Genetic regulation of wing reduction in the emu

该项目旨在研究产生肢体多样性的遗传机制，以鸸鹋的翅膀减少为模型。目前生物学的一个热门话题是进化发育生物学，即基因如何控制形态多样性。该项目将探索两个新的基因在翅膀减少中的功能。该项目预计将扩大发育生物学领域的知识，特别是肢体形态发生。它将影响鸟类的无飞行能力的遗传。它也对研究人类肢体畸形具有潜在的意义。总的来说，该项目将提高我们对基因如何控制我们在自然界中看到的巨大多样性的理解。

This project aims to examine the genetic mechanisms that generate limb diversity, using wing reduction in the emu as a model. A hot topic in biology at present is evolutionary developmental biology, or how genes control morphological diversity. This project will explore the functions of two novel genes implicated in wing reduction. The project expects to expand knowledge in the area of developmental biology, and limb morphogenesis specifically. It will bear upon the phylogeny of flightlessness among birds. It also has potential implications for studying human limb deformities. Overall, the project will enhance our understanding of how genes control the great diversity that we see in nature.