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

中轴骨骼在脊椎动物的运动中具有重要的功能。脊椎是重要的骨骼，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，脊椎骨的数量、比例(一种椎骨类型与另一种椎骨类型的比率)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(胸)椎骨支撑着蛇细长的身体轴线。相比之下，长颈鹿会增加颈(颈)椎相对于其他椎骨的生长速度，以支撑其超长的脖子。在马拉维湖发现了不同的脊椎数量和比例，这是一种在形态、生态和行为上多样化的射线鳍鱼家族，在过去的100万年里从单一的共同祖先辐射而来。这一点尤其值得注意，因为马拉维湖慈济鱼的亲缘关系非常密切，基因差异平均只有0.19-0.27%，低于人类种群之间的基因差异。在遗传变异有限和进化时间短的背景下，了解支撑脊椎形态的发育机制是如何被修改的，对于确定脊椎动物如何进化出非凡的身体规划多样性是重要的。研究分为以下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