Brief communication: Methods of sequence heterochrony for describing modular developmental changes in human evolution. 2009

Gregory E Blomquist
Department of Anthropology, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211, USA. blomquistg@missouri.edu

Interest in the developmental changes leading to apomorphic features of human anatomy is longstanding. Although most research has focused on quantitative measures of size and shape, additional information may be available in the sequence of events in development, including aspects of phenotypic integration. I apply two recently proposed techniques for analyzing developmental sequences to literature data on human and chimpanzee age of limb element ossification center appearance in radiographs. The event-pair cracking method of Jeffery et al. (Syst Biol 51 [2002] 478-491) offers little additional insight on sequence differences in this data set than a simpler difference of ranks. Both reveal shifts in timing that are likely related to locomotor differences between the two species. Poe's (Evolution 58 [2004] 1852-1855) test for modularity in a sequence identifies the ankle, wrist, and hind limb as developmental modules, which may correspond to localized combinations of developmental genes. Ossification patterns of the rays of the hand and foot show little modularity. Integrating these and other methods of sequence analysis with traditional metrics of size and shape remains an underdeveloped area of inquiry.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D008297 Male Males
D010012 Osteogenesis The process of bone formation. Histogenesis of bone including ossification. Bone Formation,Ossification, Physiologic,Endochondral Ossification,Ossification,Ossification, Physiological,Osteoclastogenesis,Physiologic Ossification,Endochondral Ossifications,Ossification, Endochondral,Ossifications,Ossifications, Endochondral,Osteoclastogeneses,Physiological Ossification
D010641 Phenotype The outward appearance of the individual. It is the product of interactions between genes, and between the GENOTYPE and the environment. Phenotypes
D002679 Pan troglodytes The common chimpanzee, a species of the genus Pan, family HOMINIDAE. It lives in Africa, primarily in the tropical rainforests. There are a number of recognized subspecies. Chimpanzee,Chimpanzee troglodytes,Chimpanzee troglodyte,Chimpanzees,Pan troglodyte,troglodyte, Pan,troglodytes, Chimpanzee
D005075 Biological Evolution The process of cumulative change over successive generations through which organisms acquire their distinguishing morphological and physiological characteristics. Evolution, Biological
D005260 Female Females
D005528 Foot The distal extremity of the leg in vertebrates, consisting of the tarsus (ANKLE); METATARSUS; phalanges; and the soft tissues surrounding these bones. Feet
D006225 Hand The distal part of the arm beyond the wrist in humans and primates, that includes the palm, fingers, and thumb. Hands
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000367 Age Factors Age as a constituent element or influence contributing to the production of a result. It may be applicable to the cause or the effect of a circumstance. It is used with human or animal concepts but should be differentiated from AGING, a physiological process, and TIME FACTORS which refers only to the passage of time. Age Reporting,Age Factor,Factor, Age,Factors, Age

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