BEGIN:VCALENDAR
VERSION:2.0
PRODID:-//Talks.cam//talks.cam.ac.uk//
X-WR-CALNAME:Talks.cam
BEGIN:VEVENT
SUMMARY:Developmental Modularity\, and Evolvability of the Head Skeleton -
  Charles Kimmel (University of Oregon)
DTSTART:20131030T130000Z
DTEND:20131030T140000Z
UID:TALK48404@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:Jeremy Solly
DESCRIPTION:Development “structures the phenotypic variation upon which 
 selection acts” (B. Hallgrimsson)\, and hence could significantly influe
 nce evolvability. What is the nature of the structuring? From studies of b
 one shaping in zebrafish larvae\, I’ll argue that skull morphogenesis ex
 hibits modularity\; semi-autonomous development of separate regions of bon
 e controlled by different intercellular signals. Modularity might influenc
 e evolvability\; for example different modules could separately evolve dis
 tinctive new shapes. We tested this hypothesis with stickleback\, and\, in
  support\, found examples in the skull where evolutionary changes in bone 
 shape strikingly predict the locations of module boundaries. Finally\, I
 ’ll describe our studies of a zebrafish mutation where developmental str
 ucturing of a module dramatically breaks down\, yielding a largely unpredi
 ctable variety of bone shapes. Following Waddington and others we suggest 
 that this phenotypic instability is due to loss of buffering (or “canali
 zing”) mechanisms\, that seem to involve the epigenome. Learning more ab
 out these mechanisms may yield insight into how novel morphologies evolve.
LOCATION:Part II Lecture Theatre\, Department of Zoology
END:VEVENT
END:VCALENDAR