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

轴向骨骼在脊椎动物的运动中具有重要的功能。脊椎骨是重要的骨骼，在脊椎动物的进化过程中经历了多次修改。在脊椎动物多样化的过程中，数量、比例（一种脊椎骨类型与另一种脊椎骨类型的比例）和脊椎骨形状的进化变化被修改，以允许出现各种体型。例如，大量的胸椎支撑着蛇细长的身体轴。相比之下，长颈鹿的颈椎相对于其他椎骨的生长速度加快，以支撑它们超长的脖子。在马拉维湖慈鲷中发现了不同的脊椎数量和比例，这是一个形态、生态和行为多样的鳍状鱼类家族，在过去的100万年里从一个共同的祖先辐射而来。考虑到马拉维湖慈鲷的亲缘关系极其密切，这一点尤其值得注意，它们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。在遗传变异有限和进化时间短的背景下，了解支撑椎体形态的发育机制如何被改变，对于确定脊椎动物如何进化出显著的体型多样性是很重要的。研究属于以下BBSRC优先领域：数据驱动生物学和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