Tracing the recent origins of a gene network regulating a novel morphological str

描述（由申请人提供）：本研究的目标是揭示新的形态结构和控制其发展的网络逐步演变的过程。每一种形态结构都是在过去的某个时刻进化而来的，而我们对空间上协调发展的发育网络起源的理解仍然是一个谜。人们越来越认识到，我们在分子水平上对这些网络的理解将是将遗传变异与表现型差异（包括疾病易感性）联系起来的核心。通过描述最近进化的一种形态新颖的果蝇，该项目将提供一个独特的视角来研究网络如何产生和改变，从而在三维形式中产生差异。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The goal of this research is to uncover the stepwise process by which new morphological structures and the networks that control their development evolve. Each and every morphological structure evolved at some point in the past, and our understanding of the origins of the developmental networks that spatially orchestrate development is still a mystery. It is becoming increasingly appreciated that our understanding of these networks at the molecular level will lie at the heart of connecting genetic variation to differences in phenotype, including the predisposition to disease. By characterizing a recently evolved morphological novelty of Drosophila melanogaster, this project will provide a unique perspective on how networks arise and are altered to generate differences in three dimensional forms.