Combining experimental embryology and geometric morphometrics to uncover the evolution of vertebral variability in Lake Malawi cichlids

中轴骨骼对于脊椎动物的运动功能具有重要意义。脊椎骨是重要的骨骼，在脊椎动物的进化过程中多次发生变化。在脊椎动物多样化的过程中，脊椎骨的数量、比例（一种脊椎骨类型与另一种脊椎骨类型的比例）和形状的进化变化已经被修改，以允许出现不同的身体形式。例如，大量的胸椎支撑着蛇细长的身体轴。与此相反，长颈鹿的颈椎（颈部）相对于其他椎骨的生长速度更快，以支撑其特别长的脖子。在马拉维湖慈鲷中发现了不同的脊椎数量和比例，这是一种形态，生态和行为多样的鳍鱼家族，在过去的100万年里从一个共同的祖先辐射出来。这是特别值得注意的，因为马拉维湖慈鲷是非常密切相关的，遗传差异平均只有0.19- 0.27%，低于人类种群之间的遗传差异。在有限的遗传变异和短的进化时间背景下，了解脊椎动物的发育机制是如何改变脊椎形态的，对于确定脊椎动物如何进化出显著的身体平面多样性是很重要的。研究福尔斯属于以下BBSRC优先领域：数据驱动生物学生物科学的系统方法

The axial skeleton is of great functional importance for locomotion in vertebrates. Vertebrae are critical skeletal bones and have modified multiple times during the evolution of vertebrate animals. The evolutionary change of number, proportion (the ratio of one vertebrae type over another) and shape of vertebrae has been modified during vertebrate diversification to permit the emergence of varied body forms. For example, large numbers of thoracic (chest) vertebrae support the elongated body axis of snakes. In contrast, giraffes increase the growth-rate of their cervical (neck) vertebrae, relative to their other vertebrae, to support their extraordinarily long necks. Diverse vertebral counts and proportions are found in Lake Malawi cichlids, a morphologically, ecologically, and behaviourally diverse ray-finned fish family that have radiated from a single common ancestor over the last one million years. This is particularly remarkable given that Lake Malawi cichlids are extremely closely related, differing genetically by an average of just 0.19-0.27%, lower than genetic difference between human populations. Understanding how developmental mechanisms underpinning vertebral morphology have been modified, in a background with limited genetic variation and in short evolutionary time, is important in determining how vertebrates have evolved remarkable body plan diversity.The research falls into the following BBSRC priority areas:Data driven biologySystems approaches to the biosciences