) to external reproductive structures. However, the body of research on paired fins to limb transitions in a variety of biological systems is sufficient enough that investigators should begin to synthesize what is known about the transitions of paired fins and extend that knowledge to the transition of the median unpaired fin to external reproductive structures.A symposium entitled "Starting from Fins: Parallelism in the Evolution of Limbs and External Reproductive Structures" held at the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology Conference in January 2001 will provide a forum for a group of scientists whose work focuses on the evolutionary, developmental, physiological, and phylogenetic parallelism between fins, limbs, digits and external reproductive structures. Speakers will address issues of parallelism in development (i.e., the occurrence of analogous anatomical structures, genes, and developmental programs that present striking similarity of appearance). They will address issues in serial homology (the repetition of morphologically identical segments and genes within individuals). Finally, they will address changes in genes, anatomical structures, and developmental programs that may be linked to changes in function and habitat during an individual life history. The overall objectives of this symposium are to 1) elucidate common evolutionary mechanisms in the development of fins, limbs and external reproductive structures and 2) provide presenters and participants an opportunity to begin a dialog on "big picture questions" regarding parallelism, serial homology, and transitions.